Can't get anyone to play

[Gizmogidget]

Every year it is the same I attract multiple people, and then every session after that I can only get 2 maybe 3 at a time. I spend my time really trying to perfect my technique and yet I can never get schedules to work. I DM for my high school and we are supposed to get together every Thursday after school. I have missed 2 sessions personally, but have canceled all but 4 of the sessions this semester cause nobody comes. Peoples schedules always seem so busy, and I get people telling me that they are going to come and almost every time only 1 maybe 2 people show up sometimes no one comes. This has put a damper on my ideas because we only have a short block to play D&D from 3:30 to 5:00 and I am used to playing 4 hour sessions a lot of the time. Because we have played a whopping 6 hours the entire semester, and this has happened in the past we can never ever get a campaign done, even if its only from levels 1-4. How would you address this issue?

[Calen]

Scheduling is a pain. Maybe try to run more 1-shot type games until you can find people that can commit on a more regular basis?

[Vitruviansquid]

High school means everyone having different homework and home schedules. Such is life.

RPGs in general are also polarizing in my experience. People who play them either reject them immediately or get obsessed in them. You'll find that many of your first time players will decide they don't like it after the first or first few sessions, and that's fine.

[Gizmogidget]

People always tell me that they are having fun, and I can see it when they play so I know that my style isn't the real problem here. I am free almost every weekend, maybe I should do a once in a while kind of deal on weekends. Sort of like a super session?

[Quertus]

Second the idea of one shots. Play every week, no matter who shows up.

If you want people to always play the same characters, and to level, then make sure you're playing a system where level disparity is still playable.

[Kid Jake]

Is it usually the same people showing up?

[PoeticDwarf]

Is it usually the same people showing up?

Important question !

[SirBellias]

There are so many random schedule changes in high school, I don't even try to schedule weekly games. I usually make an event of it on the weekends, but I admit that I play maybe 3 times a semester as well. We do end up going for 6 hours, though, so that may be the approach you need for more game time.

[Gizmogidget]

Yes the constants are almost always the same people.

[BWR]

Yes the constants are almost always the same people.

Then I don't really see the problem.

[Kid Jake]

Yeah, if you've got two people willing to sit down and play with you regularly then you've got a group. Forget trying to herd everyone else and enjoy yourself.

[Gizmogidget]

The real problem is that the constants don't want to play two player games and have repeatedly demonstrated their frustrations over the issue.

[Iguanodon]

The real problem is that the constants don't want to play two player games and have repeatedly demonstrated their frustrations over the issue.

Sounds like you need to do some more marketing, then. Get some new players, especially people new to role-playing in general; eventually you'll find someone who sticks around. Tromp around in a sandwich man getup advertising your game; you'll be surprised who might want to join. If your players are also invested in expanding the group, see if you can get them to recruit, too.

[Knaight]

There are so many random schedule changes in high school, I don't even try to schedule weekly games. I usually make an event of it on the weekends, but I admit that I play maybe 3 times a semester as well. We do end up going for 6 hours, though, so that may be the approach you need for more game time.

It depends. One of the more reliable games I did only worked because everyone had the same off period, and one day a week it was the last period (it was during a semester when the school had a bizarro experimental schedule which changed every day).

In this case though, it sounds like you have a small group of constant players, but they want to bump up a group size. In my experience, there's one really good technique for this when still in high school - younger siblings.

[Mr.Sandman]

In this case though, it sounds like you have a small group of constant players, but they want to bump up a group size. In my experience, there's one really good technique for this when still in high school - younger siblings.

Have to second this. When I started DMing in high school my first session had a whopping 13 players, but they all dropped out rather rapidly. The only holdouts were my little brother, my best friend, another friend, and his little brother. That little group lasted us well into college.

[Gizmogidget]

While these are all good suggestions problem is that my little brother while he is a D&D fan rarely has time as he is also an athlete, but I have considered the idea.

[Kid Jake]

Have you considered ditching your group altogether and moving the game online? Using a site like Roll20 it should be easy to put together a group that can meet when you're available, so no more herding cats.

[Gizmogidget]

I talked with the others and they said that they new what Roll20 was and they may be ok with trying it out. I believe my situation is remedied.

[Kid Jake]

Good to hear. Roll20 was a godsend for my gaming life.