D&D (2024) How many combats do you have on average adventuring day.

[Minigiant]

I fail to see how that has anything to do with it. Regardless of when you play, a few minutes to review your PC (even if you have to use "game time" to do it) is not hard (as you stipulate in the opening of this post).

At actually does have a lot to do with it.

Original D&D as guy gets originally designed it had simple characters so that any people can show up at any time with any character travel to a dungeon, run a dungeon, and travel back to town.

5th edition is not that. Cactus are not dumb simple.

You got hit points, hit die, spell slots, item charges potions, class features that run on short rest, class features that run on long rest, subclass features that run on long rest, subclass features that run on short rest, free spells, racial features, feets that have resources, And even gp for some people.

So if you're in a group that misses two sessions and now it's been 20, 30, 40 days between the times that y'all played. You have to get into the mindset of your character who ended the last session with 100% of X and 20% of Y and 50% of Z.

Or if Peter's not showing up and he decide to play anyway But Peter has most of the slots you will use for healing because you use Alice's slots in the first session of the adventure for healing and damage. So now the party has no spells left except for Peter who's not showing up.

For now the players and the DM have to manage all of this.

I can understand a community where 30 to 50% off the players are first edition being 5th edition explicitly, them wanting to reset resources every session.

The problem is that original community and the designers themselves won't commit to telling them yeah that's going to throw off the balance and could hamper your fun.

 

[Deset Gled]

Cactus are not dumb simple.

 

[ezo]

If we didn’t play when someone couldn’t make it we would hardly get to play at all. Busy lives have more important things in them than D&D!

Jobs, family, etc. sure--- but otherwise it ranks up there with any other hobby. Either it is important to you to play or it isn't. No more or less than that. But many people who have work, family, kids, etc. manage to play D&D still.

Anyway, I never said anything baout not playing when someone didn't show up. Just if they can't make it regularly, either special circumstance have to come into play or, baring that, they shouldn't bother if "busy lives" gets in their way IMO.

Ideally, absent players have their characters benched, but if the narrative can’t support that someone else plays the character, which is why it helps if they start the session fully rested.

Sure. One of my players recently had COVID, got over it, but ended up with bronchotis (?) due to it. So, a different player just played two characters so we kept the PC in the game. Benching wasn't really much of an option.

But again, this is a special circumstance. If missing the game was a regular thing, I'd only invite them to handle a DM PC, NPCs, or roll/handle the opponents.

At actually does have a lot to do with it.

Original D&D as guy gets originally designed it had simple characters so that any people can show up at any time with any character travel to a dungeon, run a dungeon, and travel back to town.

5th edition is not that. Cactus are not dumb simple.

You got hit points, hit die, spell slots, item charges potions, class features that run on short rest, class features that run on long rest, subclass features that run on long rest, subclass features that run on short rest, free spells, racial features, feets that have resources, And even gp for some people.

So if you're in a group that misses two sessions and now it's been 20, 30, 40 days between the times that y'all played. You have to get into the mindset of your character who ended the last session with 100% of X and 20% of Y and 50% of Z.

Or if Peter's not showing up and he decide to play anyway But Peter has most of the slots you will use for healing because you use Alice's slots in the first session of the adventure for healing and damage. So now the party has no spells left except for Peter who's not showing up.

For now the players and the DM have to manage all of this.

I can understand a community where 30 to 50% off the players are first edition being 5th edition explicitly, them wanting to reset resources every session.

Nice post but has nothing to do with what I was responding to:

Sometimes because scheduling has groups adventuring in irregular times or incomplete parties.

All the things you mention (which I've already mentioned to one degree or another) is right there on your character sheet. You review the sheet, making note of what all your resource amounts (hp, spell levels, etc.) currently are at.

If you miss more sessions and you know it has been a while, take a bit more time and look it over more carefully. It isn't hard... which again, you agreed to.

