So I ran a game for a new group of 3 beginner players (all ladies) last month, and they were magnificent. This group really likes acting in character, and they got along great. We'll eventually be up to 5 ladies (6 including me as DM).
At least one player was concerned that having too many people (5) would result in less opportunity for role play. To her credit, she also doesn't want anyone left out of the game. She played in a game with 6 players online a few months ago, and hardly said a word the whole time. (I was a player in the same game.) In our game of 3 players, she was absolutely a gem of hilarity. I told her that we'd try 5 people as an experiment to see how it goes, and then go from there.
So here are my questions, cause I'd like it to go as well as possible:
Have you had tables of 5+ people with good role play? (Just looking for existence proof here to start.)
How to you give larger groups of people opportunities for role playing in whatever scenario you run? I've run for 6 people, but they were kids who were more into "kill stuff get loot." I'm looking to promote both for role playing along with NPCs, plus role playing among group members in absence of an NPC talking to them.
How do you help players that are interested in RP, but tend to be quiet in larger groups?
Hey there, I run a game for 6-7 players. One thing I do is to keep a small notecard with the character name/player name. I put a mark on it as people participate. At different points (ie every 15-30 mins) I glance at the notecard and try to make sure to direct a question/scene for someone who hasn't participated as much. Also, some sessions focus a bit more on 1-2 characters and I slowly rotate that as well to try to give as much opportunity for equal time.
In a larger group it's easy for a few more extroverted types (either character or player) to dominate a lot of time, so for me, keeping track helps me bring others in.
Lastly, with larger groups I work to limit the amount of time that I as the DM talk, the less I talk the better the session is :)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Ran into this a while back. Had 8 players at the table and they all liked to roll play to a degree. Some more than others.
Had to learn quick that I needed to work the room so to speak. To look around and watch the faces of the others and their mannerisms. You can tell when someone wants to jump in after knowing them a little while.
So look for that and then ask the player of they have any thoughts. Even letting players know that it they have things to add and it's getting out of hand to just put up a hand or give me a gesture that they want to jump in and I would say something.
Even the shyest person will perk up or their eyes will open a little more when they have something to add but don't want to interrupt.
Don't be afraid to interrupt the players so that those who are often quiet can jump into the conversations. You can have a npc who is listening jump in and ask the less chatty ones about what's going on.
You'll be fine. Just have fun and pay attention to the players during roll play. Not the notes or rules or books or
At least one player was concerned that having too many people (5) would result in less opportunity for role play. To her credit, she also doesn't want anyone left out of the game. She played in a game with 6 players online a few months ago, and hardly said a word the whole time. (I was a player in the same game.) In our game of 3 players, she was absolutely a gem of hilarity. I told her that we'd try 5 people as an experiment to see how it goes, and then go from there.
First of all, it is unavoidable that the larger the group, the less "screen time" each character gets. This must and will happen. With 3 players, you get 1/3 of the screen time. With 5 players, you get 1/5. It's simple math, and it is not possible to avoid this fact.
However, that does not mean that the opportunities to RP are actually less. They may be greater, because there are more possible combinations of character interactions that you could have with 4 other characters on the board rather than 2. More people to get into RP arguments with, have RP friendships with, etc. More backgrounds to explore, hooks for quests, and so on. With a larger group, you are trading screen time, for more variety of things to RP about. Whether that is a good or bad trade will depend on the player -- there is no right answer, no perfect group size. Only what works for your player (and you).
How to you give larger groups of people opportunities for role playing in whatever scenario you run? I've run for 6 people, but they were kids who were more into "kill stuff get loot." I'm looking to promote both for role playing along with NPCs, plus role playing among group members in absence of an NPC talking to them.
Try to come up with story hooks for each one. Don't try to deploy them all at once. But if you can make each character the star of one session, and rotate, then over time, each character gets the spotlight. But the players need to understand that they will not have the spotlight every week, or even necessarily every other week. There are 6 people. This is an ensemble cast. Like the show Friends from the 1990s... No one character was the star. Each one got a little screen time each episode. Each one got "something to do". But there was a "main character" of most episodes, and they just swapped them out every week. This is different from a show like, say, Columbo, where there is ONE star every single episode, who gets most of the good lines, and solves each and every case. In a large group, you are going to have Friends, not Columbo. Players need to understand that going in.
How do you help players that are interested in RP, but tend to be quiet in larger groups?
Call them out... Have stuff about their characters. Have things only they can do. This is the only character with History skill? OK, make an adventure that hinges around historical knowledge.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Hey there, I run a game for 6-7 players. One thing I do is to keep a small notecard with the character name/player name. I put a mark on it as people participate. At different points (ie every 15-30 mins) I glance at the notecard and try to make sure to direct a question/scene for someone who hasn't participated as much.
