Hiyas!


The unstable company:
How do you Loremasters handle when new Player-heroes wanna join in the company?

What about players not showing up for a session?


Thanks!
Ñ

For myself, it may be different because I am running it play by post. But, I just NPC the character if someone drops out and I just wait for an appropriate spot to add the new player.

The absent player's hero fulfills a critical function that is typically very boring.

For my group, this usually means rear security. Most of us are veterans and well-appreciate the importance of having someone cover your flanks. It's not a sexy job, but it prevents you from being enveloped. On a good day, your side just loses after being enveloped. On a bad day, your side ceases to exist.

In my experience, allowing characters to come and go feels enough like Tolkien that I just say they are gone.

Other games I usually reschedule, but with TOR, I just have them leave on some business and return later.

For the various Face-to-Face games I've been involved in, finding a date when everyone can play is most important. Gaming sessions tend to be rescheduled unless no viable date can be agreed on within a 30 day window, which will mean a session with an absent player.

A player who is absent generally has their character temporarily handled as an NPC, who is present and does things with and for the group, but only if no one else can. While particularly avoiding any role-playing intensive situations. Extensive speach or RP-ing with this character is considered rude as it puts words into the character's mouth, but also obligates them to actions they might not have chosen for themselves.


New characters are generally easy to handle provided you can find a reason for them to be present right there, right now. Searching a Jail? They were a prisoner. In the middle of a large-scale war? They are the complete stranger who suddenly shows up to protect your back. Exploring the Shire? They are attending a picnic with plenty of food. Traipsing through Mirkwood? They're struggling within a spider cocoon, the rest of their party ominously missing. Just sitting on the shore of the Long Lake? They're the half-dead body hanging on to a branch that floats into view. Dungeon Crawl? Another crawler, either heading in or out, as the need arises they have probably joined your group for safety in numbers.

Once the immediate introduction is handled, the players will kind of fall all over themselves to make a reason to adventure together if you haven't provided one.

There are potential exceptions, the worst of which is:
The Loner - a character who is described as being a lone wolf, taciturn, doesn't get along well with others, and the Valar knows any number of similar wordings - can choose to play their character as a disruptive separatist who stays with the group but is never a part of the group. It might be completely in character, but I say pull the player aside and tell them they need to find a way to join with the group or roll a more socially acceptable character.

We work hard to game every Tuesday, with social lives -- and even one person's working week of antisocial hours -- organised around it. So we always meet, and we resort to a board game alternative only if attendance is too low.

I NPC them, or I encourage absentee players to nominate someone to "look after" (i.e. control) their Player-hero.
Like Mordagnir says, I'm very happy for them to act as backward lookout man, guard the rear, mind the horses etc.
I certainly don't expect them to be wheeled forward to roll dice as the lead in a social encounter, or to exhibit any heroics like adopting Forward Stance in a fight or spending Hope. Not having access to their Hope should discourage the temporary controlling player from having the Player-hero do anything 'hasty'.

I really like this idea that comes forward uniquely in TOR: it makes the most sense for a Player-hero to be "looked after" by the player of a someone who has them as their Fellowship Focus -- and has a literal in-game vested interest in preserving them from harm.

Other GMs in our group (of other game systems) have absentee players' PCs wink out of existence while they're away and wink back in again when they return. They think the importance of not letting PCs die or get incapacitated, or have their biggest spells blown when they aren't there to enjoy it outweighs the importance of everyone else having to suspend disbelief like this.
I find belief is often strained when this approach is taken and, say, the absence of the locks and traps specialist means no one even wants to open a door! Such PCs also have a habit of turning up like a football substitute in perfect health just when everyone else has been battered down to their last reserves, which messes with the dramatic pacing and stuff.

Hope those are useful insights.
Cheers,
--Os.

I am running TOR for my regular gaming group which meets once a week. I run 2x/month back to back. We have 2 of 6 players who are 'sporadic' about their attendance. Myself and other GMs have finagled this by being very careful about when and where we end adventures. I try to end in a spot where a PC could 'stay' while the party goes on. I do not give these players XP for missed sessions (to encourage them to come) and in a pinch the DM runs them as NPCs or another player uses them as a combat puppet with little to no RPing effort made on their behalf (they have laryngitis for the week).

We try to be accommodating though; life can sometimes interfere with the important things (RPing and games)!!

Running the game online seems to draw a lot of player churn, especially in the early sessions. Some players also don't seem to feel the need to let you know that they won't show up. I tend to give them three sessions without an email or something to let me know before the character is kicked from the campaign.

As far as attendance is concerned, I tend to run if at least half the group shows (rounded up). So, for a party of five I run for three or more players, for a party of three I run if two show up. I'll NPC the other characters, so that they act if questioned or in combat but just tag along otherwise. Sometimes a player will run a second character as an NPC for a session.

Seriously, I looked for a "LIKE" button when I read this. Spot on.