> have character who consistently splits off from the group

>>52332646
Go back forth and between the two. So both of them are doing something.

>>52332646
The best option for players splitting off from the party is to continue playingg as normal, with occasional short 5-10 min interjections to summarise how the player is doing.

>>52332732
But they were all asleep. Except two characters, one of whom asked the others if they wanted to be woken up (bullshit metagaming but I let it go) and the other followed invisibly before deciding to stay out of it.

>>52332742
But he was sneaking into a camp on his own. Which was stupid and he ended up dying from it but not before a hugely long chase due to his ridiculously high AC.

>>52332971
you make something wake them up
they don't control the narative - you do

tell him OOC that it's a cooperative game and if he wants his own story he should go and do it on his own time. if he doesn't actually want to play with other people, he shouldn't be in your group and should fuck away off.

>>52332971
Just summarise.

Don't run it round-by-round.

>>52333008
Well they eventually heard the alchemical grenades going off. But they just sat in camp and chose to do nothing. I even said it woke them up, because of the fact it was taking so much time.

>>52333185
I told him this. But in-game I can't really do much about it that isn't bullshit.

>>52333224
>>52332742
This

>>52333327
The hell you can't. You're the conductor on this train, anon.

>>52332646
"Tim, stop wandering off on your own and eating up half the session. Everyone else is bored so knock it off and find a way to wirk with the group or we're gonna have to kick you to get anything done in these games."

>>52332646
the opposite is just as bad, OP. parties that always fucking cluster together all the fucking time. fucking boooooring. look at movies... people wander off all the time and interesting things happen. i don't get, nor respect, players that can't sit back and watch another player have the spotlight for 5 or 10 minutes. As long as the spotlight is rotating, that is fine.

and if a particular player wants to hog the spotlight, you just tell him OOC to back off and why.

File: There+is+no+spoon.jpg (31KB, 640x427px) Image search: [Google]

31KB, 640x427px

>>52332646
Because it is the dm's fault.
DM job #1: make sure players have fun
DM job #2: make sure playerd follow rules.

Take control of your game man.

>>52333327
>But in-game I can't really do much about it that isn't bullshit.
you can say:
>your character isn't going to wander off now, no.
>I am not letting the other players stay out of the game AGAIN while you're doing this, no. it's not going to happen.
>take your time in the spotlight, then bow out with grace and let the others have it.

>>52332646
"Your character leaves to do whatever the fuck. Now roll a new one that's a team player."

>>52332646
Bad players blame the DM call them on it next time, how come none of the PCs ever interact or try to use his shit as an RP opprotunity?

Instead theyd rather wait for you the DM to somehow figure out what they want in their game and give it to them with no effort on their part.

Your players sound retarded.

Shit, I had that during the very first campaign I ever ran.

>first couple of sessions go smoothly, me and four friends around the table, all characters get about equal screentime even when they split up to run errands and whatnot
>fifth friend joins the game
>rolls up a psion
>he proceeds to take up 25% of his first session entirely for solo stuff, as he launches a one-man burglary operation on a nobleman's manor house
>a level 1 mage trying to rob a manor by mind controlling the owner
>as the heist goes ever more south, I offer him several outs so he can cut his losses and run, and we can get back to the rest of the (increasingly impatient) party
>he refuses to give up, eventually gets arrested and faces the gallows for stabbing the nobleman and his butler during the "heist"
>leaves his character for dead in jail, and rolls up a thief/assassin instead so that "his next burglary attempt will go better"
>serious talk ensues

I've since learned to nip such tangents in the bud.

>>52332646
'The focus stays with the majority. If he wants to waste time on solo crap, he can make an appointment outside of the regular session.

>>52332646
Yes, everything is your fault, especially when it isn't your fault.

Players are like women, they blame you for everything, especially their own stupid mistakes.

Speaking as both woman and GM.