So track the social stuff on paper along with the game stuff. I like that!
Had to learn quick that I needed to work the room so to speak. To look around and watch the faces of the others and their mannerisms. You can tell when someone wants to jump in after knowing them a little while....
You'll be fine. Just have fun and pay attention to the players during roll play....
Makes sense. I suppose this is one of many reasons D&D is so good for our social skills!
At least one player was concerned that having too many people (5) would result in less opportunity for role play. To her credit, she also doesn't want anyone left out of the game. She played in a game with 6 players online a few months ago, and hardly said a word the whole time. (I was a player in the same game.) In our game of 3 players, she was absolutely a gem of hilarity. I told her that we'd try 5 people as an experiment to see how it goes, and then go from there.
First of all, it is unavoidable that the larger the group, the less "screen time" each character gets. This must and will happen. With 3 players, you get 1/3 of the screen time. With 5 players, you get 1/5. It's simple math, and it is not possible to avoid this fact.
However, that does not mean that the opportunities to RP are actually less. They may be greater, because there are more possible combinations of character interactions that you could have with 4 other characters on the board rather than 2. More people to get into RP arguments with, have RP friendships with, etc. More backgrounds to explore, hooks for quests, and so on. With a larger group, you are trading screen time, for more variety of things to RP about. Whether that is a good or bad trade will depend on the player -- there is no right answer, no perfect group size. Only what works for your player (and you).
Oh, kinda like more siblings get less parental attention each, but have more dynamics with each other. Yeah, I'd really like to help them cultivate that. Thank you!
Yes exactly. My sister and I had to share our parents' attention, but we also had a built in playmate on rainy days or when we were on vacation as a family and such.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
@Avohei raises some really good points. Also, just try to give each player’s character and backstory equal attention and encourage the PCs to cooperate and interact with each other in game (and also maybe by text with you and each other in between games if they have something to say).
An alternate idea that can work very well with the *right* group mix is each session can focus far more heavily on one or two PC's background, story, abilities, etc. only. The following week's session would move the focus to a different set of PC's, and so on. Such a scheme can work out very well if it's the right group mix--that is, everyone really likes roleplaying and are generous to cede "talking time" to others knowing that their own opportunities will be forthcoming, and also enjoy watching others enjoying themselves. I play in an alt-history rpg (non D&D) every other week and last session the GM points out my holy man's character's religious obligations will tie him up for the day (a good cue that supports my character's role plus shifts the focus of the session to the sheriff's scene).
I got to sit back, out of harm's way, all session, practically munching on the popcorn like I'm watching a movie about another character, and was actually very fun watching the story unfold. Think more or less how many TV series will often focus on one character or two each episode, especially with a larger ensemble cast. Heck, even framing that approach with the group upfront could result in a beter understanding and buy-in. It's an approach that can work well if the group collectively agrees to such ahead of time, is generous and has more respect for roleplaying rather than combat.
Also, make sure that they have plenty of reason to RP with each other, rather than only with you.
If there is some complex(?) plot, then they will have to discuss how to progress the plot.
If the characters have some background details, then maybe you can find a way of having a plot point cause two differing backgrounds to be in conflict with each other. Then the two characters have to resolve this between themselves, which would involve RP.
(I'm thinking of the amount of chat that Critical Role do between the PCs, rather than only between a PC and the GM.)
While 5 players is pretty much my ideal group size, I have run for larger groups. Experience puts my cap at 8. I just can't manage more than that and not feel overwhelmed, or not have players talking over one another at key points. The group for whom I am currently running is now seven players. So, as to your questions:
Have you had tables of 5+ people with good role play? (Just looking for existence proof here to start.)
Yes, you can have good role-play with with 5+. Our Wednesday group is now level 6-7 and having fun, while working on their third story-arc.
How to you give larger groups of people opportunities for role playing in whatever scenario you run? I've run for 6 people, but they were kids who were more into "kill stuff get loot." I'm looking to promote both for role playing along with NPCs, plus role playing among group members in absence of an NPC talking to them.
It helps to have notes on each of the characters. I like to include personality traits, quirks and goals, as well as any outstanding physical features. Then if someone seems to be on the fringes of things, I can add little details like: "While the mayor is talking to [insert vocal role-player here], you notice a small child looking at you. The kid leans back, slowly looking up and up and silently mouths 'Wow'." Now the player is free to respond or not as they choose. The trick is to remember everyone present and offer each an opportunity to interact.
As for encouraging players to talk to one another, a great trick I found on-line was to have each player list several (in this case 5) rumors about their character, and then distribute these to the other players. It encourages RP among group members as they share or react to what they have heard.
