How many players/characters in your campaign

[EOL]

Another thread got me to thinking about the choice of four characters as the default for determining challenge rating. To me this seems like the bottom end of the spectrum rather than the middle. I normally shoot for six players all running a single character, and I would estimate that 5 players and characters would be my average.

Rather than posting another poll I was just wondering how many players and characters your campaign has and of course as a follow-up to that question do you agree with using 4 as the default.

 

[kilted Frog]

In my campaign in which I DM, I have 4 players. I have to admit that combat has been pretty well handled by the 4 (comprising of a fighter, a cleric, a druid, and a wizard), though I would prefer it if there were 5. It's my understanding that the default 4 covers the 4 basic character classes (fighter, cleric, rogue, wizard), and I find that rarely happens in a group of four. Five characters seems to round out better in terms of skills and abilities.

 

[UD]

I paly in campaigns with 5 and 6 and DM campaigns with 6 and 7.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I DM a group with 6 players and play in a group with 5 players (and a nebulous 6th player that I am told exists but I have never seen...).

i think 6 is the optinal number - a big enough group to handle many foes but not so big that everyone can't particiapte in the role-playing heavy sessions.

4 seems a little small to me but I have always played in groups of 5 or more (no shortage of D&D players here in London )

 

[Crothian]

Now, we have 1 DM and 3 PCs, but it used to be 4 Pcs. One of the guys got shipped out (Army Reserve).

 

[Breakstone]

1 DM, two PC's.

We like it this way.

Fast combat, fast adventures, fast experience.

Fast advancement.

However, it stinks when neither can figure out a simple riddle.

 

[Jarval]

Either:

DM (me) plus 3 PCs

or DM (me again ) plus 1 PC

or DM (not me this time) plus 1 PC (me)

In all of these games there tends to be an NPC of equivilent level to the PCs in the party as well (to round out missing skills).

 

[LostSoul]

I used to have 1 DM, 3 Players. Now 1 DM, 2 Players.

3 Players is a perfect set-up. You can tailor each adventure for each player so they all get a lot of "screen time".

A variety of skills in the party should never be a consideration. After all, you're already tailoring the adventure to thier power level (you're throwing orcs, not mind flayers, at first level characters). It's easy enough to realize that, since no PCs have the Track feat, you're not going to want to make that a vital part of your adventure.

 

[CRGreathouse]

My recent groups:

DM, 4 players, 4 characters
DM, 3 players, 3 characters
DM, 5 players, 5 characters
DM, 9 players, 9 characters

 

[Thorin Stoutfoot]

4 players default

The reason why 4 players was picked was apparently the surveys WoTC showed 4 players coming in at the low end of the typical group. Since it's easier to scale adventures up than to scale them down, they settled on the 4 player default.

Also, with 4 players, you get the Fighter/Cleric/Rogue/Wizard archetypes covered.