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When the player's not there..
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Wajeb Deb Kaadeb
Commodore
Commodore


Joined: 07 Apr 2017
Posts: 1448

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Falconer wrote:
Wajeb Deb Kaadeb wrote:
I look for cliffhangers on which to end the game.

Ah, I see we’re working from a very different assumption. I understand the dramatic effect, but I don’t think this would work very well with a large group (9+ players), in which case you have to assume a different combination of players each time, and in which case it’s better to bake that into the format of the game.


I don't like big groups. I find them unwieldy. It's a real problem to get them all scheduled and show up at the same time. Players have to wait a long time--too long in my opinion--before they take the spotlight. Combats are incredibly long, if 9 or 10 PCs are all engaged.

I think 3-4 players plus GM is optimal. I'll play with more. 5-6 players with GM is probably the max I want.
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)


Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 10286
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great ideas in this thread. For a player coming into a story mid-way without his PC because it wouldn't make sense for the PC to join the group, yes I've had them run a droid or another NPC. One thing I do for tramp and rebel campaigns is have each PCs start the game with a number of underworld contacts equal to the number in front his Streetwise die code. I let the players create these NPCs at the beginning of the campaign, and the group's pool of NPC contacts can serve as replacement characters for players, permanent if a PC dies, or temporary if it would be easier to write the contact into the story than the player's PC.

Falconer wrote:
I don’t think this would work very well with a large group (9+ players), in which case you have to assume a different combination of players each time, and in which case it’s better to bake that into the format of the game.

I don't care for large player groups either. In high school I ran two 12-player adventures, and I never will again. I think three to five players is ideal, but my first choice for most campaigns would be for there to be at least three players that are regulars there for most every adventure, and a couple other players who may be on and off. It would be nice to have a pool of 9+ players if I had three regulars and the other 6+ didn't all show up every time. But I'm not expecting to ever have that many players so it's moot.
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Wajeb Deb Kaadeb
Commodore
Commodore


Joined: 07 Apr 2017
Posts: 1448

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whill wrote:
One thing I do for tramp and rebel campaigns is have each PCs start the game with a number of underworld contacts equal to the number in front his Streetwise die code.


That's a neat idea. Thanks for sharing.
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14021
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wajeb Deb Kaadeb wrote:
Falconer wrote:
Wajeb Deb Kaadeb wrote:
I look for cliffhangers on which to end the game.

Ah, I see we’re working from a very different assumption. I understand the dramatic effect, but I don’t think this would work very well with a large group (9+ players), in which case you have to assume a different combination of players each time, and in which case it’s better to bake that into the format of the game.


I don't like big groups. I find them unwieldy. It's a real problem to get them all scheduled and show up at the same time. Players have to wait a long time--too long in my opinion--before they take the spotlight. Combats are incredibly long, if 9 or 10 PCs are all engaged.

I think 3-4 players plus GM is optimal. I'll play with more. 5-6 players with GM is probably the max I want.


Also depends on the game. For SW, i am comfortable around 4-6 Players, with 7 as my normal upper limit of Characters. BUT that's also cause its EASIER imo to run SW with say only 3 PLAYERS, each running just their one character. For ADND on the other hand, i find at least 5 CHARACTERS whether its one pc ran by 1 player, or 2 players each running 2 characters, and a henchman in the mix to be best..
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)


Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 10286
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wajeb Deb Kaadeb wrote:
Whill wrote:
One thing I do for tramp and rebel campaigns is have each PCs start the game with a number of underworld contacts equal to the number in front his Streetwise die code.

That's a neat idea. Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome. I can't take credit for it though. That came from Platt's Smugglers Guide.
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