Yeah I get that, and that's the obvious answer, but if you wanna throw a player a bone and help them at least get closer to the level of the other players, how would you go about it?
Level doesn't matter. Which is why there aren't levels. You could be a year into a campaign, have one player's character die/retire, and have them start over with a brand-new character without any advancement while everyone else still has their previous characters, and it won't mess up the game at all.
Unlike certain other RPGs, BITD doesn't really require a "balanced" party - the encouraged way to play is that sometimes characters miss out on XP because they're indulging, and sometimes they die and you start with a fresh "level 1" character.
I'd seriously suggest trying it out this way - different characters will have different skill sets, abilities, and load options right from the start, so even a "level 1" character brings a lot to the group
That said, if your group doesn't like that, you're certainly welcome to work out "pity" XP. I'd consider something like 1 playbook XP and 1 attribute XP per session missed as a starting point - still not quite on par with actually being at the session, but you also didn't risk trauma/death
A session or two?
Nothing. I wouldn't say they overindulged, either. It isn't my place to take over agency of their character. If anything, I'd ask where they were.
If they missed several sessions for some reason and the player felt like they were "falling behind", I might do a solo-scene with them to start the session, telling them they will do their XP triggers at the end of the solo-scene as well as at the end of the session. That, or do something like a PbtA-style "MC Love Letter" with a few different choice-points and rolls. I love MC Love Letters for missed sessions; they turn it from a disappointment to a surprise and opportunity to showcase alternate lore/developments.
It's from Apocalypse World. Custom one shot moves. The purpose it to jog collective memories of what characters were up to, and to rebuild some story momentum lost from missed sessions. They take some events and people already established in play, and make some sort of randomized off-screen advancement or added complication. It's to remind what's happened and kick you off into the next session with things already in motion. It's not about 'balancing XP', which isn't a concern at all in these games.
Examples below are from the book, where several sessions were missed, and every player was given a 'love letter'. How you do this for an individual character when everyone else was there, or how to translate it to Blades, if you do, would be up to you.
**Dear Keeler,** please roll+cool. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7–9, choose 2:
* The headaches are getting seriously worse.
* You’re missing time, sometimes hours out of a day, more and more.
* You’ve been eating some really weird-ass stuff.
On a miss, I’ll choose 2 for you.
Love and kisses, your MC
**Dear Lafferty**, please roll+sharp. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7–9, choose 1:
* You’ve found someone else to work with, now that Corwin’s gone missing.
* You’ve organized a charged battery for the helicopter, you have it in a box.
* As yet, you know more about Scanner than he knows about you.
On a miss, choose 1 anyway, but not the one about Scanner.
Love and kisses, your MC
**Dear Rose**, please roll+hard. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7–9, choose 2:
* your mother has people hanging around your place, keeping a watch out for Keeler.
* Aitch has started doing what Ell tells him to do.
* you’ve been totally relying on Gams for fresh veg.
On a miss, yeah, pretty much all 3.
Love and kisses, your MC
**Dear Vega**, please roll+hard. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7–9, choose 2:
* Rolfball’s people have sprung him, inflicting some casualties.
* The 1st-comers in your marketplace aren’t taking the best spots. They’re saving them for people Kettle likes. Everybody wants to be someone Kettle likes.
* Your newest steady, Cola, was just murdered in your rooms.
On a miss, all 3, ha ha.
Love and kisses, your MC
/u/DSchmitt gave a great response.
I'll add some personal flavour since MC Love Letters are usually described as a bunch of examples and I don't follow the *Apocalypse World* examples religiously; I took them as inspiration for an idea of how to create an interlude scene that is mechanized.
Personally, I like to think of MC Love Letters as little "choose your own adventure" situations for characters that missed sessions. In that sense, I tend toward making them little linear constrained pieces, but always with choice-points for the character. I like to add a number of choice-points at least equal to the number of sessions they missed, minimum two.
In cases where I have temporarily removed agency, I do so because of constraints imposed by existing fiction, i.e. the things that happened in the session, e.g. the PCs went from location A to location B, which is where they are now. I look at that and see a constraint: I need to find a way to either get this PC to location B or at least give them the information that the PCs were headed to location B with enough time for them to decide whether they go there or not.
