Why punish a player if they can't come to the game?

[ShinHakkaider]

Why should the player be awarded for not showing up?

Exactly.

The players who are there are earning thier rewards and XP. If a player isnt there for whatever reason, that's fine, but there's no way they should get the same rewards as the players who showed up and participated.

 

[sniffles]

As a player, I'm torn on this issue. Last year I had cancer and went through some serious chemo, and I just didn't have the energy to attend every game. It didn't seem fair for me to be penalized for this, yet at the same time it didn't seem fair for me to get XP for not being there. I was involved in several different campaigns with different GMs, and each of them had a different response. One person gives group XP divided by the number of players, so he continued to do this, thus preventing me from falling behind. Another GM did not give XP for the sessions I missed, so my PC is now a level behind the rest. The GM who gave XP anyway does not like to deal with PCs who are different levels, so it was as much for his own convenience as for my benefit.

I'd say that it's up to the GM; as long as you let the players know in advance, and are willing to compromise if you find it's not working out, whatever you do is right as long as it's right for you.

 

[JoeBlank]

Speaking for myself only, as a player, what's fun for me is earning my own rewards. I don't think it's "fun" to miss a game, yet have my character advance along with everyone else who was actually there. If that were "fun," why would I ever need to actually show up and play? You could just call me on the phone and tell me how my character keeps advancing without any input from me at all!

Now, there's an argument to be made that falling too far behind the other PCs will so seriously disadvantage you that the game is no longer fun, either...but honestly, if you're missing that many sessions, you must not think the game is all that much fun in the first place. (The one exception to this would obviously be if you had to miss several sessions in a row, but are otherwise very committed to the game; in that case, a one-time "catch-up" award of XP is probably merited.)

As for not awarding unearned XP being a "punishment," that's just silly. If I don't go to work, I don't get paid; my employer isn't "punishing" me for skipping work. (And yeah, I know D&D is a game, not "work." That doesn't negate the point.)

Mr. Gibbons put it pretty well from my perspective. Most DMs I see these days give an option. If you are going to miss a game then you have three choices: have your PC find an excuse not to be around for the session, have another player run your PC, or have the GM/referee run the PC.

I usually prefer the option of not having my PC there if I can't be there. But circumstances sometime prevent a logical reason for my PC to disappear, such as being in the middle of a dungeon. Also, sometimes I feel guilty if I have to miss a session and the other PCs might be relying on my PC, such as if I am playing the only cleric, or some other crucial role. I would hate for the game to suffer just because I can't be there.

Some sort of acknowledgement should be made that the players who make it to the game are putting more into the game than the players who can't make it. I'm not putting down players who can't make every game. Heck, I'm one of those players. In my two regular, in-person games I am the only player with children. My fellow players and DMs are very cool about the fact that things come up sometimes, and I am good about providing as much notice as possible when I can't make it to a session. But I certianly don't expect my fellow gamers to detract from their own RP experience by being forced to play my PC and then have my PC get the same "share" as the others. It just seems fair to me something like 1/2 XP makes sense. One DM also awards some bonus XP to the PC of the a player who runs a missing player's PC. This also seems fair to me.

 

[Oryan77]

Why would you call it "punishing"? How exactly is it punishing to a player? I always thought it was "rewarding" a player for showing up. If I showed up every session while another player decided to skip out because he's addicted to World of Warcraft, how rewarding is it to me when he gets just as much xp for not playing?

The reason he's choosing to play WoW instead of D&D that day is because WoW isn't going to give him XP when he doesn't play. So to get his rewarded XP in WoW, he's gotta play the game.

Don't think of it as punishment for not showing (cause it's not). Think of it as rewarding for showing up.

 

[reveal]

So, instead I should punish the people who actually make it by giving them the same award of those that don't? That doesn't make sense. I give XP to those that make it. Its not about punishing people who don't.

Let's say Player A calls you and tells you he can't make it. He is really sick but otherwise would be there. He sends you his character sheet by e-mail. You use the character as an NPC for the night, either you as the DM run it or another player does, and is only used in combat and/or used for abilities such as disable device or read magic.

Does the character earn XP? Remember, XP is not awarded to the player, it's given to the character because they are earning life experience from all their adventures. The PC in question was there, they just only were used in combat. The player wanted to make it but couldn't. What would you do in that situation?

 

[sniffles]

Why would you call it "punishing"? How exactly is it punishing to a player? I always thought it was "rewarding" a player for showing up. If I showed up every session while another player decided to skip out because he's addicted to World of Warcraft, how rewarding is it to me when he gets just as much xp for not playing?

The reason he's choosing to play WoW instead of D&D that day is because WoW isn't going to give him XP when he doesn't play. So to get his rewarded XP in WoW, he's gotta play the game.

Don't think of it as punishment for not showing (cause it's not). Think of it as rewarding for showing up.

But that's a different situation than if you miss a game because your child is sick, or you're sick, or your boss is making you work overtime, etc. Perhaps these different situations should be treated differently. I certainly would rather have attended the game than been sick in the hospital, but I didn't have a choice if I wanted to live to type this comment. :\

 

[reveal]

But that's a different situation than if you miss a game because your child is sick, or you're sick, or your boss is making you work overtime, etc. Perhaps these different situations should be treated differently. I certainly would rather have attended the game than been sick in the hospital, but I didn't have a choice if I wanted to live to type this comment. :\

I think people are assuming the player is not showing up because "they just don't want to." In that case, no XP for them. But if they have a valid reason, they can always be run as an NPC. The character would still earn experience, whether as a PC or NPC.

 

[swrushing]

Why should the character lag behind if he was there right alongside the others, just ran for one session by someone else other than its player?
Why should the team as a whole be weaker long term because someone IRL had a crisis?

Look, to me advancement is not something EARNED at all. its something that happens as the game progresses because its fun. it'll happen at a pace to suit the campaign and thats regardless of whether you win or lose.

Honestly, i don't eben give XP anymore, just announce a new "you level up" when i feel its appropriate, usually once every three months real time. i have found it works fine.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

It depends on the circumstance. I go to great lenghts to run my game on a day everyone can play, so I expect everyone to show up. Most of the time players miss my games for valid reasons so I don't let them fall much behind. If they're sick, someone they care for is sick, theres been a death there boss is forcing them to work and they've tried to get out of it or they have some other obligation I think them missing the game is justified.

 

[Sundragon2012]

If someone is sick or in some way honestly unable to make it to the game due to illness, child rearing concerns or some binding commitment that sprung up penalizing them in any way is ridiculous. Their character earns the XP not them and therefore if they participate as an NPC for the session they should in the XP they are due. There is no reason to be draconian about attendance when any rational person knows that sometimes unforseen and serious things come up that cannot be skirted so one can play D&D.

My players appreciate my stand on this because they know that they aren't going to be punished for being forced into a corner.

On the other hand if a player would simply prefer to sit home and watch Nascar or a Football game when you busted you rear making sure the game was ready and now you are forced to play him as an NPC during battles....punish the hell out of him in whatever hideous and cruel manner your black little DM's heart permits. I don't stand for stuff like that and find it deeply insulting to both my game and personally because my players know how much work goes into DMing.


Chris