Largest Party Size you have ever Participated in/DM'd?

[Umbran]

For D&D, I think the largest I have GMed with is 10, if memory serves.

For Paranoia, the largest I have GMed with is 15.

For live action games, the largest I have GMed with is 35.

For live action games, the largest I have played with is 80+

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

For the first, I’d say just leave the missing PCs as missing. With a large table, you’ve already got so much to deal with, and running people’s absent characters just will add to that load.

As for the second point, this helps so much. I do this when I have larger tables, and it means people are less likely to overbear other players, that everyone gets a turn to speak, plan, or role-play.

Now, the largest group I’ve run for was 10 people, and that was definitely beyond my abilities to run and enjoy as a DM, and I think it degraded the experience for everyone at the table. These days I’d rather just tell the people “sorry, I don’t have room.” I feel bad turning people away, but I know that the people already at my table will have a better experience for it.

The largest group I’ve played with was about fourteen or so in a DCC RPG. It was a funnel, which meant each person had four 0-level characters at the start, so it was total madness. No idea how the GM managed it, but the game was a blast.

Missing players will be played by the DM in accordance with how they have been played. They will receive a fair share of loot. If the party happens to accomplish something that would level a character up…any missing player will not be leveled up until after they return.

Any time a discussion needs to take place between the entire party, the initiative roll will be in place. Each player will speak during their “turn” according to the initiative roll.

 

[Dessert Nomad]

Largest single-DM game I've played in was about 35, but that was spread across multiple tables at a thing the guy was doing as an event. It was fun but completely unsustainable. The largest ongoing game was around 10 people in high school and college, where there were several who would routinely drop in/out. It was a looser, 'we're hanging out and playing a game' type of game instead of 'we're playing this game for this time' sort of game like you're shooting for. It worked for that group of players then, but with adult schedules I would rather play a tighter table.

Some general table advice:
Have another player play the missing character, not the DM. If you've already got a large group, this is just adding to your workload.

Either strictly enforce the 'no non-IC character talking' and 'player talking goes in initiative order' rules, or ditch them. If you selectively enforce them, then people will just resent them and ignore them. I've seen this in discussion groups where there's supposed to be a 'talking stick' to control who speaks; some people will talk out of turn, the hosts allow it because they like the person or are interested in what they say, and within an hour or so everyone ignores the talking stick.

 

[Aiden_Keller_]

14! Wow!

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Aiden_Keller_]

Thanks. I will be sure to stick with the rule!...or drop it.

 

[ccs]

Was that a one-shot or a continuous campaign?

Assuming that was directed at me?

Yes, both.

It was the capstone event of an overall campaign made up of two different related games.
Game #1 ran on Thur evening & had 6 players, Game #2 ran on Sat & had a different 6 players. Events in one game could influence events in the other & vice versa. It was always meant to directly intersect at various points unless something dire happened (one game breaks up, the players do something that negates the intersects, etc). As it turned out the only intersect where all 12 characters were present was at the end.

We didn't have any special rules like your planning in place. In-fact such wouldn't have even worked....

 

[Aiden_Keller_]

Assuming that was directed at me?

Yes, both.

It was the capstone event of an overall campaign made up of two different related games.
Game #1 ran on Thur evening & had 6 players, Game #2 ran on Sat & had a different 6 players. Events in one game could influence events in the other & vice versa. It was always meant to directly intersect at various points unless something dire happened (one game breaks up, the players do something that negates the intersects, etc). As it turned out the only intersect where all 12 characters were present was at the end.

We didn't have any special rules like your planning in place. In-fact such wouldn't have even worked....

Yes it was. My apologies. I hit the reply button and not reply with quote.

 

[Aiden_Keller_]

The group I currently DM for, the largest group I've been part of, is 8 players.

It's a real challenge to manage that many people. I don't mind a bit of frivolity and joking around the table, but keeping 8 people mostly on-task is rough. Our sessions typically run about 3-4 hours, and I'd say out of that time we probably get only 45 to 90 minutes of dedicated play.

It certainly doesn't help that two of my players are entirely new to the game; one of those players has a neurological problem that affects her memory, and we frequently have to remind her to roll the d20 to hit and then to roll damage on other dice if she hits. Most of the group is sufficiently patient with her, and she's a good friend who I like spending time with, but I get the feeling TTRPGs just aren't a good fit for her.

