Missing players and other players running their PCs

[bloodtide]

I consider this to be a player decision.

Some times a player will ask another player to run their character...and that is fine with me.

More often I will just remove the character from the game.....often getting 'detained' by guards or something like that.

 

[The Soloist]

For us, the character is there, he becomes a 'ghost,' doesn't talk, watches and observes but does not act. He cannot be harmed or killed.

 

[Lanefan]

I was going to post in another thread about groups size, but think this is its own thread. If a player cannot show up to play the game, do other players use their character?

Yes. If the missing player has left instructions, those are followed as far as is practical; otherwise the character is played according to its established patterns and persona. It still contributes to what the party does, and still earns xp etc. as normal.

How do you do this? Does the DM keep the character sheets or a copy and the players get them back if/when they show up?

Yes. Character sheets stay here between sessions, in large part for just this reason and in smaller part to ensure they're not forgotten at home when a player comes to the game.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

We've got into the habit of the DM for the given game collecting the character sheets, if they're not online, so we'll have the sheets for everyone for next time.

In general, our current approach in my main group is, if we're only missing one player, someone plays that PC as well, and we just all trust each other to do a reasonable job. Generally the DM will go slightly light on that character because killing them off or permanently maiming in them when the owner isn't there would be okay, but not ideal. We've played horror games this way even. If someone asked for their PC to not be played, we would, but that's never happened.

If more than one player is away we usually just play something else, either a different RPG or a boardgame.

 

[Thomas Shey]

We've got into the habit of the DM for the given game collecting the character sheets, if they're not online, so we'll have the sheets for everyone for next time.

In general, our current approach in my main group is, if we're only missing one player, someone plays that PC as well, and we just all trust each other to do a reasonable job. Generally the DM will go slightly light on that character because killing them off or permanently maiming in them when the owner isn't there would be okay, but not ideal. We've played horror games this way even. If someone asked for their PC to not be played, we would, but that's never happened.

If more than one player is away we usually just play something else, either a different RPG or a boardgame.

This is pretty close to our OP when unpacked, other than that we'll just skip a session if two or more characters are going to be missing. Fortunately, we've developed a culture of attendance such that's uncommon (even one missing isn't common).

 

[Wolfpack48]

Everybody leaves their character sheet with the GM, so someone will play a missing player's PC if it doesn't make sense for them to disappear, but typically only to roll for them in combat and with the player's blessing. If we're between adventures, that PC will be doing something else. We have 4-6 players.

 

[Duke_]

My recollection is that way back in the day, having someone else control your character was pretty standard and consistent across multiple groups I was in.

In my current group, we have 7 players plus the GM in the current campaign. If we're down 1-2, we play, and ignore the missing characters completely. If we're down 3 or more players, or the GM can't make it, we cancel.

 

[plecostomus]

For 1 player who is a gig worker and may not know his schedule till the day of play, we just ignore him if he isn't there.

For 1 player who is military and may be gone for months at a time, the DM plays his character and the party can petition the character to do things. The character in question has a vorpal sword and the DM is constantly beheading his own boss enemies, which is pretty great.

We have 6 total players.

 

[MortalForce]

I was going to post in another thread about groups size, but think this is its own thread. If a player cannot show up to play the game, do other players use their character? How do you do this? Does the DM keep the character sheets or a copy and the players get them back if/when they show up?

I never kept any sheets for my weekly game and if a player is not there and we decide to play, he just misses the game and the others have a more difficult time if missing a cleric or caster. There is a weird problem if the week started in the middle of a dungeon and the character was there last week and now- poof, gone. We make up things like he went to feed the horses or is staying in the back of the group, but no danger or able to assist anything.

I just wrote it in that everyone bumped into a hag who read their fortunes in exchange for "a piece of silver and some of their time". The PC literally disappears and doesn't experience time passing as the curse takes their lifespan and adds it to the hags. The players got direction for their PC's though, which is helpful.

The first player experienced this the other night, but they haven't realised what's going on yet.