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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 3800795" data-attributes="member: 32740">First and best step - discuss the subject with all participants and reach agreements as to what "the rules" are for attendance.We have long had a fairly small group.  We want to play whenever possible but we also don't want to casually cut somebody out of the ongoing plots just because there happen to be a few changes in peoples schedules.  We also establish a quorum as our total roster of players fluctuates.  We actually require 3 of 4 players to be able to attend.  Less than that and the game will be cancelled - although those still able to attend will often get together to do something else like play board games, see a movie, etc.We don't have a hard and fast requirement about some of the rest of this.  If you know you're going to be late, just call as many people as you can to let them know how late and preferrably why (so that if you're even later than you said you would be we can judge whether to continue to wait or start without you.)  Failure to inform of lateness and non-attendance is NEVER seen as cause for IN-GAME or even meta-game penalties.  It's simply rude and everyone WILL let you know that and will only tolerate it for so long before taking other action.I would never do anything like that.  This is D&D, not work, or school.  While not extreme, these do seem like excessive measures.  If they are needed or even wanted then I'd say there's deeper issues somewhere and that this wouldn't really be the way to address them.The basic rule of attendance I have is to make it crystal clear that the game IS ALWAYS ON unless you hear SPECIFICALLY otherwise.  It's Saturday at 1pm.  Keep communication OPEN - if your schedule makes your attendance questionable don't keep that information to yourself.  TELL the DM.  Even if you're just not feeling like playing D&D for some strange reason don't feel that D&D MUST take place.  We can play other games, do other things, even just hang around and talk since we do a lot of that during the game anyway.Now of course ours has always been a less formal group and one formed of friends and family, not relative strangers.  That would naturally create more formal agreements and arrangements, especially if one or more participants were rudely inconsistent (that is, consistently rude) about attendance and keeping others informed.  But it's still JUST D&D, not the SAT's.It doesn't always have to be the DM but SOMEBODY should be in charge of coordinating attendance matters.  If the DM can't/won't handle it properly then let someone volunteer and then give them some minor additional consideration for the effort like paying for their munchies or something.  I've had groups where the "attendance monitor" rotated from week to week and it worked fairly well.One thing is certain, there just isn't any excuse for taking the time to keep people up to date, not on what your schedule specifically is, but simply how it AFFECTS your attendance at a scheduled game.  If your schedule and/or desire to play is simply unpredictable (as described by the OP) then you have the obligation to make that known and MUST expect treatement accordingly.  Such behavior might be psychological too - not so much callous indifference as a means of keeping yourself as the center of attention and exerting a form of control over the game and other participants.  But it's still unacceptably rude.</blockquote>

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