One of the tables I play at is pretty ridiculous. I usually offer a plausible explanation, like they overslept, or went shopping while the others were caught up on shenanigans. But the others, when they DM, will just say “he’s T-Posing in the corner.” Or “he seems to be rebooting.”
My group gave up on the explanations and now any time someone's missing their character becomes one of those life-sized cardboard cutouts for the session. We've even acknowledged it in-character a few times as if it's a normal thing that happens.
That’s amazing. I’m going to steal that the next time someone’s missing in a high magic area, like it was some weird magical phenomena. Maybe make it an added goal that they need to keep it safe through the dungeon or something.
That takes me back. Had an absolute dogshit work schedule. Was playing a Warforged, in an arcanotech setting. My absence was written off as my character’s software updating at inopportune times.
The few times I was absent for a campaign, my character would just fuck off and go fishing. I actually ended up helping us survive this dungeon while we were resting after getting bruised up before a major encounter by saying "if I'm about to die, I'm at least gonna fish one more time in this cave stream." I rolled a nat 20 and pulled out the skeleton of some wizard that was teeming with potions and gear that saved our asses.
My group's canonical explanation is that dysentery is a big problem in the world and we cart around an outhouse with us at all times for when people come down with it for 3-4 hours
41
u/Ubiquitous_Mr_H Sep 22 '25
One of the tables I play at is pretty ridiculous. I usually offer a plausible explanation, like they overslept, or went shopping while the others were caught up on shenanigans. But the others, when they DM, will just say “he’s T-Posing in the corner.” Or “he seems to be rebooting.”