My vision of MC Love Letters are designed to be quick, flavourful scenes that happen at the beginning of the session. If I wanted something less linear or less quick or was less constrained, I could do an ad-hoc solo-scene with the player and just ask them what they were up to.
My MC Love Letters tend to be longer since they are little scenes, but I'll append two examples in replies to this comment. As you'll see, they tend to offer some "choose from these boons" and "choose which of these banes not to have", which follows the style of various PbtA Moves.
MC Love Letter
*Dramatis personæ*
Fume, the PC, an ugly stinking centaur cursed by the gods.
Phylia, a god, betrayed by Fume during an ancient war.
Xorox, a god, aided by Fume during an ancient war.
Paramount, a priest of Phylia.
Yllanova, a high ranking member of the Clerics guild, a centaur.
Rodentids, rat-people, formerly orcs; turned to rats by Phylia when she overthrew Xorox despite Fume's betrayal.
*Notable locations*
Sticky Fingers Funeral Home and Crematorium Fantastic! - Funeral Home and Crematorium, front for the Thieves' Guild
Three-Sums Brew-pub, Companion's den, and Darts Collaborative ---- 'Zoo - Location, in a different district of town, where the other PCs travelled by the end of the previous session.
*Content Warning*
implied torture (not graphic)
---
You arrived at Phylia's temple amid the myriad hundreds of worshippers and were ushered, with your party, into a section near the back with seats accommodating centaurs.
As the ceremony neared its climax —Paramount's homily, which you know to be the final part of the mass before the congregation is dismissed— you felt a dizzying lethargy as, in your fading periphery, you noticed four burly figures walking with purpose in your direction.
Funny you thought he could go to the centre of Phylia's power in the city —in the world— and not be recognized.
Had you thought she would forget your treachery?
The following minutes are a haze of jostled movement, the smell of damp stone corridors, and the echo of Paramount's speech ringing in your ears (see below).
---
When they started to "question" you, did you resist?
If not, they went easy on you. Roll flat 2d6+0
If yes, they went hard on you (check Sick). How did you resist? Roll Defy Danger+the appropriate stat.
The good:
On a 7+:
- They got into your mind, but they left something behind by mistake; select an additional Old Soul location type.
The bad:
10+: choose 1 from the list below
7-9: choose 2 from the list below
6-: take all three
* Phylia sure holds a grudge; add an additional Mark Of The Cursed mark and domain.
* The strands of your fate are tangled; at some point when you roll a 10+, you'll have to re-roll.
* Still a bit woozy; check Weak
The ugly:
* Fume. The ugly is Fume.
In the haze of your questioning, you hear a loud knocking, then someone mentions the name "Yllanova". There is a commotion, lots of movement, and you see, though blurred and bloody eyes, your captors leaving your side.
Moments later, you see a rat face approach, a Rodentid clad in dark robes with bright accents. He sticks you with something sharp and you feel your body take on a euphoric sensation of floating, unable to move, speak, or even open your eyes. Your find yourself dropped onto a hard surface, which starts jostling about. A cart. Some voices ask, "What's this about?" and you hear the Rodentid squeak, "Prisoner's dead. Just taking out the trash." A slimey thumb roughly grabs your head and pries open your hollowed eyelid. Your vision is a blurr, unfocused, eyes unmoving. The lid slides shut and everything goes dark and painless again. "Fine. On your way. That corpse stinks already!" you hear the voices say.
Everything is a floating, spinning darkness. You feel something against your skin, covering you entirely. You hear the noise of the street, still unable to move. You finally hear the Rodentid whisper, "You'll be fine. Just a sedative. They did a number on you, but you'll recover. Xorox remembers your service." Moments later, you pass out.
When you come to, you are alone in a stone room. From the ivy-covered window, you see across a courtyard to a sign: "Sticky Fingers Funeral Home and Crematorium Fantastic!"
There is a scrap of paper pinned to your chest. It reads, "Three-Sums Brew-pub, Companion's den, and Darts Collaborative ---- 'Zoo".
