In-game explanation for missing Players

[Quasqueton]

The thread on what strange things DM’s have done to PCs whose Players were not present at the game session made me think of an idea for brainstorming.

The scenario of a game session missing a Player is so ubiquitous among table-top RPGers that we probably could use some ideas of how to incorporate situation into an in-game explanation. I mean, the only other thing that might be as common as Player absence is PC death, and we got a whole campaign book based on that idea – Ghostwalk

Let’s bat around some ideas on how to work an in-game explanation for PCs to up and disappear, even if in the middle of an adventure. Like a good brainstorming session, no idea is too weird – maybe someone else can fine tune a weird idea into something workable or more acceptable.

But, like the concepts in Ghostwalk, let’s come up with solutions that can be applied to all characters in all campaigns (or as close to all as possible).

To start the brainstorming off, how about something like:

The PCs get “irradiated” in some kind of extradimensional chaos. . . stuff. This causes periodic disappearances among the group. But since the whole group was exposed to the chaos at the same time, there is a spatial connection with the group, so when the disappeared person reappears, it is usually in the presence of the other characters. Eh??

I remember a few years ago, Piratecat did something similar. After the party used a special private plane to spend time training, when Players had to miss a game session, Piratecat used that situation as a reason – the PC got temporally displaced for a period of time. The other PCs understood this and accepted it.

What are some ideas?

Quasqueton

 

[VirgilCaine]

The PCs get “irradiated” in some kind of extradimensional chaos. . . stuff. This causes periodic disappearances among the group. But since the whole group was exposed to the chaos at the same time, there is a spatial connection with the group, so when the disappeared person reappears, it is usually in the presence of the other characters. Eh??

Blue vein disease. I use it, it's a lifesaver. PCs appear and disappear, and can still stay with the group in XP and loot.

 

[Three_Haligonians]

I'm so glad you asked!

A few months ago I got a new campaign started with way more players than I usually have (read: more than 2 or 3) and I knew we all had busy lives so I decided to come up with something.

My campaign centres around the PC's being part of a large organization of explorer's and treasure hunter's. As members, the PC's all have a little identification pin that also serves as a sort of beacon. Every so often one of the characters (when their player can't make it) gets called for "clerical duty" and is instantly teleported back to the Head Quarters for filing, compiling, or even just cleaning. When the player arrives, the character is teleported back in with the group and they keep on going. I also rule that "clerical duty" grants the absentee 10% of the XP the rest of the group gains - just so they don't fall completely behind.

Naturally, this idea is a little campaign specific, and we all agree to just gloss over the finer details and some of the questions one might raise..."if they can just teleport us.. why do we have to travel to each location normally?"... and so forth, but it works.

The idea of "popping" in and out (IMC, teleporting makes a loud bang) has become a staple of the game, even when it happens during the most inopportune moments like, when facing the BBEG of the particular adventure or what have you.

It's a lot of fun and has led to some pretty cool (and pretty funny) moments in game.

J from Three Haligonians

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

For my Firefly game, the character is around, doing stuff they would, but it otherwise unproductive. The captain is often caught sleeping in the pilot seat. The XO has lapsed into moments of extreme paranoia. The mechanic has gotten shot and, due to a botched doctor roll, fell into a coma and missed several sessions.

For the Exalted game i play in, we have a Wyld artifact called Pursey. It's a handbag with a very large tongue that likes to swallow Jahar whole on a regular basis. Other times, a character has simply been off taking care of life matters and catches up to the group later.

 

[Drowbane]

fourth session missed: eaten by wolves?

Based on the # of times absent in a row...

First session missed, the poor PC is afflicted with "the Plague" and begins to act a bit out of character... in otherwords, the PC is run by another player (if absent player does not wish other player to run him, PC falls into a coma as if 3 sessions missed) and gets 75% exp... the PC of the player running the extra PC gets the missing 25% exp (loot is divided by all characters present).

Second session missed, the poor PC's affliction worsens... PC is run by another (often times not the same stand-in player as last session...) player and gets 1/2 exp. PC of the player doing double duty gets 25% of this missing exp, while the rest of the group divides the remaining 25%.

Third session missed, the poor PC falls into a come-like stupor brought on by some sort of in campaign sickness... and gets no exp. Other players tend to start looking over the sick one's gear with intent to loot.

From the fourth session on, the PC starts to die from his affliction. Losing 5 Con per session until they either die or thier player shows up again. If thier player shows up before the PC is gone, thier character miraculously recovers. PCs who die this way tend to get buried in a shallow grave with thier loot divided by the other players among the other PCs.

PCs have only actually died this way twice out of 12yrs of using this policy. In both cases the offending player just rolled up another character which was jeri-rigged back into the story... at 1 level lower than the party.

~~~

One or two absences is fine, RL stuff happens. Six absences just tells me you're not into the game...

 

[Kafkonia]

It all depends on the situation. Usually we'll just play the character in question. Sometimes it doesn't come up (in one session we killed the BBEG before we even got to that character's turn in the surprise round!) Since we're all busy, we try to arrange our games at a time when we can all make it, so we don't penalize someone if something comes up or they're sick.

Usually they get the XP too, IIRC, but I've only been a player so I haven't really payed attention to that.

I do think it'd be interesting for a Ghostwalk-style supplement covering this, though.

 

[Quasqueton]

Blue vein disease. I use it, it's a lifesaver. PCs appear and disappear, and can still stay with the group in XP and loot.

What is blue vein disease?

Quasqueton

 

[Hand of Evil]

I always use some illiness like clap, parasites, runs and when the player returns at a -1 on all roles, misses two games -2, three -3, when it gets to -5 the character is dead and I inform the party, they can attend his wake. It is a house rule told to the players before starting a campiagn.

 

[Bagpuss]

When I'm running Cybergeneration it's usually because their Mum or Dad have grounded them.

 

[Hussar]

For my World's Largest Dungeon game it's The Box. Not my idea, but, essentially, whenever a player is missing, the box pops out from around he corner, runs on tiny feet and eats the PC, continues running and vanishes. At some time later (when the player returns) the Box makes a dramatic entrance, spits the PC out and vanishes again. Sometimes the PC's are covered in various substances, sometimes not. They retain no memories of their time in the Box.

When players have stopped coming to the game (I play online, so this happens more than I would like), the Box simply stops spitting them out. Makes it easy to not have equipment creep when a player makes a character, shows up for two sessions then vanishes.

It's worked rather well so far and my players like it.