D&D Session Attendance Flexes
I have been a dungeon master for D&D games at my local library for about three years now. It started as a group for adults playing old-school rules, and we have different players come and go. Adults being who they are, with busy schedules and life getting in the way, attendance was hit or miss, and turnover was common.
Then, two years ago we switched the program to focus on teens. Attendance has been more consistent and there’s almost always a waiting list. We even added a second group to the program.
But, players still come and go.
I’ve been playing D&D since 1980, and although there are some D&D tables with the same group of players since their inception, I’d wager to guess this is the more uncommon than common.
In my experience, players come and go, and that’s the nature of the game.
What does this mean? Is it a bad thing if your D&D group doesn’t maintain the same roster for long periods of time?
If you’re a dungeon master, how should you take it if your table has player turnover? Is that a reflection of your quality as a DM? It might be, but don’t jumpt to that conclusion just yet.
In my teens group, over the past two years, there’s only been one kiddo who got kicked out of the group due to disruptive behavior. Every other teen that has left was because of scheduling conflict away from the table.
I’ve done a video before that describes the differences between teens and adult players, so I’m not going to go into more detail about that here. Be sure to check it out.
Dungeons & Dragons is a dynamic game
Even for the most railroady DM, it’s impossible to predict how a given game session will go. It’s kind of like improvisational jazz where every performance sounds a bit different. Sure, you’ve got the sax-playing half-orc barbarian and the elven mage at the piano, both trying to keep time with the halfling playing stand-up bass, but in the end, each song will be unique in one way or another.
D&D is like that, too, especially when it comes to who’s sitting around the table. Even if you have a fixed roster, it can be a rare session where everyone shows up.
Turnover and inconsistent attendance is just the nature of the game, and that’s okay. It’s important to keep this in perspective and not get frustrated by it.
As a Dungeon Master, when I’m running a story-driven game, it can be very frustrating to have players come and go. Not knowing what the party makeup will be from one session to the next can inject uncertainty into my planned campaign. Nowadays, I’m using a more sandbox style approach, where the players decide what they want to do and where they want to go, so it’s been a lot easier to handle the shifting party.
This has taught me a valuable lesson.
DUNGEON MASTERS ARE THERE TO SERVE THE PLAYERS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
It’s not my game, and it’s not really the players’ game, either. It’s the game of those who show up, and who shows up will change.
Each player has their own motivation of why they show up to a game, and each player has their own play style and preferred reason to stay. For example, some really like role-playing their character and get a lot of enjoyment when interacting with NPCs in town. They’ll get into character and delve into the nuance of negotiating with a jewelry merchant, the innkeeper, or the Captain of the Guard.
Other players like the tactical strategy of planning a raid on an orc lair and leave their interaction with NPCs to single sentences. “Do you want to buy this battle axe I took from a dead ogre or not?”
There is a bit of advice on YouTube that DMs should cover the bases and ensure every game session has something to suit the diverse motivations and desires of all possible player types. I don’t think this is bad advice, but I do feel it’s difficult to accomplish in each session. Instead, I prefer to have one session devoted to the tactical combat and strategy, while another is focused more on the role-playing aspects of the game and yet another where exploration is the focus.
As an author of several fantasy novels, I’ve learned the value of capturing my reader’s attention and holding it fast with intense action, then giving them a breather where not much happens — or nothing dangerous, anyway. Filmmakers have learned this maxim decades ago. Like most pop songs, there’s a particular pattern and rhythm that people unconsciously expect. I think a D&D campaign can follow an ideal rhythm, too.
Ultimately, though, a good Dungeon Master isn’t a songwriter or artist or author, where their work is an expression of themselves, and their audience can either like it or not. Instead, I think a Dungeon Master is a facilitator. They learn the desires of the players at their table and dynamically create an experience that suits them best.
The DM may tailor their game in a particular way for the players around their table, but as players come and go, what worked yesterday may not work tonight. Being flexible and maintaining the ability to read the room is an important soft skill for the DM as they strive to make the experience as fun as possible. They are there to serve the players, not the other way around.
D&D players have a part to play, too.
My advice for players of D&D or any other group role-playing game is to communicate and do what you say you’re going to do, the best you can. If you’re unhappy with something, speak up in a constructive way. If you’re delighted with how things are going, convey that as well. And when you say you’re going to show up for the campaign finale on Saturday night, don’t ghost everyone. Do what you say you’re going to do and actually show up for the campaign finale on Saturday night.
Come to think of it, it seems that D&D might have a lesson for all of us in that regard. If we all learn to be better communicators and keep our promises, tomorrow just might be that much better than today.
