The party has just successfully driven off the initial bandit attack against the village. Now, two of the players are going on vacation for three weeks. The other two players can continue to play and two new people want to try D&D for the first time.
Do I drop the new players into the scenario to join the existing story?
Do I have everybody roll new characters and start a new campaign?
What would you do?
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
First, I would talk to the players. What do they want to do? Either go for a short adventurers with a new party (if most want something different) or, if you continue the existing campaign, perhaps say that the PCs of the two absent players are recuperating after the attack and that two others in the village (the new players’ PCs) can help out for a short while.
Come up with an "in story" reason why the two absent characters have the leave for awhile, but will be back.
While the other two are hanging out, waiting for their return, the two new players try to hire the two existing players, for a "small task they need doing".
This rolls the new player introduction and the story hook for a small side adventure, all together.
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You could spend the intervening time doing fun little adventures where the remaining players help the villagers fortify the village. Maybe they have to travel to a hermit out in the woods to gather medicine, so they leave the "missing" party members behind to guard the village while they go. Maybe they need to do some diplomacy with a nearby tribe of wood elves that pass by occasionally in order to see if they can help bulk up the villages defenses or drive away the remaining bandits. Maybe there is a legend of a luck-granting spirit nearby and some of the party volunteers to track it down and get its blessing for the village in case the bandits return.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
You wouldn't want to make an xp or level gap between your four original players without asking. Some players can get upset about that. However, depending on if you have a main town or hub you could still play in the same world with four new characters, to level up the new players until all 6 people are ready to play together, if you so choose.
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The party has just successfully driven off the initial bandit attack against the village. Now, two of the players are going on vacation for three weeks. The other two players can continue to play and two new people want to try D&D for the first time.
Do I drop the new players into the scenario to join the existing story?
Do I have everybody roll new characters and start a new campaign?
What would you do?
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
First, I would talk to the players. What do they want to do? Either go for a short adventurers with a new party (if most want something different) or, if you continue the existing campaign, perhaps say that the PCs of the two absent players are recuperating after the attack and that two others in the village (the new players’ PCs) can help out for a short while.
Ya could either do a short "Side Quest" with only two of the players and the two new ones
Or you could create a short campaign or some "one shots", can be a nice way to test some ideas that are far away from the campaign your doing atm.
Norberg78's idea is a good one.
Come up with an "in story" reason why the two absent characters have the leave for awhile, but will be back.
While the other two are hanging out, waiting for their return, the two new players try to hire the two existing players, for a "small task they need doing".
This rolls the new player introduction and the story hook for a small side adventure, all together.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
You could spend the intervening time doing fun little adventures where the remaining players help the villagers fortify the village. Maybe they have to travel to a hermit out in the woods to gather medicine, so they leave the "missing" party members behind to guard the village while they go. Maybe they need to do some diplomacy with a nearby tribe of wood elves that pass by occasionally in order to see if they can help bulk up the villages defenses or drive away the remaining bandits. Maybe there is a legend of a luck-granting spirit nearby and some of the party volunteers to track it down and get its blessing for the village in case the bandits return.
You wouldn't want to make an xp or level gap between your four original players without asking. Some players can get upset about that. However, depending on if you have a main town or hub you could still play in the same world with four new characters, to level up the new players until all 6 people are ready to play together, if you so choose.