Incomplete parties has NOTHING to do with finishing a session with a long rest. That player (and assuming their PC) are absent regardless of if you took a long rest or not. IF another player takes over for that PC, you give them a bit of extra time to see what the resources are at. Obviously they should be experienced enough and familiar with the other PC to handle running a second character. If that player isn't comfortable with it, you find another solution. Either way, it has nothing to do with long rest or not. If they can handle the second PC at "full strength", then they should be able to handle it at less than that IME.

The problem is that original community and the designers themselves won't commit to telling them yeah that's going to throw off the balance and could hamper your fun.

Who knows? Balance can be changed by the DM to allow for PCs to begin every session at full strength, and for some groups that might be more fun. Is it "easier" for them? I guess so, given the statements made in this thread. But I know such "gamist" handling of the adventures and such aren't my cup of tea and I wouldn't play in such a game. That's just my preference. It isn't hard to spend 5 minutes reviewing your PC before you start a session.

 

[Minigiant]

All the things you mention (which I've already mentioned to one degree or another) is right there on your character sheet. You review the sheet, making note of what all your resource amounts (hp, spell levels, etc.) currently are at.

If you miss more sessions and you know it has been a while, take a bit more time and look it over more carefully. It isn't hard... which again, you agreed to.

Incomplete parties has NOTHING to do with finishing a session with a long rest. That player (and assuming their PC) are absent regardless of if you took a long rest or not. IF another player takes over for that PC, you give them a bit of extra time to see what the resources are at. Obviously they should be experienced enough and familiar with the other PC to handle running a second character. If that player isn't comfortable with it, you find another solution. Either way, it has nothing to do with long rest or not. If they can handle the second PC at "full strength", then they should be able to handle it at less than that IME.



Who knows? Balance can be changed by the DM to allow for PCs to begin every session at full strength, and for some groups that might be more fun. Is it "easier" for them? I guess so, given the statements made in this thread. But I know such "gamist" handling of the adventures and such aren't my cup of tea and I wouldn't play in such a game. That's just my preference. It isn't hard to spend 5 minutes reviewing your PC before you start a session.

You are assuming other players can or want to run the PCs of other players or that DMs can easily adjust their sessions to accommodate missing PCs on the fly.

Many can't.
50% of 5e players never played another RPG.

That's why many tables reset resources at the start of the session and straight up don't continue that game if more than one person is missing.

They can't adjust and were never taught to adjust. Nor do every PCs use universal schemes like 4e. And 5e PCs aren't as dumb simple as 2e, 1e, and 0e PCs.

No, we should not be handing a 6th level illusion wizard to the fighter player because John is sick just to continue. Andrew's turns are long enough already.
If Moni can't come, we can do the emergency oneshot of another RPG. Luke planned for 5 PCs not 3.

 

[Mistwell]

I've never seen a wizard or cleric dominate in a single-encounter day in 10 years of playing D&D 5e. Why do you think that might be?

I play a cleric in a weekly game that's been going on about 3 years now (no wizard in the group). I play it to the best of my ability, contributing as much as I can to combat encounters, and I don't think I have ever once dominated an encounter other than the odd turn-undead against a ton of weak undead. Not in a single-encounter day or 7 encounter-day.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Do you mean because you are implying people can only run about 3 combat encounters in a 4-hour session typically??

Even if that is the case, so what?

It just gets somewhat weird and unrelatable when the game time and real time become so drastically detached from each other.

 

[cbwjm]

I reckon for games I've run or played in, 2 was the average. Sometimes it would be more, sometimes 0.

 

[ezo]

You are assuming other players can or want to run the PCs of other players or that DMs can easily adjust their sessions to accommodate missing PCs on the fly.

I'm not assuming anything. I'm saying its an option. It is frankly a pain in the ass when it happens. But doing a long rest at the end of the prior session doesn't help ellivate that--THAT is what I am saying. You seem to think it helps...

Many can't.

I think it is more likely more don't try than can't... but that is just my opinion...

