absentee players
I think how you decide to deal with absent players depends on your group. I've been DM for roughly the same group of guys for twenty years and this same campaign for four. We have a large group and people are often absent. The PC of the absent player is played by another player. The group with whow I play are generally quite appropriate and fair with other's PCs. They actually tend to play them more coservatively that the original player as it is seen as seen almost as a sign of weak gaming skills to get some other guy's PC killed (not to mention the "what comes around goes around" factor).
If however, you have players that will be cavalier with an absent PC you'll have to do something to write out the character temporarily from the game. This is often more damaging to the sense of game believability than having one PC that is not being ideally roleplayed.
As a DM I would try to find the most reasonable of your players--someone experienced-- and give that person the responsibility. Eventually most of your players will mature to the point of being able to play other PC appropriately.
I think how you decide to deal with absent players depends on your group. I've been DM for roughly the same group of guys for twenty years and this same campaign for four. We have a large group and people are often absent. The PC of the absent player is played by another player. The group with whow I play are generally quite appropriate and fair with other's PCs. They actually tend to play them more coservatively that the original player as it is seen as seen almost as a sign of weak gaming skills to get some other guy's PC killed (not to mention the "what comes around goes around" factor).
If however, you have players that will be cavalier with an absent PC you'll have to do something to write out the character temporarily from the game. This is often more damaging to the sense of game believability than having one PC that is not being ideally roleplayed.
As a DM I would try to find the most reasonable of your players--someone experienced-- and give that person the responsibility. Eventually most of your players will mature to the point of being able to play other PC appropriately.
