So, my game is getting small...

[pogre]

A couple of years ago, due to a number of circumstances my game went from 6 to 3 people. One moved following school, another had a job transfer, and a third decided he was "wasting" too much time with D&D. I struggled for a few months trying to get four to the table. Finally, someone spotted my story hour on ENWorld who was local and e-mailed asking if I had an opening. Almost all of the new players at my table are from contacts originating here and now I have 8 at the table and a waiting list. So hang in there!

 

[diaglo]

Finding enough players, and the right players, is the eternal challenge of our hobby. That said, I have run very fulfilling one-on-one games and one (DM) on two (players) games. It is doable, it just takes a different kind of adventuring to make it satisfying. Good luck to you!

advertise, advertise, advertise....

bake sales, cookouts, kissing babies on the campaign trail... whatever it takes.


but Eric is right. you can do it with any number. just takes a different approach.

 

[Rel]

As others have mentioned, the game is still playable with small numbers of people. Some of the most enjoyable campaigns that I've ever run have been with 1, 2 or 3 players.

I don't view small numbers as being a restraint that forces me to run the game in a certain way. I see it as an opportunity to do some things that I normally can't with a larger group. Like deeper exploration of the PC's relationships with important NPC's, focus on the gaming style of a single or couple of players and that sort of thing that usually smacks of "spotlight hogging".

You know those times when the party Rogues are scouting ahead of the rest of the party or trying to disable some complex trap or trying to sneak up on somebody to get off a silent sneak attack? You know how the rest of the group is often bored at these moments? Well I ran a game where pretty much the whole campaign was moments like that because I was running it for only two players running a Thief and Assassin. They loved it.

I ran a solo Mage game that I still rank as among the best story lines I ever wove thanks to the fact that I could focus in on a single character's motivations and desires. I was able to let him develop his relationship with his mentor and a love interest in ways that I never could have with a larger group.

And the entire first half of my Faded Glory campaign was run with only 3 PC's, though I did insert an NPC to bolster the group a bit for the first quarter or so. It ran great and it certainly makes life simpler when planning encounters and such.

I don't think you have a problem so much as an opportunity.

 

[Trainz]

I don't think you have a problem so much as an opportunity.

I think that's a good way to look at it.

I have been playing with only 3 players for the better part of the past 10 years. Which is why I'm looking for a fourth one now: I want to change.

He (OP) seems like he very rarely played with only 3 players. Give it a shot, you won't regret it !

It's more... intimate.

 

[Pandion]

I DM for a group of 3 players and have been doing so for the last 2 years. Small groups are great for roleplaying and more in-depth plots for adventures. I know when I DM for larger groups too much of my time is spent making sure the majority of people aren't bored and aren't unhappy. With my 3 players they talk to each other alot more about fight strategy, solving mysteries, and get into NPC interaction more. Consider your smaller group a blessing but realize that they need different skills.

 

[Ferret]

My poor gaming group. We lost one player to his wife who had had enough of sacrificing her saturdays. One to simple burn out. One who felt that he dedicated too much of his creative energy through out the week pondering D&D related things. And finally one who felt the group had now grown too small.

This atrophy is killing me. And my group!

Get the first's wife to attend a sesson before she steals him, tell the second he won't stop thinking anyway, and the third needs a swift slap.

Sorted.

 

[Jolly Giant]

Jeremy; FWIW, you have my sympathy...

Your plight makes me realize how fortunate I am to play with a loyal and close-nit group of friends. It started out with one DM and two players when 3e was released. Six months later my girlfriend was getting bored with me being away gaming 1-2 nights a week, so she sat in for one session and then went home to roll up her first character! She was completely hooked and has been ever since. Yet another two players (both old friends) joined up during 1998 and nobody has even considered leaving the group since!

Lucky us!

 

[DaveMage]

My group had the DM and 4 players. 2 players (husband and wife) kept canceling on us. Finally, we elimiated them and decided to go with just a DM and 2 players with gestalt PCs. I'm having a blast and we are playing WAY more often.