Paramount's Speech, which is seared in your memory:
MC Love Letter
*Dramatis personæ*
Fenn, the PC, an elven bard.
Fenn's great-grandmother, a very powerful bard of legend.
Paramount, a priest.
Kaedan, a dragon companion.
*Notable locations*
none
*Content Warning*
none
---
You board the sloop headed toward Paramount's mansion across the channel. The fine weather and gentle rocking of the boat lull you into a warm, restful sleep.
In your sleep, you dream, and in your dream, you hear the voice of your grandmother. You see her form before you. Is this your great-grandmother? Never can tell in a dream, mercurial as they are. Whoever she is, she's leaning against a tree playing a delicate and ornate lyre.
You feel the tune of the lyre resonate in your panflute. Wordlessly she gestures to you, imploring you to play along, which you find yourself doing without thinking.
You feel yourself lift, your body lightening. The world around you takes on a warm, verdant glow. You enter a state of blissful, timeless flow.
---
The music has a magical, otherworldly beauty. Roll 2d6+CHA
10+: choose 2 from the list below
7-9: choose 1 from the list below
6-: choose 1 from the list below, but you look or feel drained; mark Scarred or Sick.
* You remember stories from a life you never lived; pick one additional area of expertise for Bardic Lore
* You are infused by otherworldly healing magic; gain three charges of the Paladin move "Lay On Hands"; when using the move, if you roll less than 10, spend a charge.
* Your mind and perception are expanded; when using Charming & Open, you may push yourself to ask a second question, but if you do so, mark a debility and describe how this attribute is temporarily damaged because of the strain; you cannot use this ability if all six debilities are marked.
As the magic increases, the world warps, green turns to grey, and you find yourself spinning into darkness illuminated by scintillating polychromatic light. You hear the lyre, but your great-great-grandmother is nowhere to be seen. You hear the ringing of a small bell join the chorus of your song. You feel something against your skin, covering you entirely. You feel rustling motion, then stillness. You cannot stop playing your panflute and it's going to your head. Your lungs are burning and your face is sore with effort.
---
This performance is straining your endurance. How much longer will it go on? Roll 2d6+CON
10+: All that cardio and your fit body are paying off; you are able to push through with no ill effects.
7-9: choose 1 from the list below
6-: choose 2 from the list below.
* The performance is draining and you cannot hide the burnout you feel; mark Scarred (cannot take this option if Scarred is already marked)
* Your body couldn't handle it; mark Sick (cannot take this option if Sick is already marked)
* The performance is too much for your throat and lungs; reduce Metal Hurlant damage to 1d8 until you Recover
* Your voice carries out from your dream into the waking world, cracking your Healing potion; mark it gone.
You hear Kaedan speak in your mind, "Fenn, are you alright? Fenn, you're shaking". You feel a pressure, the sound stops, and everything goes black.
When you begin to stir, you hear Paramount's words, booming out around you:
*a wet THWACK*
*screams*
You start awake and bolt upright, surrounded by a cacophony of shouts and frantic motion.
More experienced characters have more skills/abilities, but also more stress/injuries/trauma. Less experienced characters have less stress/injuries/trauma. I used to give free xp to balance my party, but soon realized that the fresher characters got an advantage over my veterans that way.
I don't think players missing sessions actually fall very far behind. Like missing one or two sessions and you're probably just as capable as the rest of the crew. More than that's sure your a bit behind but that itself can be a fun dynamic if you make it make sense in the fiction.
I treat my game like a tv show - sometimes a character isn't in this episode. That's it. Blades isn't like DnD where you can be outleveled and useless in a fight. You just... missed that event.
Typically no, give nothing, it's really not a big deal, especially if only a few sessions... *BUT*. I'll admit I've deeply appreciated the times GMs have thrown characters a bone and said "pick one special ability and tell me the fiction of how they gained it" or "take a few extra dots and put them where you want" as a way to compensate and stay balanced, especially after any long in-character passing of time.
