| | You are not authorized to post a reply. |
| | Author | Messages | |
GuJiaXian
Sergeant
640 Posts
    
Roswell, GA
 | | 08/14/2007 8:21 AM |
| My current gaming group involves several players with odd working schedules. They're often unable to attend sessions because of work. Now, I run a fairly fast-paced campaign, and I'm concerned with how experience is being awarded. Normally, if a player misses a session, they don't get any experience. However, I don't think this is fair when a player simply can't attend...I don't want to "punish" anyone for having a real life (now, if they stayed home to play Xbox, that would be a different story).
So, how should I handle this? I want to reward those who attend, but I don't want someone to show up after having had to work through the last two weeks' worth of sessions a level or two behind everyone else. I thought about having everyone (present or not) receive experience from story advancement/killing monsters/etc., but then toss in a bonus 1000 experience for everyone present, but then I'm back to penalizing those who have to work.
So, how should I handle this?
| |
"Clearly a case of too many hunchbacks and not enough mad scientists..." | |
|
Kat_Dawg33
Warrior
290 Posts
USA
| | 08/14/2007 8:39 AM |
| | There are 5 of us in our group and most of the time we all make it. With one of us as DM, that only leaves 4 characters, and if we were to play a character short, we wouldn't survive. So it's known that if you don't make it to a session, someone else is going to play your character for you (one person takes primary responsibility, and the other two assist). We have all worked well as a team and share in treasure and work to agree on how best to spend our loot. And at the end of the night all 4 characters share the experience points equally. Also at the end of the night the DM collects the character sheets, this way, if someone is an unforeseen no-show, we still have thier character on hand. | |
Champion of "Ember, Monk Champion"
Vindicated Champion of the "Mounted Dragon Knight" | |
|
GuJiaXian
Sergeant
640 Posts
Roswell, GA
| | 08/14/2007 8:41 AM |
| | Our group has six players (perhaps I should have specified that). Missing one or two people can hurt the party, but certainly doesn't shut things down. Maybe I'll just follow your advice and always have every character present, even if the corresponding player isn't. I'll talk with them tonight and see how they feel about that. | |
"Clearly a case of too many hunchbacks and not enough mad scientists..." | |
|
Skyscraper
Sergeant
659 Posts
Montreal
| | 08/14/2007 8:58 AM |
| I like the easy-going option. If someone can't attend, i'd have his PC played by someone else or the DM according to your group's liking. He'd get experience like anyone else. However, he might be more likely to open doors and chests for everyone else, while getting last pick (if any) of items in said chest... 
This is just a game after all. If a player is never there, i'd talk to him about whether he wants to continue playing or not. That doesn't appear to be the problem in your case however. I think he probably feels penalized enough for missing out on a night's gaming fun. | |
The wise man doubts often. The ignorant, sometimes. The fool, never. | |
| The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
10885 Posts
In the constellation of Cygnus, or Central Connecticut
| | 08/14/2007 10:00 AM |
| Posted By GuJiaXian on 08/14/2007 8:41 AM
Our group has six players (perhaps I should have specified that). Missing one or two people can hurt the party, but certainly doesn't shut things down. Maybe I'll just follow your advice and always have every character present, even if the corresponding player isn't. I'll talk with them tonight and see how they feel about that.
Say you're in the middle of an adventure and a certain PC has been there all along and one session the player can't make it, what happens to that PC? Does he/she vanish and then pop back in at the next session when the player is there? | |
No Hazel, no peace 
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
|
GuJiaXian
Sergeant
640 Posts
Roswell, GA
| | 08/14/2007 10:13 AM |
| | Frankly, it's a party in-joke that "absent" characters just hang out inside a convenient bag of holding. | |
"Clearly a case of too many hunchbacks and not enough mad scientists..." | |
|
Oryan77
Sergeant
951 Posts
| | 08/14/2007 10:37 AM |
| Posted By Ghendar on 08/14/2007 10:00 AM
Say you're in the middle of an adventure and a certain PC has been there all along and one session the player can't make it, what happens to that PC? Does he/she vanish and then pop back in at the next session when the player is there?
Don't think of missing players losing out on XP as a punishment. I've
never liked hearing people say it that way. Instead, think of giving xp to
players that show up as a reward! That's what it is! The players that don't show up aren't being punished...they just aren't getting a reward.
I am sympathetic to people that can't show up, but I'm more grateful to
the people that do show up. Why would you reward someone for not
showing up? What does that say to the guys that juggle their schedule
just to make it to your game? They do all the work & help keep your
game going and they don't get bonus rewards for showing up. But then a
guy that doesn't show up gets rewards for not showing up? If a PC is
being played by another player and it's possible that he can die, then
I'd give xp normally. But if he's not being played because the player
couldn't show up, then I wouldn't give him anything.
