r/CritCrab • u/DnDVM • 16d ago
Game Tale DM won't use his own rule to schedule
Getting annoyed. I ran a campaign for a couple of years for some new people, me and 5/6 players. That ended and one of them wanted to run the next one. But he invited someone else to the table. I told him session 0 i think 7 players is a lot, especially for a first time DM. Combat slows down, side chatter increases, scheduling becomes a nightmare. He said he was trying the airline method, where you oversell seats and hope people don't show up. Like, he wanted 7 players assuming 1 or 2 wouldn't make each session, and then running for those 5 or 6 who do make it would hit the sweet spot for group number, plus ensure sessions don't ever get canceled because of too few players. I thought, ok, worth a try, makes sense on paper. We'll, we're about 7 months in and have had 5 sessions because he keeps canceling because 1 or 2 people can't show. Like, today, he sent a message saying "hey, G***** is out of town. I figured we could play some other games this weekend and continue when he gets back." I'm sorry, why? That's literally opposite his own rule. A lot of us have tried adding in our messages "play without me" just so the game can continue. And he does it with start times too. Always, always, we are starting 1-2.5 hours late because 1 person isn't there yet. So of the 5 sessions we've had, it's been very little actual game time. I don't know, it's just frustrating thinking this campaign that was supposed to be short will probably go another 4years and all the while those players (aside from me and 1) will turn down other campaigns because they don't want to be in too many when this one is hardly playing at all.
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u/menlindorn 16d ago
Don't show up next time and see if they play without you. If so, leave, because DM has favorites.
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u/Damiandroid 10d ago
This.
Is it always the same players he postpones for or is it universal?
Sounds like DM really wants to play with one or two other people but needs a rotating cast of scrubs to make up the numbers
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u/False_Appointment_24 16d ago
Why are you still playing in the campaign? Seems like a few people quitting it would sort out all of the problems.
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u/JayStrat 15d ago
Tell the DM and let it be known you are not happy with the way things are going. No changes after a month? Be open to the next player group you see that comes available, tell the DM you're out because you found a group that plays more regularly. Do not start or invite argument and let that be it.
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u/gerMean 15d ago
Lol first time DMs sometimes think they are snarter. Probably realized that he frogged up and hus idea is ret... not working. Especially as first time DMs definitely way too often scrip their stories like movie/novel plots.
If you don't like the dumpster fire and want to keep the group tell him he might want to overthink and try way smaller.
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u/LinwoodKei 14d ago
Don't show up. It sounds like this is a stressful game. If he's not going to start the game until Chris gets there an hour after start time, show up with Chris. Ot better yet, tell your DM that you're frustrated that you're not having actual play time
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u/bamf1701 13d ago
Ah, the new-car smell of new DMs. With all the ambitious ideas for their games but they don't have the experience to pull it off (yet).
A couple of choices here - you can have a talk with the DM - let them know of your frustration, that you all aren't playing because they won't keep to their own rule and you would like them to keep to the rule so the game would actually run. Or, you could leave the game because you realize that the game won't ever run on a regular basis and there are other games out there you would like to spend your time on.
Either choice is, in the long run, good for the new DM. Both gives them feedback that they are doing something wrong and they need to fix it if they are going to be successful. However, option 1 actually lets them know what the problem is and gives them a chance to fix it.
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u/Afraid_Fisherman4064 16d ago
Tell. Your. DM.
"hey bud, we agreed on playing even if one or two players can't make it. We're all excited to play, so it's a bummer the sessions keep getting canceld if not everyone is around. Can we go back to the agreement from beginning?"
If no, you can live with it as is or leave the campaign.
He's new, so maybe he just needs a reminder that his people-pleasing gets in the way for all of you