Whats the biggest group you've DMed for?

[MoogleEmpMog]

16 was the highest I ever had, IIRC. 12 was more regular for that campaign.

Personally, I wouldn't run d20 for a group larger than 5 again, or most anything for a group larger than 8. Any more, and the game is really nothing but a pretext for hanging out with friends - something I find other, less involving games, like board and card games, a better choice for.

My opinion of large RPG groups can be summed up thusly: while *playing* in a group of similar size to the one above, I routinely found myself able take action on my Initiative, observe the situation sufficiently to come up with a plan for my next action, completely tune out the game to work on article writing, tune back in, update my plan if necessary - and *still* not be back to my turn.

 

[Agamon]

15. AD&D 2E, when I was in college, downstairs at the LGS. Lasted about a year and usually only 11 or 12 people showed up in any given week. It was fun for a while, but it ended not so well, and I've sworn never to try anything like it again. My current group is 6, and that's more than enough.

 

[Steel_Wind]

As a player, I was in a AD&D 1e session with 13 players. It was interesting, but not a lot of face time. Thing I remember most about the session was how little playing we did and how much socializing and chit chat went on as the DM called on each payer in turn. Seemed like 20 minutes would pass until it was your turn for face time again.

As a GM, about seven years ago I ran for 11 people - in Rolemaster 2E, no less (try tracking THAT combat!) It was a climactic battle with 300 foes attacking a castle the PCs were defending. We used elements of War Law as well as pure 1:1 combat.

Battle started at about 4:30 pm Sat afternoon. We went until nearly 4:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, when the party finally destroyed Jubilex.

It was a very satisfying session - but being exceptional - it was exactly that - an exception.

Not something I'd care to do very often. I decided the mass combat theme was better than the mass player theme.

We did repeat a similar combat situation about two years ago - lower level combatants but still with 350 foes attacking, this time using D&D 3.5e. We used the Mass Combat rules in the Miniatures Handbook (it's not as bad as people say it is) and (the fun part!) trays upon trays of DDM miniatures. We had the armies on the table represented - one for one.

Only 6 players were there the second go round though. Still went to 3:00 in the morning. Did I mention the wife of one of my players really doesn't like me much?

 

[kaomera]

Our AD&D group's "biggest" game was 26, but more than six of those either a) weren't regulars in that particular DM's campaign or else just played NPCs for that session. But we had a few other sessions that where 20 or 21 players. I think the most I ever DM'ed for was 17 or 18, but I'd say my biggest game was 14 players with three (1st-level) characters each. I pretty much just laid out the maps of the Caves of Chaos from B2 on a table and I had a figure to mark where each group of PCs had gotten to. Of course, the game ended up breaking early due to a TPK... Good times, good times...

 

[Thurbane]

Well, I was a player, not a DM, but I was involved with a group of 10 players +1 DM +1 assistant DM = 12. This was back in the days of 1E...

 

[Nyaricus]

12, and never again.

No one had any time to contribute, to step out and be seen, and it died off fairly quickly.

It was too bad, I had a great story going, too

cheers,
--N

 

[Sejs]

14, Cyberpunk game.

Never again.

 

[Mark Hope]

12. And it was bloody awful. I worked flat out, DMing at a breakneck pace, and even then each player only got to act about once every 5 or 10 minutes. Never again.

 

[Aeric]

Wow, I'm a wimp. My biggest group was 7 players.

 

[rossik]

11 people, but just once...
man, 30 people?!?!?!