Starting a campaign with my wife, and some friends. My wife being the most of the fence and mentioned maybe missing a session or two. So I just want to have some creative ways in my pocket to handle missing players and what ways to make it entertaining!
I let my character be used as a hostage while I was catching up at work and came home midgame to find out they were stripped naked and whipped, which still gives me weird vibes to this day. I don't really want my shit "in play" when I'm not there.
I don't d20 anymore because my schedule doesn't really allow it, but my other regular DM would essentially work out canonical side-stories "once you're back" if the absence is prolonged, otherwise "generically separated."