How to cut essentially half the party? /u/TheCaptainEgo DnD: Roll for Initiative!

Ok, before I start- I already know a conversation needs to be had. But I need advice on how to go about it/how to not be a total dick.

So, I’ve been DMing for a group for about 6 months now, with weekly games. Everyone involved is a nice enough person. There’s seven players and myself as the DM. I run a big party so that we can play if 1-3 people have to miss the session, because I like DMing. However, I’ve found over the past couple months that a few of the players don’t mesh the best with my playstyle. I’ve got a drakewarden Ranger who never knows what their drake can do. I’ve written out the drakes stats and put it on an index card for them so they aren’t always flipping around looking for it, but it’s becoming increasingly frustrating with how long they take to take a turn. They’ve also missed frequently in the past couple months for personal matters.

That person’s partner requested to join the campaign but has only shown up to three sessions, and will not come if the ranger isn’t coming. The partner is a brand new player, which I don’t mind, except since they aren’t there often they don’t know how to control their barbarian.

Finally, I have a player who got their first PC DonJon’d by the deck of many things, and they built a new PC wizard with a custom lineage so they could be a talking hat that possesses enemies. Which would be very fun and goofy! If they knew what they were doing, read their abilities, or read their spells all the way before casting them. Things like using detect thoughts on a distraught ally and angering them, or trying to use the telepathy feat to do things that simply aren’t written. They also take up a lot of time deciding what to do, and now that they’re a talking hat they’re trying to be the main character it feels like.

We’ve got a few months left on this campaign, but I’ve decided I’d rather trim down the group for campaign 2. Which leads me to this- how do I politely tell them we aren’t jelling how I’d like and that they will not be returning for campaign 2? Everyone in the party is a rando I met on Facebook, Reddit, or discord, and after playing at our game store for a few months, we now play at my apartment. I also don’t know how I’d address it with the rest of the party that, ‘Hey I cut three people from our group using my singular power as DM/host!’

Any advice would be helpful, thanks.

Ok, before I start- I already know a conversation needs to be had. But I need advice on how to go about it/how to not be a total dick.

So, I’ve been DMing for a group for about 6 months now, with weekly games. Everyone involved is a nice enough person. There’s seven players and myself as the DM. I run a big party so that we can play if 1-3 people have to miss the session, because I like DMing. However, I’ve found over the past couple months that a few of the players don’t mesh the best with my playstyle. I’ve got a drakewarden Ranger who never knows what their drake can do. I’ve written out the drakes stats and put it on an index card for them so they aren’t always flipping around looking for it, but it’s becoming increasingly frustrating with how long they take to take a turn. They’ve also missed frequently in the past couple months for personal matters.

That person’s partner requested to join the campaign but has only shown up to three sessions, and will not come if the ranger isn’t coming. The partner is a brand new player, which I don’t mind, except since they aren’t there often they don’t know how to control their barbarian.

Finally, I have a player who got their first PC DonJon’d by the deck of many things, and they built a new PC wizard with a custom lineage so they could be a talking hat that possesses enemies. Which would be very fun and goofy! If they knew what they were doing, read their abilities, or read their spells all the way before casting them. Things like using detect thoughts on a distraught ally and angering them, or trying to use the telepathy feat to do things that simply aren’t written. They also take up a lot of time deciding what to do, and now that they’re a talking hat they’re trying to be the main character it feels like.

We’ve got a few months left on this campaign, but I’ve decided I’d rather trim down the group for campaign 2. Which leads me to this- how do I politely tell them we aren’t jelling how I’d like and that they will not be returning for campaign 2? Everyone in the party is a rando I met on Facebook, Reddit, or discord, and after playing at our game store for a few months, we now play at my apartment. I also don’t know how I’d address it with the rest of the party that, ‘Hey I cut three people from our group using my singular power as DM/host!’

Any advice would be helpful, thanks.