How To Reunite the Party

[Darkmonger27]

So, I'm DMing for a 5e game, but the system isn't really important. One of my players couldn't make it to a session this Monday, so I had to think of some way to stall his character for a session. In game, the PCs were trying get into a city besieged by dwarves, but they didn't even try sneaking in, instead giving themselves up to the dwarves. Since the only reason for the party to be at the city was to pick up a large supply of holy water, the dwarves were sympathetic. After frisking the PCs for messages, they let them in- as long as only one stayed outside with the camp. The cleric (the guy who couldn't make it) volunteered, and the rest went on their way. I expected the PCs to finish the short adventure I had planned and get out.

About one hour later, the PCs had been ambushed in a warehouse by a wight. Now, this wasn't a big deal- they were wrecking the thing, but then another player, a wild magic sorcerer, rolled a natural one while at low health and, thanks to 5e's Wild Magic table, ended up Fireballing himself to death. After that fight, we were so depressed we gave up on the session and just played board games.

Now, I have a session next Sunday, and I still have one character stuck in the dwarf camp, another almost dead in a warehouse, and the last one dead. I also have a new player coming in (he's not really new, we've played with him before, he's just had a busy schedule lately).

So, anyone have any ideas on what to do with this mess?

[Jay R]

1. The best solution is to not solve it. "You enter the warehouse and see ...."

2. Second best is a quick explanation with no details to mess you up.

DM (to the cleric): We heard a bunch of noises we didn't like coming from the warehouse with your friends in it. Either they're in trouble, or they're setting up some sort of attack on the next ones to go in. Either way, you're investigating it. You can take that new guy if you want to; we don't trust him, either.

[Contrast]

This is why my preferred solution when a player is absent is just to not mention their character at all rather than trying to come up with reasons they're not around. It breaks immersion somewhat but means you don't have to come up with an explanation for what to do with that player at the start of next session without having them sit out half the session finding their way back to the party.

One solution is to fast forward (new player heard commotion and helps drag wounded party members back to cleric, start back in the dwarf camp) or, as Jay said, have the commotion have attracted attention and the cleric talked his way into the city.