Another of my players (who has a bit of OCD and really wants a lot of information before deciding what to do to make optimal use of his turns) had before my game played only a single and heavily houseruled session of AD&D 2e many years ago. So, effectively, he's brand new to the game as well.

I have another player who is a power-gamer who likes to try to maximize group efficiency and effectiveness by trying to tell other people how to play their characters. "No, no, no. You should do _____." is one of the most common things out of his mouth when talking to other players; seconded only by "You have to realize, the thing about my character is _____." He also talks really fast, and it takes a lot of focus to keep up with what he's saying.

It's largely because of the last two players that I've had to get a battlemat, but also because an 8 player group going against monsters that can challenge them (meaning, generally, at least 6 foes, usually 12 or more) means a ton of positioning and threatened areas to track. While it's hard for me to track those things (and I've been doing this for 25+ years), it's near impossible for the newer players, and even I can't track them mentally well enough to answer all the OCD questions, or all the questions from the optimizer. Throw in some interesting, non-static, or exotic terrain in the encounter area (such as my Necrofungus), and even I'd be completely lost without the battlemap.

The group had to go on hiatus for a little while (the place we used to play at closed down), but it's starting back up this Saturday. I'm both excited about getting to run D&D again and nervous about having to manage all 8 players in a manner where we can hopefully get more time dedicated to actually playing the game. I mean, I like hanging out with them, but I can do that without having to do all the DM prep-work. So, if we're not spending at least half the time actually playing I kind of feel like I shouldn't have bothered to do all that prep work.

For that micro-manager I specifically put in these two rules...

An initiative roll will take place at the beginning of a session.
It will determine the initiative during that entire session.

Any time a discussion needs to take place between the entire party, the initiative roll will be in place. Each player will speak during their “turn” according to the initiative roll.

The micro-manager also isn't able to give advice in the middle of battle or it counts as an action...

The group that I am a part of used to be like you describe...thankfully we have been able to turn it around and actually spend the 4 hours playing.

 

[5ekyu]

Greetings,

I am attempting to run a campaign that involves 10 players.

In order to help facilitate this I have a few rules in place...

I am mainly wondering what the biggest party anyone has ever participated in?

[FONT=&quot]D&D Rules:[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]If a player is unable to attend or will be late they will need to alert the DM.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Missing players will be played by the DM in accordance with how they have been played. They will receive a fair share of loot. If the party happens to accomplish something that would level a character up…any missing player will not be leveled up until after they return. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]An initiative roll will take place at the beginning of a session. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It will determine the initiative during that entire session.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]Any time a discussion needs to take place between the entire party, the initiative roll will be in place. Each player will speak during their “turn” according to the initiative roll.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]While playing, you directly represent your character. If you say something aloud the DM will take it literally. This could result in natural consequences. For example…if you say aloud “I want to steal that crown…” while in front of the king, he will hear you and put you in the dungeons.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]During the first two sessions you will have a single retraction per session to help you out of the above situation.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]If you need to make side conversation have it away from the table. Otherwise the DM will find a way to incorporate that into the current situation…this will not be beneficial.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]If your character is currently not within hearing distance of another character who is interacting with the DM/story you are unable to discuss or offer suggestions for that character. If you do, your character will possibly be disciplined by having a disadvantage roll whenever the DM feels. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Pay attention to the battle as it unfolds, and use this time to plan the actions you will take on your turn. If your turn takes more than 6 seconds to tell the DM your initial action, the DM reserves the right to delay your action until later in the initiative roster. You will be able to take more than 6 seconds to explain/think through your actions.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]Keep an accurate count of your hit points and abilities. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you are caught cheating you will be disciplined, with penalties ranging from losing your current turn to suffering the last initiative turn for the remainder of the session or not being able to gain the benefits of a long rest during that session or other penalties that are up to the DM. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]No Metagame thinking is allowed and will be treated as cheating (see above).[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]DM makes final decisions.[/FONT]

9 was my max.

Suggestion when a players init comes up also announce ON DECK to the next player in order so that they can get ready.

Saw one group have a GET READY STICK passed to the next player in line when YOU start your turn. Literally passing the stick meant starting your turn.

 

[5ekyu]

Also, we trnd to let missing players dedignate a second - a player who agrees to run their pc along with his own.

Cuts down on gm workload.