TL;DR
Send the absent player a short message before the next session: three things that happened, two things that changed for their character, and one thing they need to know or decide right now. Skip the combat, the dead ends, and anything their character couldn’t know, and agree in session zero what happens to a missing player’s character.
A catch-up message you can send tonight
Hey Max, quick catch-up before Thursday.
What happened: we made a deal with Dorran, a river smuggler, to get across the border. We crossed the river at night. Then bandits ambushed us, and we lost the map.
What changed for you: Dorran says your mentor Ilsa is alive and hiding in the border town. He also thinks you personally owe him a favor, because the party said you’d pay.
Where we are: standing outside Dorran’s warehouse. You’ll need to decide whether to trust him.
Best moment: the bard tried to talk the bandits out of the ambush and accidentally recruited one.
Why This Message Works
Max can read that in under a minute and show up ready to play. He knows the three events that matter, the two things that are his to deal with, and the decision waiting for him at the warehouse door. Nobody told him about the shopping, the argument over which bridge to take, or who rolled what in the ambush.
Compare that with what usually happens when a player joins the call and asks what they missed. Either everyone talks at once, each remembering the part they cared about, or one person retells the whole night, every fight and every shop. Both take fifteen minutes, and both answer “what happened?” when the player needs to know what they need to play tonight. The second question has a much shorter answer.
The 3-2-1 Catch-Up
The message above follows a simple count that fits into two minutes:
| Number | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Things that happened: the main events, in order | “We made a deal with a smuggler, crossed the river, and lost the map in an ambush.” |
| 2 | Things that changed for their character | “Your mentor is alive. And the smuggler thinks you owe him a favor.” |
| 1 | Thing they need right now: what to know or decide | “We’re about to walk into the smuggler’s warehouse. You need to decide if you trust him.” |
The middle part is the one people forget, and it matters most. A player doesn’t need the whole world’s news. They need to know what changed for them, so they can play their character instead of watching.
What to Tell and What to Skip
A good catch-up is mostly about what you leave out. Use this as a filter:
| Tell | Skip |
|---|---|
| New NPCs they’ll meet again, with names | NPCs who appeared once and won’t come back |
| Decisions the party made, and promises they gave | How long the party argued before deciding |
| Anything that changed for their character: items, relationships, secrets | Blow-by-blow combat: who rolled what, round by round |
| Where the party is now and what’s next | Shopping, dead ends, and side trips that went nowhere |
| Loot that affects them: their share, a found item that’s theirs | Exact gold math (just tell them the total) |
| One great moment, if there was one | Every joke from the night |
That last row is worth keeping. A recruited bandit doesn’t help anyone play, but it helps the player feel like part of the group again.
What their character would and wouldn’t know
One more filter: the player knows, but does their character? If their character wasn’t there, there’s a question of how much they know in the story. Most tables keep it simple: the party filled them in on the road, so the character knows what the party knows. If a secret was learned by just one character, it’s that character’s player who decides whether to share it. More on keeping that line clear in player notes vs. DM notes.
What Happens to Their Character?
Answer this before anyone misses a session, ideally in your session zero. The common options:
| Option | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Fade into the background | The character is there but stays out of the spotlight. Nobody plays them | Most tables. Simple and fair |
| Someone else plays them | Another player or the DM runs the character in combat | Small groups where one missing character breaks the balance |
| They leave the story | The character stays in town, gets sick, has their own errand | Story-heavy games and longer absences |
| Rotating cast | Each session is a separate expedition with whoever shows up | Big groups and formats like West Marches |
Whatever you choose, be careful with one thing: if someone else plays the character, don’t let that character die or make big story choices on their behalf. Coming back to find your character made a deal you’d never make is worse than missing the session.
When and How to Send It
The best time for a catch-up is before the next session, not at the table. Send it in your group chat a day or two before the game. The player reads it at their own pace, asks questions, and shows up ready. Here’s the blank version of the message at the top:
CATCH-UP FOR [name] · Session [number]
3 THINGS THAT HAPPENED
1. [Main event]
2. [Main event]
3. [Main event]
2 THINGS THAT CHANGED FOR YOU
• [Something about your character]
• [Something about your character]
1 THING YOU NEED NOW
[Where we are and what you need to know or decide]
BEST MOMENT
[Optional: one thing you'll want to hear about]If the player only finds out at the table, keep it to the three, two, and one, and start playing. They’ll pick up the rest in the first scene. Even better, have another player catch them up in character, by the campfire or on the road. It takes the same two minutes, feels like a scene instead of a briefing, and lets the returning player react as their character.
If your group writes a recap after every session anyway, the catch-up is almost done: just add the “what changed for you” part. Our session recap template works well as a starting point. And if it’s not one player but the whole group that’s been away for weeks, see how to restart a campaign after a break.
When Nobody Remembers the Details
A week later, nobody is sure whether the smuggler was Dorran or Darren, and the DM has their own notes to worry about. If your group plays on Discord, Kazkar can record the session and write it up as a chronicle, with Dorran, Ilsa, and the border town each getting a page in your campaign wiki, so the absent player can read what happened and you only need to write the “what changed for you” part. If you’d rather keep notes by hand, here are other ways to remember what happened last session.
Either way, the goal is the same small message: enough for the missing player to walk back in, pick up their dice, and make the call about Dorran’s warehouse with everyone else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do when a player misses a D&D session?
Agree in advance what happens to their character, usually that it stays in the background. Before the next game, message them the main events, what changed for their character, and the decision waiting for them.
Should a missing player still get XP?
Most DMs say yes. Keeping everyone at the same level is fairer, and players who fall behind are more likely to drop out of the campaign.
Should someone else play an absent player’s character?
It can work in combat, especially in small groups. Just don’t let that character die or make big story decisions without the player, and settle the rule in session zero.
How long should a catch-up be?
Short enough to read in two minutes. Three events, two character changes, and one current decision is usually plenty.
Does the character know what happened while the player was away?
At most tables, yes: the party filled them in. Secrets learned by a single character are the exception, and that character’s player decides whether to share them.
Catch up absent players instantly
Kazkar records your Discord session and writes the chronicle, with every NPC, place, and item linked in your campaign wiki, so the player who missed it can read what happened. Free to start, no card required.
Add Kazkar to DiscordDanylo
Co-founder, Kazkar
Danylo is a co-founder of Kazkar and a tabletop RPG player and GM. He writes about running games, tracking campaign lore, and turning messy session notes into stories worth keeping.
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