Pathfinder 1E Should I kill off players who don't show?

[the Jester]

Is it possible that you guys can pick a better day to meet? Maybe the problem with their schedules is... well... one of scheduling. I know you posted earlier that they have advance notice and stuff, but maybe there's a work/family/home issue that makes, f'rex, Saturday a non-viable day for one or both of them.

 

[gamerprinter]

While not the same situation, the same results can apply. When my group runs ongoing games, we switch GMs periodically within the same campaign. When not GMing, I have a PC. When I am the GM, my PC doesn't die, but the character is 'called away' for training or a personal mission and is not within the existing adventure party. Our group doesn't care to use "GM PC", so when we GM our PCs are away somewhere else, perhaps still earning some minimal level of experience point gain, so as not to be overly gimped when returned to the party and played once again.

So applying this to your situation. When players aren't available, send their PCs off table to some event, so that their characters are still alive, but do not interact with the existing party, until such time as the players are present to run their characters - there's no need to kill off the PCs.

Also, perhaps you need to look to recruiting new and more reliable players to your table.

 

[NewJeffCT]

If they missed one session, I just have the PC become a "silent" NPC for the night. I will run the PC as DM, or else have a player run him as a second PC, only silent. However, as DM, I'll make sure they don't do anything too out of character - i.e., the wizard charging a hill giant, instead of sitting back and casting fireball at it.

However, several years back, I had guy in a campaign that had been going on for over a year have a job change that would make him temporarily unable to attend for several months. In that case, I had his PC get summoned for urgent family issues (he was from a very minor noble family) and had him "off stage" for the time he was gone. Once the guy worked out his schedule, I worked with him on what happened on his family visit while he was gone, had him level up to be the same level as the party, and then had him swoop in to the rescue against the party. (I worked out the timing with him to arrive mid-session/mid combat and flying on a copper dragon... it was a pretty cool scene with some high-fives exchanged at the table)

While he was "out", though, I had a series of NPCs fill his role as the arcane blaster (it was a big party - this guy's sorcerer, plus a cleric and psion, fighter/paladin, two fighters, a barbarian, rogue/spellthief, and one other I'm forgetting)

So, you could have the PCs in question exit stage right until their schedules work out.

 

[S'mon]

I suggest you take a vote on the best course of action, from those present at your next session.

No point the people you do play with suffering due to people who don't turn up.

 

[jasper]

You have tried to create story where two of the authors don't want to contribute any more. From your post you want the story to continue but don't have copies of the PC sheets. Here are some ideas.
1. Create npcs which match as close possible to 2 missing pcs.
2. Kill the story/campaign due lack of enough interest.
3. Rotate dms and run a PC on nights where the others don't show.

But DO NOT KILL the pcs.

 

[TerraDave]

By coincidence, one of my players just reminded me of this "law" which I observed many years ago:

"If a session depends on a particular character, that character's player won't show up"

Its always pretty much held.

Honestly, I like how everybody here is all touchy-feely and stuff, but if it is that you wanted to play, say, 10 times in recent months and only played, say 2, then its time for the boot. Characters do not matter, but the players need to go.

Less drastic, bare minimum stuff:

1) You must start playing without them if you haven't. They have got to know the game goes on. Best case either they start to show up, or finally quit, you win either way.

2) Don't plan on them. Please please don't plan on them. If you are worried about balance, then plan to add some opponents to encounters if they show, or have someone run their charecters, or add NPCs (henchmen, etc) when they don't, but please don't plan on them.

3) Recruit at least 1 new player. Note, once you do this, you will need to play, because a new comer won't take this crap for long.

4) At the same time...you don't have to personalize. All the steps above just mean you are moving on. They can still join. Nothing against them.

5) When time is right, kill there characters.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Sounds to me like you need better players. Players who are interested in gaming, and aren't just looking for something to fill a few hours when they have nothing better to do. I've had these kind of players before. Best thing to do is cut ties with them (as far as gaming is concerned). Imagine a baseball league in which the catcher and shortstop never show up. Those guys would be benched quickly. Missing an occasional game is ok, life happens, but when it's four weeks out of five, it's time to replace them.

 

[XunValdorl_of_Kilsek]

I would just carry on the game as if they weren't there. If they get upset then they get upset, not your problem if they don't show.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Don't kill their characters, turn them into gnomes

 

[Tharian]

Lots of great advice in the thread. I'm happily scribbling down notes and ideas for my own game.

I'm rather curious, though, to hear what the OP ultimately decides and hope we get to hear how things resolve.