Player Troubles Thread #3,076,985.3: Timetable Troubles

[North_Ranger]

Okay, so this is one of those threads where a newbish GM (yours truly) has a game-related problem, and could use some tips in solving said problem from the wiser and more experienced GMs.

The problem is as follows: I am running a game for a group of close people (brothers A, B and C, with girl D who is engaged with brother A). A and D are the closest friends of mine in this group, and most eager to play. B and C got involved later on, and are a little more distant. Because of schedule conflicts, we have no set game day (eg. every Monday), but agree on a day in advance.

However, for the past three weeks player B usually lets me know two or three hours before the game that he and C won't be coming due to "unforeseen circumstances". Which most often means I have to cancel the game because all of us are fairly newbie gamers, and I don't want to burden the others by making them play extra characters too often. And it's not like I don't understand that things come up; what gets me is that it's always the same damn players who want a rain check, and they always let me know at the latest possible minute.

Any advice on how to discourage this kind of behaviour? Dumping the players is a last resort; when they do come, they're involved and contribute to the game, but getting them to come is always such a damn hassle. Not to mention the fact that they're related.

[inexorabletruth]

I've got a few solutions for you, listed in order of personal preference:

1. Reward the ones that do show with a little side quest. Give them a single-session dungeon crawl with a happy mix of loot and combat so they gain some XP and some cool swag. When the absentee players come back to the game and find that the other players get nice things when they show for the event, they'll be more encouraged to show.
2. Put the game online. Play-by-Post is an excellent way to keep a game going when schedule conflicts are always tearing it down. I can see in your signature that you are already involved in some PbP campaigns. Tell them you'd like to move the game to the Playground and just make your weekly group thing something else. That way you still get face time with your friends, without giving up the game you love.
3. Offer the players that show a chance to be a surrogate PC for the ones that don't. Explain to the original players that they can't keep holding up the game like this because it's unfair to the ones that do show up to play, and it's unfair to you as a DM, who puts a lot of effort into your campaign.
4. Offer to take over their characters in their absence. Don't be passive about it, simply state that they can't keep putting the game on hold for half the team. It's unfair to the ones that show, so you'll have to control their characters for them. I only recommend this if you are good at being a surrogate PC. DMPC'ing is considered to be a party foul in most groups, and it takes a fair minded DM to control a PC in a game without turning them into a walking plot-hook.

[Lentrax]

I've got a few solutions for you, listed in order of personal preference:

1. Reward the ones that do show with a little side quest. Give them a single-session dungeon crawl with a happy mix of loot and combat so they gain some XP and some cool swag. When the absentee players come back to the game and find that the other players get nice things when they show for the event, they'll be more encouraged to show.
2. Put the game online. Play-by-Post is an excellent way to keep a game going when schedule conflicts are always tearing it down. I can see in your signature that you are already involved in some PbP campaigns. Tell them you'd like to move the game to the Playground and just make your weekly group thing something else. That way you still get face time with your friends, without giving up the game you love.
3. Offer the players that show a chance to be a surrogate PC for the ones that don't. Explain to the original players that they can't keep holding up the game like this because it's unfair to the ones that do show up to play, and it's unfair to you as a DM, who puts a lot of effort into your campaign.
4. Offer to take over their characters in their absence. Don't be passive about it, simply state that they can't keep putting the game on hold for half the team. It's unfair to the ones that show, so you'll have to control their characters for them. I only recommend this if you are good at being a surrogate PC. DMPC'ing is considered to be a party foul in most groups, and it takes a fair minded DM to control a PC in a game without turning them into a walking plot-hook.

This is about what any of us could suggest.

[North_Ranger]

Good advice, all in all. So far we've agreed that if one person is out, their character is subordinated to someone else, and they get only half of encounter XP and no roleplaying XP.

#1 - Hmm... That's definitely one to consider, especially since at the moment the characters are all still very low-level, so handing out extra goodies to those who make the effort to show up could work. I've been overly careful about this earlier, because I essentially gave the two most prominent players enough XP to gain a level for a birthday present. Don't look at me like that, it was their suggestion
#2 - Not really an option, since we play in Finnish, and I'm about the only person in our group to frequent these forums. Playing in English isn't really an option, either, since not all of our group have a firm enough handle of the language.
#3 - a possibility for sure.
#4 - I'll consider it, though I've noticed that DMPCs are a divisive issue as hell. But yeah, it sucks that the people who are eager to play have to wait for the two that aren't so extra keen.

[huttj509]

Something I see is that it seems B and C are the brothers of A. If B and C can't make it, why can A?

If you know the reasons given and things check out, fine. If you don't know the reason, ask A if something else is going on.

If it's some activity B and C are in, they should generally know scheduling ahead of time, and you can plan around it.

If it's something like B and C don't have their homework done, while A does, well, nothing you can really do about that.

If it's just unlucky $%^& happening? Well, $%^& happens.