I'm open today for any questions, work on your character, and will run Prologue adventures for anyone who can play at this time. The earlier time slot (Noon CST). Here's the bad news. Every single player has given me a reason they can't play this session. Zero attendance. 2 people let me know yesterday (Oscar and Maxx) and I let them go (out of the campaign) as I realized their communication style and level of engagement was not a good fit for this campaign, which I'll explain a bit more in this post. Pat and Jack both let me know, separately on game-day, that they would not be able to play today for personal reasons. This is understandable. Both Players (running Elf characters) are central to the themes of this campaign. I like you guys & your PC's, and I dearly want you to both play. Wish you could be here today to move the campaign forward. Gray will be back from pre-announced holiday, next week. His PC the Kenku will take an important role in the campaign, and I'm excited about starting that next session. Attendance --- Not great so far. Zero attendance today is a bit discouraging. I want to run a regular game with around 3 to 6 sessions per month, with good communication from the Players, and high attendance (but flexibility to continue running the game when someone needs to skip a session). This game should be the highest-priority game that you're in, and shouldn't need to be scheduled around other games you enrolled in. That wasn't the case for Oscar & Maxx, I found out, and that's not acceptable for this campaign. This group is not going to reschedule due to people willy-nilly joining a different game that's in conflict. That's why I politely removed Oscar & Maxx from the game, even though I liked their characters, the players were too noncommittal. I also intend to maintain my style of being flexible & permissive when people need to miss for personal reasons . I think that is a measure of kindness. Personal reasons like health & family & job & weather (no explanation needed) are acceptable for missing sessions. The fact someone is overcommitted to multiple RPG's is not an acceptable reason for missing this (Oscar, Maxx, goodbye). Please do your best to inform the group in advance , with the longest lead time as you can muster, if you're going to need to miss --- and I know the remaining current players are doing that as best you can. I'm sure you guys realize, as DM and a fellow human, I'm also adjusting my work & personal schedule to make this game time available. I'm also putting in some prep-work in the time leading up to the session. I'm dedicated to running this campaign for the Players. The campaign is designed to be tailored for you & focused around your specific character choices. I f we need to bring in new Player-Characters (?), it changes the whole tableau of the starting-game again, and sets us back on time. It would require extra effort for me interviewing new applicant players trying to find someone who fits with the group and campaign style, and then some hours of dialog for character creation with each person (which I feel I've done, and wasted, on Oscar & Maxx). Then the larger part that Players may not realize, but as I said the world is tailored for your PC, by me, the developer of the homebrew world setting. When I bring in a new Character, that introduces substantial changes to the overall plots and textures available to interact in the world, including which Modules, the motives and hooks that could lead into those adventures, and even the Deities themselves. 6 PC party members was my original design, with the expectation of at least 4 players attending each session. (Giving a fair margin of the possibility of 2 people missing, on any given session time.) 5 PC's were eventually set to be in the game. I felt a 6th person could easily be added later, and we could see how it goes with 5, putting the maximum focus on the players who actually attend. 2 PC's have wandered off into the crowd at the Market in Portlandio, never to return. Grys and Bozok are out. 3 PC's remain (plus one dog): Pat's, Jack's, and Gray's. The campaign will be focused to the 2 elves and the Kenku. Party of 3 (plus the obedient dog Luka). These characters have already been ingrained in the campaign for several weeks, you're a part of the fabric of the world, and I personally have no problems with these 3 being the leaders and central unit of the party. That said, you could use some additional henchmen or helpers, if not a few more Players, to overcome some of the obstacles you might encounter soon. Party balance is NOT essential for this campaign (there are ways to work around it) but our party is a little short-handed in a couple areas. I might or might not reopen this up, to invite additional Player applicants. Presently weighing my options for finding someone who is a good player and the right fit, to join. Input is welcome from the current players. I will make the DM decision. For now, considering it's 3 Players, the attendance of each person is an important factor. Also just informing me of your availability, with good communication, is significant. In closing I'll emphasize again, I'm interested in your character, I want each of you to play, and I'm flexible to people who need to miss an occasional session for personal reasons (and you don't even need to explain your personal reasons, but just please inform the group in-advance with a post in the Scheduling thread saying that you would be missing). Remember there was a Player survey asking if you would inform the group if you need to miss, and every person said that you would post there in advance if you're going to miss one. Thanks for reading. Hope to see you for some gaming soon.
