Related to but not quite teh same as "how big is your group"; since well, every group needs a DM, and one player can theoretically play multiple characters; even if you only count pets/familiars/companions. I'm more asking specifically: how many "characters" make up your normal adventuring party? Are you the unstoppable duo? A heroic trio? The five-man-band? Or the edgiest of edgy-boys; the true lone wolf... Do you have dedicated companions? Familiars? Animal buddies? Guys you pay to carry your stuff?
I'm playing in a game with four members and another with five whilst running two groups of five, one group of six and one of seven so a bit of a variety
It varies widely from table to table, and even within the table there can be anywhere from 4 to 9 depending on session details.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
Personally I think 4 players is the sweet spot. It's enough PCs to diversify your specialties, and a good sized group of friends to hang out with, but not so big that every round of combat takes forever and each character has room to shine. One potential issue with a larger party is that a DM is gonna have a harder time giving story attention to each character, and each player will have less time to roleplay their character while they share the table with more people. I think 4 people, and 1 DM, is the perfect middle ground https://1921681254.mx/
My group is seven including myself, and we're finding we're maybe a touch too large. We're splintering a little as some members are deciding not to join in on new games more, so we're often DM + 5 players these days.
I sometimes miss a little the days of 3 or 4 players. It felt like screentime could be shared more so RP could be more focused. But I also wouldn't give up playing with my friend group, and wouldn't choose to actively exclude any of them.
5th Edition for me doesn't much like larger groups and would prefer 3-4. The more PCs you have, the tougher the combats you need, which can mean more NPCs, which quickly results in combat becoming a slog.
Normal group is 6+ DM but we also have an occasional 7th that we find ways to fit in (and out) mid campaign. Generally no companions but often more Han ne ranger.
The game is made with the assumption of a party of 4. Most groups can get up to 7 before combat slogs too much. one campaign I’m in has 14+ skeletons under one necro, one defender companion, and 7 players. usually an extra DMPC on our side.
Combat last 1.5 to 4 rounds, and takes 30-70 minutes to play out due to multiple slow downs because we always need to check rules on things no one expected to check. like we had to figure out what is or isn’t affected by smoking bottle, devil sight, and how long it takes to clear.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Related to but not quite teh same as "how big is your group"; since well, every group needs a DM, and one player can theoretically play multiple characters; even if you only count pets/familiars/companions. I'm more asking specifically: how many "characters" make up your normal adventuring party? Are you the unstoppable duo? A heroic trio? The five-man-band? Or the edgiest of edgy-boys; the true lone wolf... Do you have dedicated companions? Familiars? Animal buddies? Guys you pay to carry your stuff?
Got to admit i have a variety of sized campaigns happening concurrently.
I am in two 4 player games, two six players games, and two 8 players games.
Loex - A Lizardfolk Lvl 4/7/4 Hexblade Profane Blood Hunter/ Battlesmith Artificer/ Cleric of the Forge
Arborea - A Warforged Lvl 5 Hexblade Warlock
Archive - A Autognome Lvl 3 Old One Warlock
ER15 - A Autognome Lvl 7 Binder Warlock
DM - "Malign Intelligence"
I'm playing in a game with four members and another with five whilst running two groups of five, one group of six and one of seven so a bit of a variety
It varies widely from table to table, and even within the table there can be anywhere from 4 to 9 depending on session details.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
I'm running a group with five, playing in two groups with five, and playing in a group with seven.
The seven thing is...suboptimal. Four or five is the sweet spot, in my experience.
pronouns: he/she/they
Started with 3 going on 7 when she is ready (shy). I know it’s a lot, but orly enough we make it work.
Personally I think 4 players is the sweet spot. It's enough PCs to diversify your specialties, and a good sized group of friends to hang out with, but not so big that every round of combat takes forever and each character has room to shine. One potential issue with a larger party is that a DM is gonna have a harder time giving story attention to each character, and each player will have less time to roleplay their character while they share the table with more people. I think 4 people, and 1 DM, is the perfect middle ground https://1921681254.mx/
Parties i run or play range between 3-5 characters, with 4 more often than not.
I used to play with larger party 7+ back in the days of AD&D but nowadays i'm not playing above that ratio.
-
View User Profile
-
View Posts
-
Send Message
ModeratorMy group is seven including myself, and we're finding we're maybe a touch too large. We're splintering a little as some members are deciding not to join in on new games more, so we're often DM + 5 players these days.
I sometimes miss a little the days of 3 or 4 players. It felt like screentime could be shared more so RP could be more focused. But I also wouldn't give up playing with my friend group, and wouldn't choose to actively exclude any of them.
5th Edition for me doesn't much like larger groups and would prefer 3-4. The more PCs you have, the tougher the combats you need, which can mean more NPCs, which quickly results in combat becoming a slog.
D&D Beyond ToS || D&D Beyond Support
Agreed, i find larger party makes everything slower, especially combat.
Not counting mounts, companions, summons etc. often rounding up party, that with as many monsters can often have bettlefield with 20+ moving pieces.
Normal group is 6+ DM but we also have an occasional 7th that we find ways to fit in (and out) mid campaign. Generally no companions but often more Han ne ranger.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
The game is made with the assumption of a party of 4. Most groups can get up to 7 before combat slogs too much. one campaign I’m in has 14+ skeletons under one necro, one defender companion, and 7 players. usually an extra DMPC on our side.
Combat last 1.5 to 4 rounds, and takes 30-70 minutes to play out due to multiple slow downs because we always need to check rules on things no one expected to check. like we had to figure out what is or isn’t affected by smoking bottle, devil sight, and how long it takes to clear.