How to handle players who are unexpectedly unavailable for a gaming session? Or a series of game sessions? I will give some ideas here with some examples of what I have done in my games.
Magic Ghost
The first option is what I call the “Magic Ghost” or the “Ghost” is where the missing player’s character is just handwaved in and out of existence. This simplifies combat and other encounters because you simply do not have to account for that character in any way. The downside is the obvious loss of what that character could contribute, depending on the encounters planned. If it is the “tank” of the party, a big combat encounter is planned, or the “face” of the party, and they need to have a successful diplomatic engagement with the local noble, then not having the missing player’s character could affect the game session in a bad way. The struggle I have with using this method is the lack of continuity. As an example, the party is deep in a dungeon, and the absent player’s PC is just suddenly not there? Then next session, they are there? I personally struggle with using this one because I like to maintain the “suspension of disbelief” in the setting of the game, and this borders on breaking that, depending on the situation the party is in for that session. This method is useful when you have a lot of in-and-out players or very chaotic availability for your players. You just need to make sure you balance your encounters to account for the missing characters, and make sure your players are ok with the potential continuity issues.
Sick In Bed
You can also have the PC of the missing player simply be “Sick in bed” or otherwise unavailable in-story for that session. This still has the missing PC issue mentioned above, but it does work to solve the continuity issues. This method works out as the PC is considered “out of commission” for that session for one reason or another. This could be because they are sick, or it could be that they had to leave suddenly for a “family/guild/clan” issue or similar. This method requires more planning and thought from the GM to make it believable, though. It also requires the same thought and planning for them to come back, and for it to still make sense in the story.
Kidnapped
There is an alternative to this that I have used. Basically, the missing player’s PC is kidnapped while “on watch,” and part of the current session is for the party to work to rescue them from their new predicament. This works best when there are plenty of enemies about and/or the party is deep in enemy territory or just a wild area that may have wild animals or tribes of creatures that would kidnap a traveler. I have used this with a party that was deep in a cave network. The party spent most of the session tracking their stolen comrad to a giant spider nest and defeating the spiders. I also used this to pull them closer to the goal of the chapter of the adventure they were in. Either of these options works if the absence will be short. Ideally, only 1 or maybe 2 sessions.
Alternate Job
For a longer absence that still works in the story of a game without suspension of belief being a factor, you can use “Alternate Job”. This is to give the missing PC an alternative job. A solo quest or a prolonged “family/guild/clan” issue. This requires communication with the absent player and working out the details. Possibly running this as one-on-one sessions or in a text-based play between normal gaming sessions. Whatever way you do it, of course, fluid and clear communication with the absent player and the party about what is going on makes it run smoother. This is also an opportunity to use the side quest to gather information and/or McGuffins that the party can benefit from in the main quest. My example of how I have done this is by pairing up the PC of the absent player with 1 or 2 NPCs on a scouting quest that revealed more information for the party on their main quest. Most recently, I have deployed this method for a player who was absent for a prolonged time period for real-life issues, but was still staying in fluid contact with me. I set her character up as the bodyguard of an NPC that was travelling with the party, but was currently away from the party doing some trade. The NPC and PC already had a good relationship, so it was well within the possibilities of the NPC hiring the PC to be their bodyguard while they did their trade dealings “in town”.
Puppeteer
And finally, there is what I call “The Puppeter”. This is where one of the present players runs the absent player’s PC in addition to their own. This works best when it is primarily a combat encounter. The player who is running two PCs should also be a more experienced player in the system, in my opinion. This makes it less of a strain to have a less experienced player trying to run to characters. This method solves the continuity issues as well as the loss of the skills of the absent player’s PC for the encounters during the session. I would not recommend this method for prolonged absences, as that would put undue strain on the player who is running the extra PC.
So, whether you choose to use the “Ghost”, “Out Sick”, “Kidnapped”, “Alternate Job”, or “Puppeter”, I hope these options help reduce the friction caused by the random, unexpected absence that may happen from your players. Thank you for reading, and if you have any additions to this list or stories on how you handled absence players and their PCs, please drop into the Discord server or Facebook and tell us! Game On!
About the Author
Jared “Martel” B has been GMing and playing in several TTRPG’s since late 2013. Enjoys the challenge of bringing his players worlds and stories straight from his mind in the moment that it happens. He is one of the Founders of RPGCounterpoint, happy husband to an active historian wife, and father to two puppers and a toddler!
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