Benched

[Dr.Gara]

I'm playing a local game of Fantasy Flight Game's Dark Heresy, as a Psyker. I've hit the point in my career where I'll be taking the Templar Calix advance from the Inquisitor's Handbook. This includes a decent amount of time to train. The Game Master has ruled that I'll be taken out of play for a number of sessions while my character is off training. I really don't want to do that, because sitting and watching the other players do things while I am off training seems really, really boring. How could I convince my GM to allow me to play?

I don't want to be benched for one of his mini-arcs, where I'll be doing absolutely nothing. I'd rather even quickly make a throwaway character then just do nothing for the interim. What would you do in my position, and my GMs position?

[Vitruviansquid]

I would say, "c'mon, dude," a couple of times to the GM, because he should realize on his own in a few minutes how stupid that decision is.

If that doesn't work (which I will assume it didn't because you're making this post here), tell him this basically means he's kicking you out of the game for a time, and you want to play the game, which was why you agreed to participate in the first place, and wouldn't he A. let you use a throwaway character or B. introduce a timeskip or C. just DM fiat your character in.

[TheThan]

You COULD be passive/aggressive about it and go play his Xbox or whatever until he lets you back in the game. Be really loud about it and distract everyone when you do it.

But that probably won’t be good for the group dynamic, so instead just try talking to him. Basically repeat what you just said here, you don’t think it’s fair to be secluded from the game simply because of a mechanical choice upon level up. Besides point out that you are indeed there to play and have fun, and that being forced to sit out for a few sessions is counter to those goals.

[Slipperychicken]

Try asking your GM if you can simply make a friendly NPC for you to play while your current character is out of commission (this NPC would adventure with the party while your guy is gone). Then once your regular guy comes back, the NPC leaves your control, and buggers off to do something else. This is a common and effective way to handle such absences, allowing you to keep playing this wonderful, fun campaign while your PC is separated from the party.

You guys could also do a timeskip: While your character is training, everyone else also does background stuff (like looking for the next mission objective, making plans, fooling around, doing training of their own, taking a vacation, or waiting for a contact to arrive). Then you just "skip" forward to when that time period has elapsed, and resume play. Downtime like this can also be helpful for fleshing out the characters' personalities, exploring what they do and how they live when they aren't murderhobo-ing on a mission.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I would say, "c'mon, dude," a couple of times to the GM, because he should realize on his own in a few minutes how stupid that decision is.

If that doesn't work (which I will assume it didn't because you're making this post here), tell him this basically means he's kicking you out of the game for a time, and you want to play the game, which was why you agreed to participate in the first place, and wouldn't he A. let you use a throwaway character or B. introduce a timeskip or C. just DM fiat your character in.

This.

Also, why is the time unit "sessions of play," instead of "in-game months" or something? If all else fails, have the rest of the party hang around and do nothing in particular for however long it takes for you to finish your training.