Bonus / solo sessions

I am playing in a session with a group on the larger side - a group of 6 players. The GM is offering opportunities for the players to play in bonus sessions between the regular biweekly sessions for xp, in small groups or solo. He insists that he will keep an eye on the xp levels and will keep people from getting too far ahead from the group.

But, I feel like it's going to hurt the group's camaraderie and make players that don't do these bonus sessions feel like they are secondary characters. Has anyone been in a group that did this? If so, did you do the bonus sessions? Also, was it fun for you?

Does your group not meet up if someone can't make it? Thats pretty hardcore for a group that size. Someone is always going to have plans and make everyone wait. I suggest that instead of doing side quests, you instead start a second, smaller group with the more consistent players, or just play the regular game and pretend that the characters whose players are not in attendance are in the background or that they walked off for a bit.

Camaraderie will be affected no matter the solution, but doesn't have to be significant. The players who can't make it as often will have to be grown ups and accept that the game will move forward. Maybe they'll show up more often. I hate it when I miss a session and I miss something, but I would be a hypocrite if I expected them to not play when I couldn't make it.

I do solos often, mainly to deal with specific side quests individualized for certain characters. Those that put more effort into the campaign world (dealing with NPCs, establishing realationships outside of the party, etc.) deserve to get more XP.
That being said, it usually adds up to a few hundred points here and there, hardly enough to make a significant difference longterm.
Note, these are usualy RP heavy situations, not monster encounters.

Ciaren, Our group meets up regardless of attendance, and I'm ok with makeup sessions, but I'm just wondering about bonus sessions for players in addition to their regular attendance.

Thanks for your sharing your experience Bill. I agree with people deserving more xp, but I just think that these side quests would be more fun done with other players present, so everyone would be able to watch it unfold live, and have the potential of interacting with what's happening. In games that I run, players can leave the party for their own whims but we just do that during the regular sessions and just take turns between each slice of the party.

I guess it's fine either way, every GM is different. I was just looking for other perspectives, and I'm glad you both responded. Thanks!

+1 for side encounters tending to be more character driven that overall group storyline driven. I've seen it used to good effect many times and is usually better than the GM walking away with a player or two for 10+ minutes to deal side issues.

Places I’ve seen it used best:
CyberPunk / ShadowRun / any game with VR, Astral Projection or other “you play your own sub-game rules” - because the OOP wait wait for your hacker buddies to make it through the BlackIC is never fun.
Sneaky shenanigans focused characters – Ninjas / Invisible Wizards / etc. who are advance scouting or otherwise split from the group for whatever reason – because sometimes timing is against you and you can't be everywhere you need to be at once as a group.
Mixed Alignment Parties – because sometimes it’s not just the evil PCs who have things under their hat and not every paladin is Lawful Stupid.

Places it works out very poorly:
One PC trying to get something past the other PCs – especially in PvP ish situations like inter-party theft where the other player may not realize that there is a glyph of warding in the other PC’s room…
Where one PC is trying to “get ahead” of the other PCs – because if it’s challenging enough to be worth the reward it’s probably too tough for you to solo it…
Mary Sue encounters – where only one or very few of the PCs are doing a favor for or with a special snowflake NPC to make them seem cool or otherwise shift the focus of the plot away from the main group of PCs for some purpose designed by the GM rather than the players (I specify this as “distraction” plotlines for subterfuge games can be a notable exception to this rule).

As long as it's not always the same folks over and over again with those who are doing the solo missions not meeting back up with the group for the main game, I don't see why camaraderie will suffer, but maybe I'm missing something…

-TimD