How fast do new characters join the group?

[Crothian]

When a character dies and is not going to be resurected, how long before the new character by the same player joins the group? Do you wait till the next session or let him come in that session? Do you wait till the party gets back to town or does the new character just show up where ever the party happens to be at the time?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I try to get new PCs into the game ASAP. Though sometimes, depending on where the party is and such, they have to wait a while. I at least try to keep it somewhat logical as to where they pop up, but the less they have to sit around and watch the better.

 

[Graybeard]

I have the player wait until at least the next session. Sometimes they may have to wait a little longer depending on where the party is. It needs to make sense for a new party member to be where the party is at that moment. They can't just appear out of nowhere.

 

[Whimsical]

(paraphrased from memory from the movie The Gamers)

DM: "You see a cloaked mysterious figure."
Player 1: "Is this your new character?"
Player 2: "Yeah."
DM: "Come on you guys. Remember that you are in hostile territory and you have just been ambushed by thieves. Roleplay this out."
Player 2: "Greetings. I am a travelling wizard. I see that your group has no wizard."
Player 1: "You seem trustworthy. Would you like to join our noble quest?"
Player 2: "Yes. Yes I would."

Player 2's character falls in line in the party formation where his old character used to be.

 

[Mouseferatu]

While I agree that some sense of logic must be mtaintained, the new PC should be introduced ASAP; and if you have to sacrifice logic for it, then do so.

There's nothing worse than sitting around watching other people play when you've got a character ready to go, and the DM won't find a way to work you in.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I think the line you're looking for is, "You seem a trustworthy fellow."

 

[punkorange]

For me it really depends on the type of game I am running. In a very story intense campaign I try to encourage the player to choose to play one of the NPC's the group is close with. If they do not want this option, I in no way try to force it upon them, enstead I try to work them into the group as well as I can without it feeling fake.

I am currently running the World's Largest Dungeon by AEG. It is a bit more of a campaign for the fun of it; we have just come out of a serious campaign, we actually only paused it. Because this game is more light-hearted then I will more than likely just "poof" in new pcs.

I once had a new pc grow out of an acorn. It was my second time behind the DM screen.

 

[reanjr]

It's usually in the same session, though I don't force the matter. If it's not working out that way, it's not working out. I rarely run dungeon crawls, so there is plenty of opportunity, usually.

 

[fusangite]

My games tend to be about long quests through inhospitable and alien places. As a result, the answer to this question varies quite dramatically from episode to episode. Sometimes the party is in a place where new potential characters are available but much of the time, they are not. I never introduce a new character during an episode, though. Usually, it's a bit tricky to fit the new character into the plot so a week or so of thought is almost always in order.

 

[Crothian]

There's nothing worse than sitting around watching other people play when you've got a character ready to go, and the DM won't find a way to work you in.

Except someione rushing to build a character super fast so they don't miss time in game.