I've
always told my players that the missing player's PC is there fighting
along with them....he's just fighting his own enemies and not needing
any assistance from the other teammates.
I explain that if the
player was there, there will be more NPCs fighting in order to balance
the CR. If he's not there, I use a lower CR encounter (weaken the BBEG
or use fewer creatures). So when I use fewer NPCs due to a missing
player, I tell them to imagine that the missing player's PC is fighting
those remaining NPC's that 'should' be there. That way I don't have to
explain why he's not with the group.
Then I have to tell them
that for whatever reasons, the PC will be unable to assist the group in
any way and to use their imaginations for reasons why he is unable to
use his skills/spells/ect to help them that session. The reward is that
the PC will never die if the player isn't there....the downside is that
the PC will never gain xp if the player isn't there.
I just
don't like to run another persons character and I really don't like
other players running a persons character. I try to get players
attached to their PC and if you care about your "baby" then you
wouldn't want to put his life in other peoples hands  That's how I feel anyway.
| |
Miniatures for sale *more added 07/17/08*: Click here
I will buy your unwanted D&D WotC minis collection (DDM only). Email me your asking price! | |
|
GuJiaXian
Sergeant
640 Posts
Roswell, GA
| | 08/14/2007 10:44 AM |
| | I agree with your concerns, but one of my players works a 12-hour swing shift, sometimes as often a six days a week. He literally can't rearrange his schedule to attend (though his wife is still able to come). Not every week is like this, but the last few have been. Another player also got a new evening job, and as a new employee, he doesn't have the clout to arrange his schedule (and doesn't know people, so he can't trade shifts). People are already doing what they can to make time for roleplaying; I want to avoid penalizing them because they're doing what they can to provide for their families. | |
"Clearly a case of too many hunchbacks and not enough mad scientists..." | |
|
gss_000
Commander
3204 Posts
Baltimore, MD
| | 08/14/2007 12:08 PM |
| The problem with not keeping up with the rest of the party is that if there is too much of a gap in levels, the character can't survive the threats and enjoyment also goes down. That means s/he will die more often, lose more levels, etc.
So I say you have 3 choices:
1) Not give out XP for missed sessions. Doing this, remember to give him more XP when he is lower level than the rest of the party. Over time, s/he should catch up or be close enough to not matter. The only problem is this person has to not miss too many because you'd always be playing catch up and be in the same situation.
2) Have them be played by another character. Take the risks, get the reward. We do this and it works out fine. Although people are attached to their characters, it's just a game in the end and everyone's enjoyment is the most important thing. It also is a good chance to flex other gaming muscles that have atrophied because of focusing on one character.
3) Let the player choose. If s/he wants a perfectly healthy character on return, no XP because the PC has sat everything out. Otherwise, it's just like choice #2.
An aside: In one game we had characters sit out. Since everyone only missed a session or two it wasn't so bad. My character sat out the most because it was wedding season for all my friends, but not the ones I was gaming with so I was traveling a lot. The DM explained my inaction by having a demonic bug bite him while he slept, sending him into a coma because of some incurable disease. Every time I went away, it came back. The running joke from then on was that when someone was absent or thinking about having their character sit out while they were gone was that they were "bug necked." | |
Completed trades: blackthorne, Drakkengi,Thorgrin, Ironfist Boulderbender x2, ckissee, nasamonkey, Username, Star, Ace13 x3, emontedodger x2, Drconveyor, church, Joeyb, Sir Bozak The Damned, Xeromod, the other guy x2, Qucalion of Celene, Dagaron x2, berus316, qillan_dvra, AshloreDarkShadow
For further info go to My Reference Thread and Trade Interface
Champion of Radiant Sevant | |
|
Oryan77
Sergeant
951 Posts
| | Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
6438 Posts
Idaho. Yes, we have Gamers in Idaho.
| | 08/14/2007 6:51 PM |
| One thing we do is a two tier system.
A character is never more than one level back of the party maximum. If someone has perfect attendance, they'll be a level up, but even if someone only makes it 50% of the time, they're only one level back. And as soon as mr. perfect misses levelling, we're all back even again. | |
Official Delegate, Wizards of the Coast
Against The Giants Called Shot: Huge Green Dragon
Icons Called Shot: Gargantuan Prismatic Dragon
"Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen." | |
|
| | You are not authorized to post a reply. |
|
| |
ActiveForums 3.7 | You must be signed in to participate in the
games. |