HELP! My gaming group is in trouble!

[Lysander]

Another great idea!

I'm glad I decided to post my question here, as the replies have been surprisingly quick and insightful. I'll be sure to talk to my DM about this. (in fact, I may try and have a few ideas jotted down for him, I'm brainstorming right now).

Thanks!

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Hmmm, a few points:

1) Was it actually stated in front of the player that if his character wasn't present he would not get XP? If so, no worries, he was told. If not then the treatment is unfair. By my reading of it the GM should just have spun off stats that were 'close enough for folk', and done what was usually done.

2) Coming up with different ways to split up treasure while one player isn't present, especially if he is the one who will be penalized, is just asking for trouble. In such things there should be a bit of a 'grandfathere clause'. Next time table the discussion until all are present. (Been there, done that...)

3) Talk to the DM as well, not just the player, it sounds like the DM had his whiskers singed and might be over reacting just a tad.

4) Talk to the abrasive player - if the first thing I heard as I came through the door was 'You owe us 2000 gp!' I might well up and leave as well. In a lot of ways it sounds like he is the actual key to the problem. (And while 'talking' to him with Mr. 2x4-with-a-rusty-nail might be tempting...) Seriously, I have seen groups break up because of one person like that.

The Auld Grump

 

[Lord Pendragon]

How do you handle missing players/character? Especially if you're trying to keep some semblance of cohesion to the plot?

I give them xp regardless. The game is a game, to have fun. Why should I try to punish players for missing a game? Missing the game is the punishment. My players don't want to miss games, then can't make games at times because other things come up, be they business or pleasure.

During a session, I do give out certain rewards for good RP and generally adding to the fun of the game. Of course missing players won't receive that, but they'll get all the base xp for the adventures.

As far as an in-game justification, I have missing players' characters also missing in-game. However, just because they weren't with the party doesn't mean they were sitting at home knitting a sweater or something. Rather, they were off somewhere else, adventuring. And that adventuring happened to net them exactly the same amount of xp as the present PCs' adventures.

As for the DM, he maintains his authority by making good calls and running a fun campaign with interesting plot and characters. Not by arbitrarily handing down punishment when players annoy him.

 

[Greyhawk_DM]

How do you handle missing players/character? Especially if you're trying to keep some semblance of cohesion to the plot?

My personal rule is this: if the player is not there, the pc is also not there.
If the player has to leave during the game for an unexpected reason, then I or one of the other players will run the "missing" pc until we get to a relatively safe place and "drop off the pc" and the rest of the group will continue on.
That way the group is not burdened with trying to figure out what a pc would do in a given situation without the player.

Also I believe that the PC's "learn" just like the player does as the game goes on. In game this is represented in XP's. In the "real world" this is reperesented in real knowledge that the player has gained about the world and how it functions. To award a PC xp's while the player is not actually there to play the character will eventually set them back in terms of how to function in my campaign.

Also when the player does return, he/she will set up a time with me and we will "solo" the time that the player missed in the game. That way they don't miss out on the gaming experience.

As far as cohesion to running a plot...I try to design my campaigns so that they do not depend on the PC's actions per se to drive them...Basically there are things that can and will happen in my campaign and how they work out in the end may or may not be affected by the PC's actions alone. To me running it way seems help the campaign take on a semblence of "life". The PC's reacts to the world around them and in turn the world reacts to them. Or vice versa.
For example...I design a group of bandits that are raiding a caravan route..This will come out in a "news bulletin" of the campaign or "tavern talk". The PC's can choose to check it out or not. Really makes no difference to me...Eventually someone will take care of the problem whether it is a PC group or an NPC group of my choosing. That way the campign grows and changes and seems alive to the PC's as they live their lives.
I try to provide as many choices as I can to my group so that they have a sense of "campign reality" and not me just trying to send them on another adventure.

Later....

 

[Tsyr]

My personal rule is, as long as they knew before hand, and they have a legitimate reason to be absent, they get full experience. Hey, it's a game, I realize that. It's not the most important thing. "Hey, I got some vacation time finally comming up, and I was thinking of heading to florida for a couple weeks" or "Hey, I'm gonna go visit family over thanksgiving" or something, that's fine. As long as they tell me at least at the gaming session prior. Now, an excuse like "Hey, there is this show on TV I really wanna see that night..." isn't gonna cut it...

My basic table for XP giving conditions:

Present: Full XP
Prior arangements and reason: Full XP
Prior arangements but no reason: Half XP
Last minute notification with good reason (Sick, family crisis, etc): Full XP
Last minute notification with semi-good reason (Hey, guys... Work called, they wanted to know if I could come in for a few hours, and they were gonna pay overtime, so...): Half XP
No notification at all: No XP
No notification at all, but later prior good reason, and they just weren't able to call: Half to full XP, depending on story.

Basicly, I don't penalize players for not showing up. Things happen, I know that. Been there, done that.

What I do penalize them for is not having the courtesy to show up if they don't have a reason not to, or for not telling anyone they werent going to be there with enough time to make arangements.

 

[Ahrimon]

My personal rule is, as long as they knew before hand, and they have a legitimate reason to be absent, they get full experience

So, does "I'm going downrange for the next year, you'll have to take over as DM." count as knowing before hand? If so then half my groop is going to be getting a heck of a lot of experience when they get back.

Ahrimon

 

[Darklone]

Absent players get half XPs in my group... and I calculate the XPs for every player according to his level and the CRs, therefore being a few thousand XPs behind will change soon.

 

[dulsin]

Personaly I think this dispute is between the player and the DM. I don't feel it is the DMs job to create player disputes.....

The divission of treasure is always something that should be done IN CHARACTER! Often times my group will award all or most of a treasure to one player because he can use it best. If we take down a lich it is assumed the wizard will probably walk away with most of the loot. Try to be fair but also try to be smart. Some times it is better for the party to give one guy 3 items and nothing for anyone else.

 

[Nail]

The divission of treasure is always something that should be done IN CHARACTER!

Absolutely. Moreover, just about every time treasure is "split", it's not even. Given the pricing of magic items, that's unavoidable.

IMC, my players divide the treasure however they see fit. I don't interfere. In another campaign, in which I am a player, I always suggest that all treasure goes into a communal pile, and then items are doled out on a "best fit" basis.

In both cases, if one person gets too little, the other players think of ways to make it up to the one with the least. To be honest, that's as much "self interest" as "charity". After all, if one PC can't hold up his end of a fight, everyone suffers.....

****

Asfor "What to do about XP differences": The player who missed should get half XP. (If yer a stickler for a reason, make up some story about a minor side-quest.) Simple enough, and fair to all concerned.

BTW, that half XP should be applied to the girl-friend too.

 

[Numion]

The DM, upset at this guy's behavior, made up some lame excuse as to why his character was absent from the party (basically, "you guys got into and argument and he stormed off." ) and we went on our merry way.

I don't think thats a lame excuse. I think that the DM made the right decision. If someone throws a hissy fit, he shouldn't be rewarded for it.

As a general advice for your whole group though: lighten up. It's just a game.