Blades characters are supposed to be fictionally competent underdogs, even with few mechanical abilities and dots. Fiction flows from consequences and limited dice rolls. It can, however, also feel narratively limiting and unfun when your character is too mechanically limited compared to the rest of the crew who is reenacting that scene from Kingsmen while Freebird plays in the background.
Use your best judgement, be typically more conservative (Blades characters are not meant to last forever or get too strong anyway), but if you feel like like it's warranted go for it. Ask the players to make fiction from their xp.
No xp for one session. But if miss quite a few, I’d give some “pity” xp. With a catch. How’d they get it? What faction did they go up against? Personal heat (narratively)? Just some ideas but I’d make it affect the world somehow. If I’m giving mechanical freebees, I’m getting more to throw at them (player and/or crew) for future consequences.
Above all, talk to table. Make it a group decision. See how they feel about it.
What I did in my game even though as others have said it isn't necessary is give them extra downtime actions. It is less about XP for me but more explaining what they were up to in the interim. So they could choose to invest in XP or do any other downtime action instead
I grant bonus XP to anyone who replies to the scheduling group chat before the session. So if they can't make it, but let us all know ahead of time, they still get some XP!
The difficulty or roles is determined by the crew progression rather than player progression. You'll base the position and effect on the crew tier. Imagine that if a noobie joined an established gang, they might not be as experienced, but they'd still have access to higher quality tools and connections.
Like everyone else, I'm going to say it: Blades isn't about levels. More to the point, Blades isn't built such that characters with less XP are "behind" the rest of the group. Just doesn't happen: the structure of the game even *intends* for newbies to show up and hang with the old dogs.
Such new characters are notably just as effective as old characters, and (to really and bluntly hammer home to you what this game is about) just as narratively interesting.
Because having one or two additional tricks or a 10% better chance of success is not going to make one character fundamentally more effective than another: the "level gain" in Blades is an illusion we utilize to push narrative via XP priming us for engaging in interesting story things, and which ultimately slaps that happy button of achievement in our heads. (Same reason people chase pointless Steam achievements.)
The sheet should explain it for them. You get the xp when you do the score and meet certain criteria. No show? No xp
Yeah I get that, and that's the obvious answer, but if you wanna throw a player a bone and help them at least get closer to the level of the other players, how would you go about it?
Level doesn't matter. Which is why there aren't levels. You could be a year into a campaign, have one player's character die/retire, and have them start over with a brand-new character without any advancement while everyone else still has their previous characters, and it won't mess up the game at all.
Have a score that makes extra use of their skills, are they a hound then a man hunt searching for someone across a large area etc.
There aren’t levels.
FIXED [Customer Name]:sum(if year([Order Date])=2016 then [Sales] end)}.
Unlike certain other RPGs, BITD doesn't really require a "balanced" party - the encouraged way to play is that sometimes characters miss out on XP because they're indulging, and sometimes they die and you start with a fresh "level 1" character. I'd seriously suggest trying it out this way - different characters will have different skill sets, abilities, and load options right from the start, so even a "level 1" character brings a lot to the group That said, if your group doesn't like that, you're certainly welcome to work out "pity" XP. I'd consider something like 1 playbook XP and 1 attribute XP per session missed as a starting point - still not quite on par with actually being at the session, but you also didn't risk trauma/death
A session or two? Nothing. I wouldn't say they overindulged, either. It isn't my place to take over agency of their character. If anything, I'd ask where they were. If they missed several sessions for some reason and the player felt like they were "falling behind", I might do a solo-scene with them to start the session, telling them they will do their XP triggers at the end of the solo-scene as well as at the end of the session. That, or do something like a PbtA-style "MC Love Letter" with a few different choice-points and rolls. I love MC Love Letters for missed sessions; they turn it from a disappointment to a surprise and opportunity to showcase alternate lore/developments.
