GM 202: Gaps in Gameplay

Despite there being no show today, I thought I'd stay on topic. That is to say, my topic is nothing. Specifically, the nothing you get when you don't have a session of your favorite roleplaying game, and end up having to skip one or more meetings.

As we all know, games can cancel for several reasons. Maybe the GM has something come up that they can't avoid, or maybe too many players call out of the game for the GM's liking, or it could even be a planned absence as people go to take a vacation or just a break from the game.

However, we should be careful of a break in regularly scheduled gameplay. if an exception can be made once, it can be made many times, and if that happens you quickly end up just not having a game altogether.

That said, here are a few handy tips to help prevent campaigns falling apart over breaks and keeping continuity going despite an absence.

1. Check-in with the group: When you don't have a game, make sure that everyone understand why. Make sure to also schedule the next game you will meet up, and reaffirm the importance of being there. Use this opportunity to go over any necessary changes as well, such as reminding people to show up on-time or early and to make sure that they are prepared to play.
2. In-character Chat: One idea to keep people's mind on the events of the game is to have a running in-character chat, wehre your players can message eachother and perhaps even perform minor actions between sessions. This might be a little bit of work, but if people can find a free minute in their day, they can sort of get a slow-drip RP going in a play-by-post format that runs companion to the sessions themselves. Great for keeping people focused and engaged in the game. I've had very limited success with this myself, but I hear that some groups make great use of it.
3. Recap: When you do get back to meeting, make sure you go over the previous session's events before jumping right back in. People may not perfectly recall what happened, so a refresher is good.
4. Plan a cliffhanger: If you know there is going to be an absence, try to plan it such that your session ends on a cliffhanger, so your players will continue to think about the game and anticipate the next session. A little bit of drama goes a long way.
5. Take notes: You and your players should both take notes so that you remeber what is happening in the game. This helps to make sure information is consistent session to session, and that you are easier able to recall information after a gap in play.

​I'm sure there are many other good tips for dealing with this situation, but these are the ones that I make use of and that come to my mind when writing this. Hopefully it helps you moving forward with your own games. And if any players are reading this, do your best to make sessions, and if there's an absence, try to get those conversations going with your GM and fellow players so that people stay engaged and so that you can transition smoothly into the next session.



I hope you enjoyed this and the rest of the content by Digital & Dice. For more on a related topic, see my personal blog for the post "Keeping the Hype Alive." Until next time... Game on Internets!
- Draconick, Digital and Dice Contributor.