how would you deal with the character of a player who leaves the game?

[Rel]

Given the amount of work it sometimes takes to develop interesting NPC's, I'd be loathe to discard such a character out of hand. I'd probably try and find some sort of niche for him based upon the characters personality and stated goals and keep him as a recurring NPC.

Unless he was bland and uninteresting. In that case, I'd probably give him a heroic and spectacular death that would make him seem less bland and uninteresting.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Two options for me, first I would see if any of the players want to player her as a secondary character. If the answer was no, to the ranks of NPCs.

 

[Umbran]

Depends upon the game style...

If the group is primarily "hack 'n' slash", so that the loss of a person with whom they've shared life and death experiences doesn't really matter to the flow of the game, then it really doesn't matter how he leaves. Stung by a scorpion in the night, carried off by a giant eagle, just wanders off in a senile haze, if the loss is only of mechaical iport to the other characters, then just have him disappear wihtout explanation.

If your group is more into role-play, if you think they want to play through the implications and reprecussions, then by all the powers that be, play it up! Whether you kill him or not, make the departure dramatic.

Personally, I see such a situation as a prime plot hopook, and would use it mercilessly.

 

[Davelozzi]

I'd run the character as a NPC until they reach civilized lands, then have the character leave the group to pursue other interests.

If the character was really interesting, I'd keep them around as a recurring NPC. If not, they vanish into the ether...(and who knows, maybe the player in question will return some day).

Now, while running him/her as a npc, if they happened to die, so be it. Might be very dramatic. But I'd not do it on purpose.

Yeah, that.

 

[Arnwyn]

I'd run the character as a NPC until they reach civilized lands, then have the character leave the group to pursue other interests.

If the character was really interesting, I'd keep them around as a recurring NPC. If not, they vanish into the ether...(and who knows, maybe the player in question will return some day).

Now, while running him/her as a npc, if they happened to die, so be it. Might be very dramatic. But I'd not do it on purpose.

Ditto.

 

[Nine Hands]

Hold a contest. The player that comes up with the best idea wins some experience or something.

 

[Corey]

Using a hook from the player's background that he mentioned once in an off-hand way at the table I turned one former PC into a bad guy. It took a while for the others to figure out what happened but once the party realized he betrayed them they howled for his blood. The confrontation has yet to occur, but I'm certain it will be momentus.

Corey

 

[shilsen]

What MojoGM said, with the possibility of a truly spectacular death if it advances the story/plot in some way.

 

[Walter_J]

in the game i dm one of the players is quitting. this leaves me with his ranger to deal with and i am looking for good ideas.

the party is far from any civilized land, and quite lost. they are also stocked, they have 6 players taking quite a few roles, so the missing character will not make a huge difference.

how would oyu deal with it?

Ditto to MojoGM.

However, since the party doesn't seem to be hurting for numbers, you could always have the ranger "scout ahead" and never return. If the party investigates maybe they would find signs of a struggle, possibly leading them to believe the ranger had been captured. Leaves lots of openings for the future, or an adventure on the spot if they try to rescue the ranger.

 

[Silver Moon]

With us it depends on who the character is/was. If it was someone with a personality so distinctive that no other player could do them justice as an NPC, then they just go off on their own and are gone.

If they are a character who has married another playing character and/or has children in the storyline then they will probably stay around as an NPC.

If they belong to a player who leaves but we may come back they will stay as an NPC (at least until we know if the player will return or not).

If they belonged to a player that nobody in the group ever wants to see again then I have to restrain the group from killing the character (only kidding......well, almost).