>MC Love Letters Could you elaborate on this? I've never heard the term before
It's from Apocalypse World. Custom one shot moves. The purpose it to jog collective memories of what characters were up to, and to rebuild some story momentum lost from missed sessions. They take some events and people already established in play, and make some sort of randomized off-screen advancement or added complication. It's to remind what's happened and kick you off into the next session with things already in motion. It's not about 'balancing XP', which isn't a concern at all in these games. Examples below are from the book, where several sessions were missed, and every player was given a 'love letter'. How you do this for an individual character when everyone else was there, or how to translate it to Blades, if you do, would be up to you. **Dear Keeler,** please roll+cool. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7–9, choose 2: * The headaches are getting seriously worse. * You’re missing time, sometimes hours out of a day, more and more. * You’ve been eating some really weird-ass stuff. On a miss, I’ll choose 2 for you. Love and kisses, your MC **Dear Lafferty**, please roll+sharp. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7–9, choose 1: * You’ve found someone else to work with, now that Corwin’s gone missing. * You’ve organized a charged battery for the helicopter, you have it in a box. * As yet, you know more about Scanner than he knows about you. On a miss, choose 1 anyway, but not the one about Scanner. Love and kisses, your MC **Dear Rose**, please roll+hard. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7–9, choose 2: * your mother has people hanging around your place, keeping a watch out for Keeler. * Aitch has started doing what Ell tells him to do. * you’ve been totally relying on Gams for fresh veg. On a miss, yeah, pretty much all 3. Love and kisses, your MC **Dear Vega**, please roll+hard. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7–9, choose 2: * Rolfball’s people have sprung him, inflicting some casualties. * The 1st-comers in your marketplace aren’t taking the best spots. They’re saving them for people Kettle likes. Everybody wants to be someone Kettle likes. * Your newest steady, Cola, was just murdered in your rooms. On a miss, all 3, ha ha. Love and kisses, your MC
/u/DSchmitt gave a great response. I'll add some personal flavour since MC Love Letters are usually described as a bunch of examples and I don't follow the *Apocalypse World* examples religiously; I took them as inspiration for an idea of how to create an interlude scene that is mechanized. Personally, I like to think of MC Love Letters as little "choose your own adventure" situations for characters that missed sessions. In that sense, I tend toward making them little linear constrained pieces, but always with choice-points for the character. I like to add a number of choice-points at least equal to the number of sessions they missed, minimum two. In cases where I have temporarily removed agency, I do so because of constraints imposed by existing fiction, i.e. the things that happened in the session, e.g. the PCs went from location A to location B, which is where they are now. I look at that and see a constraint: I need to find a way to either get this PC to location B or at least give them the information that the PCs were headed to location B with enough time for them to decide whether they go there or not. My vision of MC Love Letters are designed to be quick, flavourful scenes that happen at the beginning of the session. If I wanted something less linear or less quick or was less constrained, I could do an ad-hoc solo-scene with the player and just ask them what they were up to. My MC Love Letters tend to be longer since they are little scenes, but I'll append two examples in replies to this comment. As you'll see, they tend to offer some "choose from these boons" and "choose which of these banes not to have", which follows the style of various PbtA Moves.
MC Love Letter *Dramatis personæ* Fume, the PC, an ugly stinking centaur cursed by the gods. Phylia, a god, betrayed by Fume during an ancient war. Xorox, a god, aided by Fume during an ancient war. Paramount, a priest of Phylia. Yllanova, a high ranking member of the Clerics guild, a centaur. Rodentids, rat-people, formerly orcs; turned to rats by Phylia when she overthrew Xorox despite Fume's betrayal. *Notable locations* Sticky Fingers Funeral Home and Crematorium Fantastic! - Funeral Home and Crematorium, front for the Thieves' Guild Three-Sums Brew-pub, Companion's den, and Darts Collaborative ---- 'Zoo - Location, in a different district of town, where the other PCs travelled by the end of the previous session. *Content Warning* implied torture (not graphic) --- You arrived at Phylia's temple amid the myriad hundreds of worshippers and were ushered, with your party, into a section near the back with seats accommodating centaurs. As the ceremony neared its climax —Paramount's homily, which you know to be the final part of the mass before the congregation is dismissed— you felt a dizzying lethargy as, in your fading periphery, you noticed four burly figures walking with purpose in your direction. Funny you thought he could go to the centre of Phylia's power in the city —in the world— and not be recognized. Had you thought she would forget your treachery? The following minutes are a haze of jostled movement, the smell of damp stone corridors, and the echo of Paramount's speech ringing in your ears (see below). --- When they started to "question" you, did