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What if one of my players quits the game?

Losing a player is an unfortunate occurrence, but don't let that discourage you. People leave games all the time, for a wide variety of reasons. The wise GM will plan ahead and have an exit strategy in mind as he prepares his game.

For example, let's assume the PCs all have some amazing ability that sets them apart from the other normal folks in the game -- say, everyone gained super powers from an unusual meteor shower. In the same way that a GM will have to consider how to add new players to a game and connect their amazing powers to the existing story, so will a GM have to consider how one of the characters leaving the story can be accomplished. Having potential answers in mind means you can make player transitions easily and comfortably for all concerned.

"Okay, I've got one player leaving and a new one coming in... and the common thread with the player characters is that they're all family members. Well, I can have the leaving character stay at home to guard the ancestral mansion... and if it's okay with the new player, I'll make the new character the heretofore unknown illegitimate child of the father of the PCs."

There's two rough categories that departing players fall into: those that may come back later, and those that are leaving permanently. You should work with both types of players, to be sure they're comfortable with the final disposition of their character.

If the player may return, find out if they're interested in having their character "moved off the board" while they're not playing, so they can rejoin the game later if they are able. If you intend to have the PC continue in the game as an NPC, make sure you have explicit permission from the departing player... otherwise it's too easy to change someone's cherished character concept, and unwittingly offend the player.

If the player is leaving permanently, you should still negotiate what the disposition of their character will be. Are they comfortable with you playing the character as an NPC? Do they simply wish to leave the story permanently; perhaps even have the character killed? Many players are quite protective of their characters, and will object strongly to having them killed, or run by another person. Doing so against their will is not likely to help your game much. It will often make your remaining players uncomfortable, and will definitely make the leaving player unhappy, which will affect how they deal with you as a person from there on out.

Be flexible. Work out a way the character can leave the game which both satisfies the player and allows the game to continue. A little forethought and discussion will allow you to craft an ending for the character that is satisfactory for everyone.

Once you've determined how the PC will be handled, you still have to account for any changes in how your game will run. If the departing PC fills an important role in the group, you can have an NPC fill that role, or you could try to find a new player who'd like to take over that particular role within the game.

Keep your game running consistently as best you can -- your other players will appreciate your doing so. Don't take player departures personally. Stay friends with former players... you never know when you'll both meet in a game again. People change... so do games.


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Last modified: 2002-Mar-17 18:06:04

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