When I write as a GM, I incorporate all of my players into the story and evolve the narrative around their characters’ backgrounds, actions, etc. So, when a player doesn’t show up regularly, it has a tendency to disrupt or even halt the game’s progress. The smaller the group, the more serious this issue becomes. I’ve had gaming groups implode over this.

So what sorts of rules or understandings does your group have in place to offset the void left when a player doesn’t show up to the game? Does the absent player become an NPC under the GM’s control? Do you just ignore the fact that the PC carrying the magical Orb of Whatsit is off on holiday when the king demands the Orb to save the kingdom?

Obviously, we all have real-life stuff that crops up from time to time that can prevent us from playing, but if I can commit to writing and running the game each week (barring life’s little emergencies), I don’t feel I’m being unfair to expect the same from my players.

So, GMs…what are your thoughts?

  • coyotino [he/him]@beehaw.orgEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    I am new to running a group but generally i’ve picked up a couple things:

    • One is having a loose schedule, and just scheduling games for days when everyone agrees that they can make it. Don’t try to force a weekly schedule or whatever. I’m sure that works for some groups of dedicated nerds, but for most of us this is just one hobby in an array of other hobbies and interests. Better to treat it like a rolling game night, than to treat it like weekly band practice.
    • The other is dividing your crew into “core cast” and “guest roles”. Some players are just more flaky or less dedicated than others. Your “guest roles” need to have a good narrative reason why they are in-and-out. I think i’m having an easier time with this because my game is Blades in the Dark, where the party is a gang of scoundrels. Scores usually start and end within a single session, so it is easy to write around a scoundrel or two that is only available for some missions. When they are gone, they are off on other solo missions, or they are indulging their vice or whatever. I understand that this is more challenging if you are playing an RPG with multi-session dungeon crawls. Maybe the character chose to take an alternate route through the dungeon, or they were knocked out or something?

    Do you just ignore the fact that the PC carrying the magical Orb of Whatsit is off on holiday when the king demands the Orb to save the kingdom?

    I think a key part of this is not giving key items to guest role characters.

    • sexybenfranklin@ttrpg.networkEnglish
      2·
      8 hours ago

      Respectfully, the “just schedule it when people are good” is the quickest way to a game dissolving because no one’s times work for anyone else. If it’s managed to work for you, incredible, you are very lucky, but that’s such bad general group advice. The key to groups staying together long term is picking a day and being consistent with it.

      • coyotino [he/him]@beehaw.orgEnglish
        1·
        4 hours ago

        I think that specific piece is going to vary from group to group for sure. My group is all pretty inexperienced with rpgs and not taking it very seriously, so that might be part of why we can go on a looser schedule. We don’t have tons of details to hold together, at least not yet.