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How does your group handle an absent player?
- Thread starter gnarlygninja
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Absent Adventurer: Where Have You Been?
Absent Adventurer: Where Have You Been?
evildmguy
Explorer
I am running two games, one with six players, one with four. We decided to play if one player was missing but not if two are missing. We play remote all the time.
In the past, I had a group where one guy moved away but we wanted to include him. I set up a monitor so we could see him then had things described to him. I eventually used a VTT projected onto the table, so he could see combat easier.
In another group, I lost several people but had one, then two people remote. I had a two camera setup, where one was on the other players, one was on the battlemat. They had a camera facing themselves and one for their dice rolls.
I would say it was mixed results all around with one player on remote. With no one else to easily interact with, he became too distracted and it didn't work long term. In contrast, the two remote people, at the same place, worked very well. They could have conversations, and it was understood why their two characters had connections and why the characters at the local table had connections.
One of my current groups are all local. But. We found out that in person, we miss more than if we stay remote. We are all middle aged who don't want to get the others sick. That's enough to stay away in person but doesn't matter for remote.
I'm lucky that all of my players want to game. The penalty for missing is missing. If I'm doing xp advancement, each player gets to give one other player bonus xp for role playing or cool thing that session. The player missing doesn't get that, which can add up, but they get the base xp that I give out for the session. At most, a one level difference.
When that one person is missing, it's a combination of the character is vaguely there but not. I tend not to adjust combat and tell them that so they adjust for it. I do like the idea of giving some sort of ability they can call on due to the player's absence rather than full running of the character. I have done it many ways, though, especially with the VTT. (Foundry in my case.) I can assign the character to another player and let them run it. I have a player instance and GM instance running and sometimes I run them. I will usually ask and the group decides as a whole what the character does if something comes up related to them.
One thing that has worked for me is that I insist on weekly gaming. Players did drop out when kids were in that 6-16 range, and that's fine. One player wanted to play every other week but I pushed back. The first time he forgets which week it is, he misses out on gaming. The first time his wife forgets which week it is, it's a bigger problem. All of my (middle aged) players have agreed that weekly works best. Everyone knows dad/husband is busy that night. My wife is great in allowing me two games.
Thanks for the discussion!
In the past, I had a group where one guy moved away but we wanted to include him. I set up a monitor so we could see him then had things described to him. I eventually used a VTT projected onto the table, so he could see combat easier.
In another group, I lost several people but had one, then two people remote. I had a two camera setup, where one was on the other players, one was on the battlemat. They had a camera facing themselves and one for their dice rolls.
I would say it was mixed results all around with one player on remote. With no one else to easily interact with, he became too distracted and it didn't work long term. In contrast, the two remote people, at the same place, worked very well. They could have conversations, and it was understood why their two characters had connections and why the characters at the local table had connections.
One of my current groups are all local. But. We found out that in person, we miss more than if we stay remote. We are all middle aged who don't want to get the others sick. That's enough to stay away in person but doesn't matter for remote.
I'm lucky that all of my players want to game. The penalty for missing is missing. If I'm doing xp advancement, each player gets to give one other player bonus xp for role playing or cool thing that session. The player missing doesn't get that, which can add up, but they get the base xp that I give out for the session. At most, a one level difference.
When that one person is missing, it's a combination of the character is vaguely there but not. I tend not to adjust combat and tell them that so they adjust for it. I do like the idea of giving some sort of ability they can call on due to the player's absence rather than full running of the character. I have done it many ways, though, especially with the VTT. (Foundry in my case.) I can assign the character to another player and let them run it. I have a player instance and GM instance running and sometimes I run them. I will usually ask and the group decides as a whole what the character does if something comes up related to them.
One thing that has worked for me is that I insist on weekly gaming. Players did drop out when kids were in that 6-16 range, and that's fine. One player wanted to play every other week but I pushed back. The first time he forgets which week it is, he misses out on gaming. The first time his wife forgets which week it is, it's a bigger problem. All of my (middle aged) players have agreed that weekly works best. Everyone knows dad/husband is busy that night. My wife is great in allowing me two games.
Thanks for the discussion!
rmcoen
Adventurer
We do "more than 50%" quorum. Right now, with 5 players, that means we play if 3 players are available. (I'm the DM.)
