Too many players! Ack!

[the Jester]

One of the advantages of a party of eight is that, if half the group can't make it, you still have a game.

One of the other advantages of a party of eight is that continuity doesn't fall apart when two pcs die. Kill pcs a lot. Steel_Wind has this one right.

I run a group of eight regular players and several other once-in-a-whilers, which leads to an average party size of about 6 for any given game. It also lets the party try different combos and strategies depending on who's there at the time. Overall I like the large group, but eight is really as many as I can fit in my house at once.

I've run groups of up to about sixteen for short spans, actually. The biggest issue is usually the loudest table talker, who very often is one of the best roleplayers (but just so damn loud that it's ur-disruptive). I suggest instituting the Pig for table talk- every time someone talks out of character they have to pay the pig a quarter, and pig funds eventually go to snacks and gaming stuff. Ask Piratecat about it.

 

[Fieari]

How about getting the folks that know what they're doing team up with the folks that don't know a thing about what the game is all about (something like apprentices)?

Make groups of two, and instead of grouping friends together, try grouping folks together that are familiar with the game with folks that are not familiar with it. What also would help is that they have similar classes (arcane caster with arcane caster, rogue with rogue, etc.). This has three advantages, the new folks start learning the game (from someon else and not the DM for once), effectively creates four players instead of eight (more manageable for the DM), hopefully stops the creation of groups within the player group based on knowledge of the game (very annoying for new players).

All i can say, your brave and good luck!

Oooh, you know what? I like this idea. I'm going to give it a shot before completely splitting up the group. This is what I'm going to tell them come friday again.

"Each of you needs to find a partner. At all times, I'm going to be dealing with 4 groups of two, and preferably will only be speaking directly to 4 individuals at any given time. Each pair will stick together like glue. When we roll initiative, take the highest roll and that will be it for both of you, and you will act together."

This should settle some bookkeeping, make it easier to judge power levels as before, and all that. To me, my hope is that it will feel like I'm running a group with four people, each of whom is controlling two characters... and that's certainly a managable task.

If this fails, I think I will split them up indeed.

Now I just need to work out how to give some "cool stuff" to each of the players... never had to deal with such a wide spread of classes before either. I guess an intellegent instrument (say, a flute) would work well for the bard... some better daggers for the rogue, or.. ooh! Maybe a ring of invisibility? I know they're really low level right now, but being able to use sneak attack with regularity just might give her (she's a newbie too) an edge to make her feel like a good part of the group. (In the first battle, she charged straight at the angry hordes, and the monk sucker punched her to make sure she didn't die, so I'm thinking she needs some compensation).

 

[MDSnowman]

I once played in a game with about 14 other players... and I was the only Cleric ::Whimpers remembering those days.:: I was a 4th Level Ranger/ 4th Level Cleric... I'd been with the group for a while. Meanwhile about another six people were new guys who were playing 3rd or 4th level Wizards or Sorcerers... I made one declaration... I would not actually cast a healing spell for anyone with under ten hit points... which meant I spent most of my time healing the only front lines fighter we had the 6th level Wemic Fighter. Everyone else got heal checks.

::shivers:: man I do not miss those days...

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

To many players? I wish I had that problem.