From Newsgroup: rec.games.frp.dnd

Source: https://nerdist.com/article/keep-your-dungeons-and-dragons-games-on-schedule/


Having Trouble Scheduling Your DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Games? Here?s
the Solution


by Vishu Reddy
Mar 24 2025 ? 1:57 PM

The struggle of finding a good time for everyone to start a new
Dungeons & Dragons campaign is a real struggle. So many games end
up just falling through because scheduling with one friend is
already hard enough, but multiple?! Impossible?or so it seems.
Current comic book writer Kieron Gillen has us all covered with a
few golden rules to keep the game alive. Here?s how you can make
sure your Dungeons & Dragons game schedule operates
smoothly.

Gillen was in a pub with a friend who complained to them about yet
another game of D&D falling through. I guess Gillen had enough
because he wrote, ?[imagine] all these decades of people wasting
time, just waiting for that one player to be free on Friday.? Now
be warned, Gillen?s rules for scheduling your Dungeons & Dragons
games without fail are pretty strict but also happen to make for
a good baseline if your party is having trouble sustaining a
campaign.

Gillen?s core rules are as follows:

1. The Dungeon Master sets a regular time to play.
2. The game happens on that night, with whoever turns up.
3. The only time a date moves is if the DM can?t make that
time or if literally no other player can make it.

To solve the Dungeons & Dragons schedule problem altogether,
Gillen wrote the rules as a patch ?fixing? the new 2024 edition
of the D&D Player?s HandbookOpens in a new tab. It neatly fits in
right after page eight. So your entire party can familiarize
themselves with the new course of action for setting up games.
The actual page goes much deeper, covering what to do when the
dungeon master is missing and during your first session.

Writing about his rules for scheduling Dungeons & Dragons games,
Gillen said, ?This is probably overkill, but it breaks my heart,
and made me laugh. You can?t resist yourself sometimes. It is
actively strange that RPG folks write rules about everything, but
have avoided giving actual advice on basic play culture ideas.
Generations after generations of players, falling into this
particular trap. No more, I say.?

You can view and download a PDF of Gillen?s ?Scheduling Games? page for the Player?s Handbook on his website here [https://oldmenrunningtheworld.com/where-i-solve-the-scheduling-problem-in-dungeons-dragons/]. And hey, if your Dungeons & Dragons game never falls through again and stays exactly on schedule, you know who to thank.
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From Newsgroup: rec.games.frp.dnd

On Sun, 20 Apr 2025 14:15:27 +0200 (GMT+02:00), kyonshi
<gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

Source: https://nerdist.com/article/keep-your-dungeons-and-dragons-games-on-schedule/

Having Trouble Scheduling Your DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Games? Here?s
the Solution

The DM sets the time and that's that? Those are rules written by a
young person who has lots of time. Between kids, work, vacation,
doctors, etc., once you get to a certain age, those rules just CAN'T
work. You'd end up with a game where less than half the party shows
up, every time.

;-)


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From Newsgroup: rec.games.frp.dnd

On 4/20/25 16:57, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 20 Apr 2025 14:15:27 +0200 (GMT+02:00), kyonshi
<gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

Source: https://nerdist.com/article/keep-your-dungeons-and-dragons-games-on-schedule/


Having Trouble Scheduling Your DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Games? Here?s
the Solution

The DM sets the time and that's that? Those are rules written by a
young person who has lots of time. Between kids, work, vacation,
doctors, etc., once you get to a certain age, those rules just CAN'T
work. You'd end up with a game where less than half the party shows
up, every time.

;-)

The whole text actually seems rather similar to the whole open table
idea that has been gaining traction in OSR circles lately (uh, the last
few decades) where you keep a dedicated slot for the game open and play
with whoever comes to join that day.
We've been running games in a very similar mode lately (with online
signups though, so not quite the same) and it works quite well. I have a
game that happens every Tuesday 8.15pm, and I just play with whoever
shows up.

It's a drastically different approach to playing games though, as there
really isn't a way to have any story or plot going where the players
take center stage. It might easily be that the character you planned to
do stuff with just doesn't show up for two sessions. That means plot, if
it is happening, is bound to the location instead of characters.
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From Newsgroup: rec.games.frp.dnd

On Sun, 20 Apr 2025 20:18:45 +0200, kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

On 4/20/25 16:57, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 20 Apr 2025 14:15:27 +0200 (GMT+02:00), kyonshi
<gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

Source: https://nerdist.com/article/keep-your-dungeons-and-dragons-games-on-schedule/


Having Trouble Scheduling Your DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Games? Here?s
the Solution

The DM sets the time and that's that? Those are rules written by a
young person who has lots of time. Between kids, work, vacation,
doctors, etc., once you get to a certain age, those rules just CAN'T
work. You'd end up with a game where less than half the party shows
up, every time.