Absent player PCs are still present if the game paused in the middle of action, or are busy doing something else (usually "nearby") if not. As a great "grey area" example, last session's game ended in the middle of a big fight with cultists in their lair. The bard's player couldn't make last night's game, so the bard hung back in cover using vicious mockery on the leaders until the fight concluded (the leaders fled, and three cultists surrendered). When the present players decided to pursue the cult leaders, the bard stayed behind to "watch the prisoners"; the rest of the party charged into the next room, where the boss battle happened. During that battle, the paladin was forced to retreat to the bard for healing, then return - taking him out of combat for a few rounds, but still allowing the party to benefit from the bard's spells somewhat.
If the party is in town or something, the absent PC is just busy with "other things", and I'll spend a little time with that player outside the session. If the party leaves town, the absent PC can be present "but has a cold" (explanation for why not participating as usual), or might be "I'll catch up with you later".
Our general rule, though, is the PC continues with the party, but uses only basic attacks or cantrips, so when the player can play, their resources are fully available. Unless the party all vote that more powerful action is needed - and I (DM) can veto. In a session a few months ago, the warlock player was absent when the traveling group was ambushed on the road. The warlock spent most of the fight using his favorite cantrips, but at a key moment when things were going against the party, the other players decided the warlock needed to cast his wall of fire. It seemed appropriate, everyone agreed, so the big spell was cast - and flipped the momentum in the party's favor at last! And then the players all whined "that was half my spell power!" as the absent player was wont to do when using one of his precious spell slots!
Generally, a present player takes "control" of an absent-player PC when necessary. When the only elven-speaking PC was an absent player, for example, one of the other players acted for him (under review and critique by the other players). [Some of my players seem to roll better when running others' PCs, so they tend to be given this job!]
[Many years past, we sent absent PCs to the "Land of Melon Balls". They were out of action, invulnerable, no matter what happened that night... but they were also absent from XP and treasure and such. (No explanation was given or required, although I think for one Planescape campaign we made this "planar instability" a part of the PCs' storyline!) The inconsistency bothered us as we got older, and this option fell by the wayside.]
Absent player PCs are still present if the game paused in the middle of action, or are busy doing something else (usually "nearby") if not. As a great "grey area" example, last session's game ended in the middle of a big fight with cultists in their lair. The bard's player couldn't make last night's game, so the bard hung back in cover using vicious mockery on the leaders until the fight concluded (the leaders fled, and three cultists surrendered). When the present players decided to pursue the cult leaders, the bard stayed behind to "watch the prisoners"; the rest of the party charged into the next room, where the boss battle happened. During that battle, the paladin was forced to retreat to the bard for healing, then return - taking him out of combat for a few rounds, but still allowing the party to benefit from the bard's spells somewhat.
If the party is in town or something, the absent PC is just busy with "other things", and I'll spend a little time with that player outside the session. If the party leaves town, the absent PC can be present "but has a cold" (explanation for why not participating as usual), or might be "I'll catch up with you later".
Our general rule, though, is the PC continues with the party, but uses only basic attacks or cantrips, so when the player can play, their resources are fully available. Unless the party all vote that more powerful action is needed - and I (DM) can veto. In a session a few months ago, the warlock player was absent when the traveling group was ambushed on the road. The warlock spent most of the fight using his favorite cantrips, but at a key moment when things were going against the party, the other players decided the warlock needed to cast his wall of fire. It seemed appropriate, everyone agreed, so the big spell was cast - and flipped the momentum in the party's favor at last! And then the players all whined "that was half my spell power!" as the absent player was wont to do when using one of his precious spell slots!
Generally, a present player takes "control" of an absent-player PC when necessary. When the only elven-speaking PC was an absent player, for example, one of the other players acted for him (under review and critique by the other players). [Some of my players seem to roll better when running others' PCs, so they tend to be given this job!]
[Many years past, we sent absent PCs to the "Land of Melon Balls". They were out of action, invulnerable, no matter what happened that night... but they were also absent from XP and treasure and such. (No explanation was given or required, although I think for one Planescape campaign we made this "planar instability" a part of the PCs' storyline!) The inconsistency bothered us as we got older, and this option fell by the wayside.]
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