DMing Large Groups

[shadowlight]

I my gaming group consists of 4 couples - so 7 players and 1 DM. We have a lot of fun with the roleplaying, but when it comes to combat things really bog down. It can easily take us an hour and a half to do a single combat of 6 rounds.

Does anyone have some advice for speeding up combat with a large group, or large group DMing in general?

Thanks!!

 

[bret]

There was a lot of good recommendations in <A HREF="http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30565">this recent thread</A>.

 

[Adso]

I my gaming group consists of 4 couples - so 7 players and 1 DM. We have a lot of fun with the roleplaying, but when it comes to combat things really bog down. It can easily take us an hour and a half to do a single combat of 6 rounds.

Does anyone have some advice for speeding up combat with a large group, or large group DMing in general?

Thanks!!

You are going to want to check out the Dungeoncraft articles in Dragon issues 301 and 302. Quietly, almost cautiously, Monte Cook has taken over that column in the magazine. In the last two month's installments, Monte covers preparing for and running large battles. Both feature a ton of good ideas for making those battles fun, and good suggestions for speeding their play.

Between his article and cardstock fireball template in issue 301, that mag is worth its weight in gold. I bought two!

 

[Katerek]

For immediate use I can offer the following as my group is the same size as yours.

In combat, track initative in a manner that you can see ALL iniatives at one time. When it comes to a particularly slow players turn, look to see who goes next and let them know that they are going to be up soon. Do this everytime a new player assumes priority in the round.

I have found that this speeds my agonizingly slow spellcasters up. Also, for the guys that are sheer combat, they can start generating their to hit rolls, and if they know the appropriate numbers; damage and results. This takes a bit of trust, and a familiarity witht he game though.

If your PCs are all lower level, start this soon, by the time you reach higher levels it goes even slower. I use this method, and a 3 round combat with 8 opponents still managed to take two hours recently. My players are all around 20th level.

 

[shadowlight]

Thanks! Exactly what I was looking for!

 

[Davelozzi]

I have a group with nine players. Piratecat gave me a good tip for iniative (it's also in Monte's Dungeoncraft article now too*). Make a notecard for each combatant, put them in iniative order at the start of the battle. Cycle through, let the on-deck player know that there up next. If someone isn't ready no their turn, tell them they delay, hand them their card and have them hand it back when they're ready to jump back in.

*although Monte missed something that PC pointed out - don't use the cards for keeping track of HPs or you'll be wasting time flipping through them out of order whenever someone damages someone else.

What else? Sometime it helps if you have the loud players sit furthest away - they'll make themselves heard anyway and this way it'll be less likely that the quiet ones get lost in the crowd. If you have a player that's good at helping to keep things organized, sit them somewhere in the middle if you can.

It can be difficult but it's lots of fun.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

From the introduction to the original D&D set:

Number of players: At least one referee and from four to fifty players can be handled in a single campaign, but the referee to player ratio should be about 1:20 or thereabouts.






FIFTY players? I can't even imagine handling TWENTY players, let alone fifty. And people complain about 3rd edition not being playtested

 

[Crothian]

From the introduction to the original D&D set:

Number of players: At least one referee and from four to fifty players can be handled in a single campaign, but the referee to player ratio should be about 1:20 or thereabouts.






FIFTY players? I can't even imagine handling TWENTY players, let alone fifty. And people complain about 3rd edition not being playtested

That's insane. I handled as many as fourteen once and that was really pushing the limits if sanity.

 

[Mark]

In combat, track initative in a manner that you can see ALL iniatives at one time. When it comes to a particularly slow players turn, look to see who goes next and let them know that they are going to be up soon. Do this everytime a new player assumes priority in the round.

I have found that this speeds my agonizingly slow spellcasters up.

I couldn't agrre more. Logistically speaking, a small chalk or dry erase board up behind the DM can assist with this immensely. In conjunction with this, make sure to have a handful of extra wet erase pens (never get them mixed with the dry erase ones, btw) and have the players jot down their innitiatives in front of them on the edge of the battle mat. Also, have them keep track of missiles used (with hash marks) and have them jot down the numbers needed to be added to their d20 for their primary forms of attack (and spell DCs). Having this directly in front of them during combat will speed things up tremendously. Think of it as a temporary character sub-sheet.

Also, for the guys that are sheer combat, they can start generating their to hit rolls, and if they know the appropriate numbers; damage and results. This takes a bit of trust, and a familiarity with the game though.

You could do this but it can also take the focus away from players who enjoy having the spot light on them from time to time. Alternately, you can be sure to vocalize some springboards that help to cue them to roll when their turn has arrived, I.E. "Regdar swings his sword at the Orc..." (point toward the die roller and assess the results) "...and he hits! Doing..." (point toward damage die) "...maximum damage!" Getting the player in a rhythm is key to eventually having them be quick during combat and nothing beats showing them how to do it quickly, IMO. Some will do it naturally and take over, being ready on their own. Others will like the cues and enjoy the flavor you add while DMing to such things. No one who has sat through a full session only to resolve a single combat encounter will begrudge the speed.

 

[jdavis]

From the introduction to the original D&D set:

Number of players: At least one referee and from four to fifty players can be handled in a single campaign, but the referee to player ratio should be about 1:20 or thereabouts.






FIFTY players? I can't even imagine handling TWENTY players, let alone fifty. And people complain about 3rd edition not being playtested

I had 12 players once and it was a nightmare, any more than 6 or 7 gets to be a pain, you get over 10 and you get some real problems, with 20 players I'd just give up, that's not a party it's a small army.