Advice on DMing a huge party

[Kilmore]

First off, personally I wouldn't DM over 6 players, but if you and your group are having fun, don't change a thing!

As far as encounters go, creatures with multiple heads and or arms (and get lots of attacks) may be useful. Mobility is a useful feat for enemies who may want to wriggle through the fighter line and start tearing up things in the back.

A good encounter? One P.O.ed 6th level druid! Using his wiles, he draws the party into an ambush in the middle of a stormy night. He has a Wisdom of 16 and the Silent Spell Feat. About five minutes before the party gets to him, he casts Call Lightning, but he doesn't let fly just yet. The druid polymorphs himself into his own Animal Companion's form... let's say a chimpanzee, which will allow the druid to continue casting spells with somatic components without the still spell feat. The druid surprises the party by casting Soften Earth and Stone, turning the earth beneath the party's feet to mud. Next round... ZAP! CRACKLE! POP!! If the party's still in the mud, he casts a silent Summon Swarm. Then he dissapears into the bush, using his companion to distract the party on occasion and lighting them up like a Christmas Tree every ten minutes with the Call Lightning. If things still get hairy, he can escape through a narrow passage somewhere, casting Spike Growth behind him.

 

[Schmoe]

The group I currently DM has seven players, plus myself. While not quite as large as your group, it is still quite a number of players. With a large group, I find that combat encounters are more engaging with an increased number of mid-level opponents. If your group is ten characters of an average of 8th level, instead of throwing a CR 11 creature (the "base" 20% encounter) at the group, throw three CR 8 creatures. With the higher CR monster, it will either get taken down before acting, or it will kill a character. By increasing the quantity and decreasing the CR, you make the combat last longer and reduce the lethality.

As you've mentioned, though, this only works to a point. A horde of twenty-four CR 2 creatures (again, the "base" 20% encounter for the example group) could easily either be taken out by a single spell or drag into an unwieldy, pointless encounter.

 

[Fenlock]

Double all the bad guys HP. That is pretty much what I do (I have 8 players), and it works fine. Makes the bad guys last longer but not necessarily deal out tons more damage.


TLG

I'll ditto that.
I'm running RtoTEE with 7 players (with way above normal stats). Adding 50%-100% ekstra hp keeps the encounters fun without being silly.

/F

 

[mmu1]

Thanks, everyone.

The customized monsters in particular sound like a good idea (too easy to forget that the ones in the MM are those with the average stats...), I think I've developed a tendency to rely too much on human and humanoid NPC enemies anyway...

Any other suggestions?

 

[Default Name Player]

Well, you can throw in a really high-CR elemental by mistake...that'll certainly clear out the combat in a hurry (sorry, in-joke )

Mike, since you're the person I tend to attribute as being the epitome of a "rules guru", I have no doubt you'll be able to pull off the large group. Good luck to ya!

Ray

 

[Tortoise]

A recent session I was a player in, the DM took down (subdual damage) a 5 member party of 9th level characters in rapid sucession.

We got enveloped in a large area of deeper darkness and silence that had been cast on the earth elementals that came up beneath us. The wizard and a fighter did manage to escape by getting outside the area and teleporting a good distance away.

The enemy wanted to know what we were doing in his domain and had no reason yet to kill the party so he opted to teach us who was in charge and look through our stuff and learn about us.

Nifty and very fast combat.

(BTW - the spell slinger responsible for this ambush is believed to be a kobold.)

 

[mmu1]

Well, you can throw in a really high-CR elemental by mistake...that'll certainly clear out the combat in a hurry (sorry, in-joke )

Mike, since you're the person I tend to attribute as being the epitome of a "rules guru", I have no doubt you'll be able to pull off the large group. Good luck to ya!

Ray

It's MATT, Ray... Has it really been that long?

What's going on with you, game-wise, anyway?

 

[Grim]

1. Explicitly ask them to minimize table talk. With lots of people, table talk can become a huge problem. I use the "pig" system to minimize this, and my players love it. (It's been mentioned a few times here; if you don't know what I'm talking about, post, and I'll give details.) Also, game in a quiet space with no TV nearby.

Someone had to ask. Whats the pig system?

 

[Default Name Player]

It's MATT, Ray... Has it really been that long?

Crap, all I can say is that age and dementia plays tricks with the mind

What's going on with you, game-wise, anyway?

Got one weekly OpenRPG game (as a player), and I'm interviewing for a face to face game tonight.

Glad to hear you finally got a decent game going: I would have applied after seeing your post in "Gamers Seeking Gamers", but I couldn't do the Saturday thing

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i just put up a thread on this in House Rules, Grim

let's hope P-cat responds ('cause i want to know, too!)