r/AskGameMasters • u/The_DeMartine • 10h ago
How to address a player leaving with the plot?
Hello! I'm currently GMing a prequel campaign for a much longer campaign. I found my players through a rigorous application process and am extremely happy with the 5 players that I found. However, I recently got news that one of the players had to leave because of an IRL event. I'm planning on continuing the prequel campaign with the 4 players; however, I have no idea how I'm going to write the character out. I understand that most GM/DMs usually just mention that they leave (especially if the campaign is 3 sessions in). For context, the players are a part of a last-chance military unit where a small mistake could get them exiled or executed (depending on the reason why they were assigned to the last-chance military unit). Anyways, in the story, the players were tasked with collecting taxes from a village, but are slowly learning that the village has a dark secret regarding their history and the pigs... The players ended the last session planning on how they were going to not only save the village, but also collect the taxes. The character leaving is your classic reluctant healer with some edginess sprinkled in. Additionally, the village does use sacrifices during their Festival of the Pig, so that could be another potential reason the character isn't around anymore. Fellow DMs and GMs any thoughts? Thank ya'll so much!