How would you decide this?

[Hatchling Dragon]

In my campaigns, (DM for 25+ years) if a player left in the middle of a session with their character sheet then that character would get nothing (as per the PHB, if your not there, you get nothing). I have had characters die in the first round (oops, gotta hate those crits) but they were there for the start of the encounter, so full XP. If your DM asked if you wanted to leave your sheet and you chose not to, well, I'm sorry HD, your DM is right.

Well that was certainly quick! I appreciate your repling, I don't suppose I could bother you with a page number mabye? It's obvious I should go back over that section (at least) again

I guess I thought I'd at least get some sort of credit for having been there for 2/3rds+ of the session, and the fact that being called away was out of my control.

On the plus side, assuming the group will even consider letting me back in next session, is that now we have a definately ruling on the subject and I know of at least one person that can competently handle my character. . o O (Ok, it looks like he's the one that should be running it, but that's a story for another day :\ )

Hatcling Dragon

 

[dcollins]

This generally sounds unpleasant, and that's too bad. My playgroup definitely leans toward giving everyone XP even if players are absent.

However, apparently this a subject of debate for your group. In this regard, it is true that the core rules say: "Only characters who take part in an encounter should gain the commensurate awards." (DMG, chapter "Rewards: Experience Awards: Standard Awards") Therefore, your DM is on more solid footing with the rules as written, even though it may be unpleasant for you to be a level down after this affair.

Treasure is purely in the domain of the players, and the DM shouldn't have much to say about its division. If the other players divide it all between themselves, then that's what happens.

 

[Chimera]

Bah. You're there for all the lead up, and you miss the battle?

Your DM only gives awards for combat?

You got robbed, regardless of whether you left your character sheet or not.

Sorry, but it's your character, you should not feel as if you need to turn him over to someone else to play through the battle.

Not so.

Our GM gives an amount for the session and for role-play. As far as I can see, he's due partial credit for the session, but given his sleeping and non-participation during the role-play (deciding his character was effectively walking out on us to go off and learn Undercommon), he may not deserve the RP credit. Not my call, I'm not the GM. But it's up to him to speak to the GM about what experience he deserves here.

Even with the above experience, it would not be sufficient to level up. That experience came from the combat, which he did not participate in. Which leads us back to his original complaint, which is without merit.

 

[ThirdWizard]

DM's fault.

DMs should always give these rules in writing to the players before the campaign starts. This includes all table rules, house rules, and misc. information regarding anything else. If a DM does not give this information in writing, its as good as the information not existing. Of course, as a player its important to ask for all this information beforehand, but I would say a DM who doesn't have this ready is ill prepared. A good DM should realize that there are many aspects to running a game, and that absentee rules is one of the first things to work out with players before beginning so that things like this don't happen.

So, I'm going to call DM negligence 'cause I'm hard on DMs in general. (someone has to be)

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Not so.

Our GM gives an amount for the session and for role-play. As far as I can see, he's due partial credit for the session,

Well, there you are. Hence a vote for partial credit, if nothing else.

Besides, it seems the "roleplaying decision" to walk off and learn Undercommon was more than a bit forced by circumstances. Had the player not been called in to work, it obviously would not have happened. Pointing to this as an example of bad roleplaying is a bit ... chintzy.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

Ok, let me try and close this down once and for all. Many Thanks to everyone (and especialy Chimera) for participating. Now that my anger, which stemmed from work and shouldn't have to be put up with by my group, has been shot down it's helped show me how over-blown I'd let this whole thing get in my own head.

I made a lot of mistakes, a few of them: I could have asked on absenteeism Exp rules; I could have asked if anyone wanted to run the character; I could have asked if mabye they wouldn't have minded calling it a night early; Heck, I could have just been blunt and asked the DM if there was any specific reason I should have left my character behind; and of course the easy one, have a spare copy of the character sheets which is just a plain old good idea. (Embarassing too, as I first suggested the idea... )

Again, thanks for any and all imput, but I definately lost this arguement already. Time to see what I can salvage from the situation.

Hatchling Dragon

 

[Chimera]

Besides, it seems the "roleplaying decision" to walk off and learn Undercommon was more than a bit forced by circumstances. Had the player not been called in to work, it obviously would not have happened. Pointing to this as an example of bad roleplaying is a bit ... chintzy.

If it had been a matter of that timing, then that might have been so. But he decided to do this just as we were making progress in figuring out the plot. Suddenly he's interrupting the flow to say that his character is going off on his own to find someone to teach him UnderCommon and spending time talking to the GM about where he can find such an instructor. He did this well before he got the call to leave.

As I told him, "Way to say 'I'm not interested' (in the game)".

Less forgiving people might call this downright rude and disrespectful.

If a DM does not give this information in writing, its as good as the information not existing.

I suggest that you try this bit of logic on your next employer and see how well it flies.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I suggest that you try this bit of logic on your next employer and see how well it flies.

Are you somehow implying that a DM is the equivalent of the players' employer and not an equal participant in a game?

DMs run the game, and in that sense, they are the boss. However, the relationship is totally different. An employee is there to earn a living. A player is there to... play a game.

I am a DM. I hold myself to standards, one of which is to remember that I have a duty to each and every one of my players so that everything runs smoothly and everyone (including myself!) has a fun time. If one of my players doesn't understand something that isn't a rule of the game found in the books, then I am to blame. I have a document describing my house rules, my table rules, absentee rules (one of the first meta-rules listed), and more. I even describe my personal interprietation of the alignment system which stretches several pages just so my players and I are on the same footing when the game starts as far as alignment is concerned.

This is something I expect a DM to do. It has to be in writing so that the players can go over it at thier leisure, thus ensuring that they have the opportunity to learn the material. After this, if they don't know it, then fault can be passed to them, but not before.

All of this could have been solved if the DM made sure his players were aware of the table rules. And, its such a simple solution!

 

[the Jester]

HD, I admire your last post for recognizing that it's time to move on and get over it.

In my game, you'd earn your share of roleplaying xp, but I don't give combat xp to people who aren't in the combat (unless they're peripherally involved in a way that helps, i.e. holding off other guards or something). In general, if you leave early, you won't get xp for the stuff that happened after you left.

Figuring xp is the dm's province, really. There are always some hidden factors that might modify it somehow...

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

This is something I expect a DM to do. It has to be in writing so that the players can go over it at thier leisure, thus ensuring that they have the opportunity to learn the material. After this, if they don't know it, then fault can be passed to them, but not before.

All of this could have been solved if the DM made sure his players were aware of the table rules. And, its such a simple solution!

Well, I believe we were doing the standard "As per Core unless otherwise noted." And as someone's so kindly pointed out the PHB says I get nothing. If the DM decides I get 'RP Exp' for the time I was there (and fully concious) I'm certainly not going to argue, but the rest was my own self delusion.

Done deal, I loose, case closed.

Heck, I even thought I had a 'work around' using an ability granted me by a draw from a Deck of Many Things, but after hearing just a little bit about the fight I'm definately not going to push for this (even if the DM allowed it), if for no other reason than I'd feel awfully foolish getting myself killed that way. Oops, change that to a TPK, since I doubt thier amazing luck would repeat itself just to accomodate me.

Hatchling Dragon