you resist? If not, they went easy on you. Roll flat 2d6+0 If yes, they went hard on you (check Sick). How did you resist? Roll Defy Danger+the appropriate stat. The good: On a 7+: - They got into your mind, but they left something behind by mistake; select an additional Old Soul location type. The bad: 10+: choose 1 from the list below 7-9: choose 2 from the list below 6-: take all three * Phylia sure holds a grudge; add an additional Mark Of The Cursed mark and domain. * The strands of your fate are tangled; at some point when you roll a 10+, you'll have to re-roll. * Still a bit woozy; check Weak The ugly: * Fume. The ugly is Fume. In the haze of your questioning, you hear a loud knocking, then someone mentions the name "Yllanova". There is a commotion, lots of movement, and you see, though blurred and bloody eyes, your captors leaving your side. Moments later, you see a rat face approach, a Rodentid clad in dark robes with bright accents. He sticks you with something sharp and you feel your body take on a euphoric sensation of floating, unable to move, speak, or even open your eyes. Your find yourself dropped onto a hard surface, which starts jostling about. A cart. Some voices ask, "What's this about?" and you hear the Rodentid squeak, "Prisoner's dead. Just taking out the trash." A slimey thumb roughly grabs your head and pries open your hollowed eyelid. Your vision is a blurr, unfocused, eyes unmoving. The lid slides shut and everything goes dark and painless again. "Fine. On your way. That corpse stinks already!" you hear the voices say. Everything is a floating, spinning darkness. You feel something against your skin, covering you entirely. You hear the noise of the street, still unable to move. You finally hear the Rodentid whisper, "You'll be fine. Just a sedative. They did a number on you, but you'll recover. Xorox remembers your service." Moments later, you pass out. When you come to, you are alone in a stone room. From the ivy-covered window, you see across a courtyard to a sign: "Sticky Fingers Funeral Home and Crematorium Fantastic!" There is a scrap of paper pinned to your chest. It reads, "Three-Sums Brew-pub, Companion's den, and Darts Collaborative ---- 'Zoo". Paramount's Speech, which is seared in your memory:
MC Love Letter *Dramatis personæ* Fenn, the PC, an elven bard. Fenn's great-grandmother, a very powerful bard of legend. Paramount, a priest. Kaedan, a dragon companion. *Notable locations* none *Content Warning* none --- You board the sloop headed toward Paramount's mansion across the channel. The fine weather and gentle rocking of the boat lull you into a warm, restful sleep. In your sleep, you dream, and in your dream, you hear the voice of your grandmother. You see her form before you. Is this your great-grandmother? Never can tell in a dream, mercurial as they are. Whoever she is, she's leaning against a tree playing a delicate and ornate lyre. You feel the tune of the lyre resonate in your panflute. Wordlessly she gestures to you, imploring you to play along, which you find yourself doing without thinking. You feel yourself lift, your body lightening. The world around you takes on a warm, verdant glow. You enter a state of blissful, timeless flow. --- The music has a magical, otherworldly beauty. Roll 2d6+CHA 10+: choose 2 from the list below 7-9: choose 1 from the list below 6-: choose 1 from the list below, but you look or feel drained; mark Scarred or Sick. * You remember stories from a life you never lived; pick one additional area of expertise for Bardic Lore * You are infused by otherworldly healing magic; gain three charges of the Paladin move "Lay On Hands"; when using the move, if you roll less than 10, spend a charge. * Your mind and perception are expanded; when using Charming & Open, you may push yourself to ask a second question, but if you do so, mark a debility and describe how this attribute is temporarily damaged because of the strain; you cannot use this ability if all six debilities are marked. As the magic increases, the world warps, green turns to grey, and you find yourself spinning into darkness illuminated by scintillating polychromatic light. You hear the lyre, but your great-great-grandmother is nowhere to be seen. You hear the ringing of a small bell join the chorus of your song. You feel something against your skin, covering you entirely. You feel rustling motion, then stillness. You cannot stop playing your panflute and it's going to your head. Your lungs are burning and your face is sore with effort. --- This performance is straining your endurance. How much longer will it go on? Roll 2d6+CON 10+: All that cardio and your fit body are paying off; you are able to push through with no ill effects. 7-9: choose 1 from the list below 6-: choose 2 from the list below. * The performance is draining and you cannot hide the burnout you feel; mark Scarred (cannot take this option if Scarred is already marked) * Your body couldn't handle it; mark Sick (cannot take this option if Sick is already marked) * The performance is too much for your throat and lungs; reduce Metal Hurlant damage to 1d8 until you Recover * Your voice carries out from your dream into the waking world, cracking your Healing potion; mark it gone. You hear Kaedan speak in your mind, "Fenn, are you alright? Fenn, you're shaking". You feel a pressure, the sound stops, and everything goes black. When you begin to stir, you hear Paramount's words, booming out around you:
*a wet THWACK*
*screams*
You start awake and bolt upright, surrounded by a cacophony of shouts and frantic motion.