50% of 5e players never played another RPG.

If you say so.

That's why many tables reset resources at the start of the session and straight up don't continue that game if more than one person is missing.

Again, how does resetting resources make ANY difference to this issue???

If more than one person doesn't show, I agree (and myself) often don't run the same game. However, hopefully you have advance notice and can prepare accordingly. If not, it sucks, not doubt. And frankly the people NOT showing up and better have a good reason why they bailed--because myself and the other players have to deal with it. Not denying it is a pain in the ass...never denied that.

They can't adjust and were never taught to adjust. Nor do every PCs use universal schemes like 4e. And 5e PCs aren't as dumb simple as 2e, 1e, and 0e PCs.

Who knows? 5E is as complex as you make it IME. The character sheet has the info, and no player should handle running a PC for a missing player unless that player is very experienced and knowledgable of the game OR the DM is willing to allow special considerations (extra time, help, etc.) for running the extra PC.

As I posted upthread I had a player miss out Friday due to illness. He texted me more than a day ahead of time, but I didn't receive the text until last minute (mobile service sucks where I live...). The other players were already showing up. One of them said he would try playing the extra PC (a 5th level Paladin), so I gave him about 20 minutes to look over the PC, talked to him about suggested tactics he should consider, etc. He was able to play the additional PC just fine depsite his only PC (he just started playing about 4 months ago) is his own 5th level Fighter. He's never played any class with spells, or tracking long-rest features, etc. Only once did I have to intervine and suggest he use a divine smite when he was considering holding off to preserve spell slots.

No, we should not be handing a 6th level illusion wizard to the fighter player because John is sick just to continue. Andrew's turns are long enough already.

Only if Andrew is experienced enough as a player to handle two PCs, wants to do it, etc. From the sounds of it, he isn't, especially if his turns are long enough playing a fighter!

So, you accomodate. The DM runs it, a different player runs it, the DM removes the PC in some fashion depending on the point in the adventure. Regardless, just ending with a long rest won't help this situation in any fashion.

If Moni can't come, we can do the emergency oneshot of another RPG. Luke planned for 5 PCs not 3.

If you have two people bail you do what you can and hope they have good reasons. Make it a movie night, have someone else run a one-shot (like such things actually exist... IME they never get done in one session), etc. You make the best of a bad situation. But, yet again... finishing your last session on a long rest won't help it.

 

[ezo]

It just gets somewhat weird and unrelatable when the game time and real time become so drastically detached from each other.

I don't see why it would, but if it bothers you for whatever reason then, sure, end your game sessions with the "end of the day" in the game world.

But like many others, I've had three sessions go by before "the game day" ended, especially during the adventure. For example, something like:

Session 1: the PCs arrive in a town and get the adventure hook, travel to the location, have a few random encounters along the way. End session at the location. This might take days" in game time," sure, or it might only take a few hours of "in game time".

Session 2: the PCs might have taken a short rest if needed before the meat of the adventure begins. They explore the dungeon, scout out the stronghold, or whatever the adventure calls for. Typically a sub-boss might be the climax of the session.

Session 3: again maybe a short rest if the location and safety permits. But now the final push to the boss and the completion of the adventure. At this point a long rest is likely possible before the journey back to the beginning.

Each session will likely have 2-4 (or even 5 or more if simple) encounters. A couple short rests, sure, but "in game time" the entire adventure might span 8 to 12 hours or more, depending on travel times, etc. for the adventure.

Of course, you have the flip side, with lots of travel and such were days, weeks, months or even years might pass in a single session... When that happens, does it feel unrelatable and detached to you??

 

[cbwjm]

If it actually matter which day is which, I just keep a game calendar and mark off a day when players have a night's rest. I don't think you have to match the end of a session with the end of a day and think that it becomes an issue when your half way through a dungeon and have to call a long rest because the session is over, it often makes no sense to do so in games I've been in.