Truancy

CB

We've made the plan to meet weekly on Sundays once we get going, and hopefully, no one has made this commitment lightly. However, one of the table rules that I need to decide on is what to do when someone does miss a session.

I have a few options:

• Skip the session
  • Skipping has the advantage of retaining the integrity of the campaign by making sure that every character and every player is part of the whole story. The disadvantage is, obviously, that play gets delayed by at least a week.
• Have another player control the character for the missing player.
  • The advantage being that the character gets to remain in the story. The disadvantage is that the player might not be happy with decisions made while he's gone.
• Have the DM control the missing player's character.
  • Same advantages and disadvantages as above, except the added disadvantage that the DMs attention is more split, making the potential for dislike of decisions increase.
• Have character disappear for duration of session.
  • No one needs expend energy on managing the character, but her items and skills would be missing in addition to her person. Also, this option decreases the verisimilitude of the world, which hurts the suspension of disbelief.

Since this is a 'table rules' decision, not a game rules (house rules) decision. I'd like input from all the players before I decide. (I'm not looking for votes, I'm looking for discussion and reasoning.)

And just to head it off at the pass: Yes, this is something that we need to establish beforehand. We cannot just wing-it, when it comes to missing players.

CrazyJoe

I would vote for either option 2 or 3 (player then DM control) in that order. While we can all make the commitment, sometimes it might be necessary to miss a night once in awhile. Although what would be wrong with allowing each of us to make our own decision upon what to do if our character needs to miss? While I might not mind letting another player or the DM control my character if I miss, others might not like someone else making decision for their character. Just my 2 cents.

CB

I agree that some people have preferences here (that's why I'm asking for them), but I think it's important that whatever we do, we do the same thing everytime.

Although, giving the player choice of proxy (usually the DM choses) might be a good idea, if we go with proxies.

drasnor

I'd really only be happy with the DM playing my character.

-drasnor

primesuspect

I'm of the "disappearing character" persuasion. Perhaps an extended meditation or healing session or whatever, if you want to try to maintain suspension of disbelief, but I think we're all adult enough to just pretend that the character is there but not there.

CB

drasnor wrote:

I'd really only be happy with the DM playing my character.

-drasnor

You mean of all the options, or just between the DM or another player playing your character?

drasnor

CB Droege wrote:

You mean of all the options, or just between the DM or another player playing your character?

Of all the options.

-drasnor

GHoosdum

My preference is to simply have my character vanish into a plothole for a missed adventure.

BuddyJ

My preference follows GH and Prime.

Thrax

Buddy Jesus wrote:

My preference follows GH and Prime.