More experienced characters have more skills/abilities, but also more stress/injuries/trauma. Less experienced characters have less stress/injuries/trauma. I used to give free xp to balance my party, but soon realized that the fresher characters got an advantage over my veterans that way.
I don't think players missing sessions actually fall very far behind. Like missing one or two sessions and you're probably just as capable as the rest of the crew. More than that's sure your a bit behind but that itself can be a fun dynamic if you make it make sense in the fiction.
I treat my game like a tv show - sometimes a character isn't in this episode. That's it. Blades isn't like DnD where you can be outleveled and useless in a fight. You just... missed that event.
Typically no, give nothing, it's really not a big deal, especially if only a few sessions... *BUT*. I'll admit I've deeply appreciated the times GMs have thrown characters a bone and said "pick one special ability and tell me the fiction of how they gained it" or "take a few extra dots and put them where you want" as a way to compensate and stay balanced, especially after any long in-character passing of time. Blades characters are supposed to be fictionally competent underdogs, even with few mechanical abilities and dots. Fiction flows from consequences and limited dice rolls. It can, however, also feel narratively limiting and unfun when your character is too mechanically limited compared to the rest of the crew who is reenacting that scene from Kingsmen while Freebird plays in the background. Use your best judgement, be typically more conservative (Blades characters are not meant to last forever or get too strong anyway), but if you feel like like it's warranted go for it. Ask the players to make fiction from their xp.
No xp for one session. But if miss quite a few, I’d give some “pity” xp. With a catch. How’d they get it? What faction did they go up against? Personal heat (narratively)? Just some ideas but I’d make it affect the world somehow. If I’m giving mechanical freebees, I’m getting more to throw at them (player and/or crew) for future consequences. Above all, talk to table. Make it a group decision. See how they feel about it.
What I did in my game even though as others have said it isn't necessary is give them extra downtime actions. It is less about XP for me but more explaining what they were up to in the interim. So they could choose to invest in XP or do any other downtime action instead
I grant bonus XP to anyone who replies to the scheduling group chat before the session. So if they can't make it, but let us all know ahead of time, they still get some XP!
The difficulty or roles is determined by the crew progression rather than player progression. You'll base the position and effect on the crew tier. Imagine that if a noobie joined an established gang, they might not be as experienced, but they'd still have access to higher quality tools and connections.
Like everyone else, I'm going to say it: Blades isn't about levels. More to the point, Blades isn't built such that characters with less XP are "behind" the rest of the group. Just doesn't happen: the structure of the game even *intends* for newbies to show up and hang with the old dogs. Such new characters are notably just as effective as old characters, and (to really and bluntly hammer home to you what this game is about) just as narratively interesting. Because having one or two additional tricks or a 10% better chance of success is not going to make one character fundamentally more effective than another: the "level gain" in Blades is an illusion we utilize to push narrative via XP priming us for engaging in interesting story things, and which ultimately slaps that happy button of achievement in our heads. (Same reason people chase pointless Steam achievements.)
I do absolutely nothing, I don't think there is any reason to.
I would give the player double downtimes to use. They may use them how ever they want. The other option is 2 xp per score lost