Use D&D Characters of Absent Players as Adventure Hooks

What to do with missing players?

What do we do when a player cannot make it to a game session? What happens to their character? Some groups will cancel the session altogether if a single player cannot make it. Others believe in the mantra of “the show must go on.” These groups and their DMs will often simply let a character of an absent player fade into the background, and continue the game as normal. But there’s another intriguing option: use the D&D character of an absent player as an adventure hook!

Player characters are great motivators

Players care about their characters. And they also care about the characters of the other players. This is fertile ground for using absent player characters as adventure hooks. If a member of the party influences the schemes of the adventure, the other party members will get into the adventure more eagerly.

Example adventure hooks with absent player characters

Here are ten examples of how the character of an absent player might serve as an adventure hook. Use these to jump start your own imagination started the next time you have an absent player.

The villain of the adventure abducted the PC.
The PC went after the villain of the adventure by themselves, ahead of the party.
The PC is in a magical coma, and keeps spouting mystical phrases that relate to the adventure.
The PC refused to accompany the party to the mission but while on the adventure, the party discovers traces of the PC who has taken some of the treasure before the party arrived.
The villain of an adventure mind controls the PC and speaks through them.
A divine spirit temporarily possesses the PC, and becomes a guide for the party on their adventure.
The PC suffers from a debilitating disease, the cure to which can be found within the adventure.
The villain holds a grudge against the PC, who therefore decides to sit this adventure out, and let the party deal with the villain.
The PC was cursed by the villain long ago. The curse prohibits the PC from getting closer to the villain.
The PC previously narrowly escaped the villain alive. Now they refuse to confront them again.

PCs as vehicles for secrets and clues

In any of these examples, the absent player character can provide valuable information about the adventure to the party. They might know weaknesses of the villain, they might have clues to the layout of the adventure location or know other secrets relevant for the adventure.

Instead of the DM dumping this information on the players before the adventure, receiving the information from the absent player’s character can feel more natural and motivating to the other players.

Talk to the players

We should at least inform the player of how their character became part of the adventure after the fact. Ideally, we ask them before the adventure begins if they agree to this method. This is also something we can discuss in a session zero. If everyone agrees, this method of handling absent players can provide motivating adventure hooks, and makes it so the character of the absent player continues to be a part of the evolving story of the campaign.