February 12, 2026 at 5:21 pm

First Time Dungeon Master Tried Giving An Absent Player Space During A Campaign, But Another Player Quit Because He Was “Too Cold And Disrespectful”

by Heather Hall

Dungeon Master book laying open with DND pieces and dice lying about

Pexels/Reddit

When you’re doing something for the first time, you’re bound to make mistakes.

So, what would you do if you were hosting your first DND campaign and tried to give one of the players space in their personal life, but another member told you that doing so makes you cold and uncaring?

Would you realize that person was right and do better? Or would you consider starting over with all new players?

In the following story, one first-time dungeon master finds himself in this situation and wonders what he should do. Here’s what’s going on.

AITA for making mistakes on my first DND Campaign?

I will state this is my first campaign I am hosting, and the only knowledge I have is from watching others, stories on YouTube, and TikTok.

I started the campaign, and we haven’t even finished the first chapter of the story, but we have 3 sessions in, and everyone loves it.

One member was unable to attend the third session due to personal reasons. I was concerned about them and decided to give them space to deal with their personal matters. That is my way of respecting them.

New people were trying to join.

I hear from the other players that it was cold and cruel of the player, and I left because I didn’t show any concern for them. During the holiday, I messaged them but never got a reply.

Before sessions ever began, I had 2 people who wanted to join; 1 said no because of work, and the other was just running late.

After the New Year, a member asked me if new people were joining. I explain this as pre-planned, but the one who couldn’t make it could make it now.

Now, he’s considering shutting it all down.

That player said I was rude for not asking the other players, as I should, to see if they were comfortable as well. I read and realized they were right, and apologized and went to ask the group.

But as I did that, the player said they were leaving and wouldn’t stay with someone who couldn’t respect their players enough to even ask, and said good luck. I still DM the group if they are ok with new players, and I mentioned the player told me and thanked them, even if that player left.

I am willing to fix my mistakes if given the chance. But I feel that after these 2 players, maybe the others will think the same way, and whether I should just shut this campaign down and start it over with the new members…

AITA?

Wow! There’s a lot going on here.

Let’s see what the people over at Reddit think should happen.

This reader offers some advice.

DND 3 First Time Dungeon Master Tried Giving An Absent Player Space During A Campaign, But Another Player Quit Because He Was Too Cold And Disrespectful

According to this reader, the people are overreacting.

DND 2 First Time Dungeon Master Tried Giving An Absent Player Space During A Campaign, But Another Player Quit Because He Was Too Cold And Disrespectful

Yet another person who thinks he’s better off with a new group.

DND 1 First Time Dungeon Master Tried Giving An Absent Player Space During A Campaign, But Another Player Quit Because He Was Too Cold And Disrespectful

Good point.

DND First Time Dungeon Master Tried Giving An Absent Player Space During A Campaign, But Another Player Quit Because He Was Too Cold And Disrespectful

It’s time to move on, because as someone else mentioned, there are too many people out there waiting to be invited!

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.

Heather Hall | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Heather Hall is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in internet culture, workplace conflict, and viral customer service stories. With over a decade of editorial experience in digital publishing, Heather excels at curating trending online discussions and providing insightful commentary on the daily dramas that capture the internet's attention.

Since beginning her career in 2011, she has developed deep expertise in SEO-driven digital content, having written for a wide array of publications covering lifestyle, business, and travel. At TwistedSifter, Heather focuses on synthesizing complex social media threads into engaging, highly readable narratives that highlight the human element of viral news.

When she isn’t analyzing the latest internet discourse, Heather is a dedicated mother of three sons who takes family gaming nights entirely too seriously—whether she is dominating in Mario Kart, exploring The Legend of Zelda, or jumping into Roblox.

Connect with Heather on Facebook and LinkedIn.