;-)

The whole text actually seems rather similar to the whole open table
idea that has been gaining traction in OSR circles lately (uh, the last
few decades) where you keep a dedicated slot for the game open and play
with whoever comes to join that day.
We've been running games in a very similar mode lately (with online
signups though, so not quite the same) and it works quite well. I have a >game that happens every Tuesday 8.15pm, and I just play with whoever
shows up.

It's a drastically different approach to playing games though, as there >really isn't a way to have any story or plot going where the players
take center stage. It might easily be that the character you planned to
do stuff with just doesn't show up for two sessions. That means plot, if
it is happening, is bound to the location instead of characters.

Meh.

Aside from the fact that story and character and world-building are
the raison d'ntre for my wanting to play in the first place, I really
dislike playing with randoms. It can sometimes work, but far more
often you have a clash of gaming styles. You get The Roleplayer versus
the Min-Maxer versus the Monty-Hauler. At best you get a subpar
experience; too often you get the players working against each other
(and the GM). The game stops being fun and players stop coming because
they don't see the point of the hobby anymore.

Find players whose style matches or complements your own, and do
everything you can to keep them. If you lose one, find a replacement
and don't be afraid to kick out the newbie if they aren't compatible.

But I tend to prefer quality over quantity. I'm gaming for the
experience of the session, not just to say I'm playing. If that means
I play fewer sessions because Life Gets In The Way, I'm fine with
that.


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From Newsgroup: rec.games.frp.dnd

On 4/21/25 16:44, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 20 Apr 2025 20:18:45 +0200, kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

On 4/20/25 16:57, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Sun, 20 Apr 2025 14:15:27 +0200 (GMT+02:00), kyonshi
<gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

Source: https://nerdist.com/article/keep-your-dungeons-and-dragons-games-on-schedule/


Having Trouble Scheduling Your DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Games? Here?s
the Solution

The DM sets the time and that's that? Those are rules written by a
young person who has lots of time. Between kids, work, vacation,
doctors, etc., once you get to a certain age, those rules just CAN'T
work. You'd end up with a game where less than half the party shows
up, every time.

;-)

The whole text actually seems rather similar to the whole open table
idea that has been gaining traction in OSR circles lately (uh, the last
few decades) where you keep a dedicated slot for the game open and play
with whoever comes to join that day.
We've been running games in a very similar mode lately (with online
signups though, so not quite the same) and it works quite well. I have a
game that happens every Tuesday 8.15pm, and I just play with whoever
shows up.

It's a drastically different approach to playing games though, as there
really isn't a way to have any story or plot going where the players
take center stage. It might easily be that the character you planned to
do stuff with just doesn't show up for two sessions. That means plot, if
it is happening, is bound to the location instead of characters.

Meh.

Aside from the fact that story and character and world-building are
the raison d'|-tre for my wanting to play in the first place, I really dislike playing with randoms. It can sometimes work, but far more
often you have a clash of gaming styles. You get The Roleplayer versus
the Min-Maxer versus the Monty-Hauler. At best you get a subpar
experience; too often you get the players working against each other
(and the GM). The game stops being fun and players stop coming because
they don't see the point of the hobby anymore.

Eh, it works for us because the specific community is very much into
this specific play style. But as I said, drastically different approach
to roleplaying. Much more gamist/simulationist.
I do still feel like I am getting what I want out of it, because I can
follow along the setting and how it develops.

Find players whose style matches or complements your own, and do
everything you can to keep them. If you lose one, find a replacement
and don't be afraid to kick out the newbie if they aren't compatible.

But I tend to prefer quality over quantity. I'm gaming for the
experience of the session, not just to say I'm playing. If that means
I play fewer sessions because Life Gets In The Way, I'm fine with
that.

That only works for so long. Especially with the pandemic and people
moving away and becoming parents and everything games just became too
far in between to even be able to be considered a campaign. So I'd
rather be able to actually play than not.
Also unlike the more involved character based
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