How do you help players that are interested in RP, but tend to be quiet in larger groups?
Ironically, I have actually found that some shy players automatically do better in larger groups. I think it may be that they fell less pressure to be in the center of the action and so are more free to contribute ideas and comments. For someone with the opposite reaction, I would try 1) using minor NPCs like in my example above. Someone whose character may be reluctant to talk to an authority figure, may be comfortable just waving back at a toddler or smiling at a tired servant. 2) For a new player, try to give them a mentor. They might find it easier to discuss questions or suggestions with another player. 3) If possible, help a shy player find or form a connection in-game to another party member. If they have a reason to interact with one person, that can often be the basis to help build their confidence.
Have you had tables of 5+ people with good role play? (Just looking for existence proof here to start.)
My current group is a group of six and they all lean more toward the RP side rather than just hack and slash everything. It's made some interesting advancements in the story and I've legitimately been stumped by each and every one of them at least once. It hasn't hindered their RP and sometimes even facilitates it further because they can work together so well.
How to you give larger groups of people opportunities for role playing in whatever scenario you run? I've run for 6 people, but they were kids who were more into "kill stuff get loot." I'm looking to promote both for role playing along with NPCs, plus role playing among group members in absence of an NPC talking to them.
I asked everyone to make a backstory for their characters and would take bits of that so that there would be an NPC or general scenario that would affect them. Treating each session like a little bit of a TV show, I have a partial storyline with the intent of focusing on one of them as a buffer as they progress through the campaign. Maybe one of them had a teacher who was important to them that went through a traumatic experience recently? A close friend that had fallen off the beaten path and draws their sword toward the party? Their village is met with sudden prosperity, but something seems a bit off? This gets everyone a little bit more invested in their own characters and each other's, having to play a bit and get a bit more understanding of one through the history you're all actively creating together.
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So I ran a game for a new group of 3 beginner players (all ladies) last month, and they were magnificent. This group really likes acting in character, and they got along great. We'll eventually be up to 5 ladies (6 including me as DM).
At least one player was concerned that having too many people (5) would result in less opportunity for role play. To her credit, she also doesn't want anyone left out of the game. She played in a game with 6 players online a few months ago, and hardly said a word the whole time. (I was a player in the same game.) In our game of 3 players, she was absolutely a gem of hilarity. I told her that we'd try 5 people as an experiment to see how it goes, and then go from there.
So here are my questions, cause I'd like it to go as well as possible:
Have you had tables of 5+ people with good role play? (Just looking for existence proof here to start.)
How to you give larger groups of people opportunities for role playing in whatever scenario you run? I've run for 6 people, but they were kids who were more into "kill stuff get loot." I'm looking to promote both for role playing along with NPCs, plus role playing among group members in absence of an NPC talking to them.
How do you help players that are interested in RP, but tend to be quiet in larger groups?
Hey there, I run a game for 6-7 players. One thing I do is to keep a small notecard with the character name/player name. I put a mark on it as people participate. At different points (ie every 15-30 mins) I glance at the notecard and try to make sure to direct a question/scene for someone who hasn't participated as much. Also, some sessions focus a bit more on 1-2 characters and I slowly rotate that as well to try to give as much opportunity for equal time.
In a larger group it's easy for a few more extroverted types (either character or player) to dominate a lot of time, so for me, keeping track helps me bring others in.
Lastly, with larger groups I work to limit the amount of time that I as the DM talk, the less I talk the better the session is :)
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Ran into this a while back. Had 8 players at the table and they all liked to roll play to a degree. Some more than others.
Had to learn quick that I needed to work the room so to speak. To look around and watch the faces of the others and their mannerisms. You can tell when someone wants to jump in after knowing them a little while.
So look for that and then ask the player of they have any thoughts. Even letting players know that it they have things to add and it's getting out of hand to just put up a hand or give me a gesture that they want to jump in and I would say something.
Even the shyest person will perk up or their eyes will open a little more when they have something to add but don't want to interrupt.
Don't be afraid to interrupt the players so that those who are often quiet can jump into the conversations. You can have a npc who is listening jump in and ask the less chatty ones about what's going on.
You'll be fine. Just have fun and pay attention to the players during roll play. Not the notes or rules or books or
phone. That all goes away during roll play.
Good luck!
First of all, it is unavoidable that the larger the group, the less "screen time" each character gets. This must and will happen. With 3 players, you get 1/3 of the screen time. With 5 players, you get 1/5. It's simple math, and it is not possible to avoid this fact.
However, that does not mean that the opportunities to RP are actually less. They may be greater, because there are more possible combinations of character interactions that you could have with 4 other characters on the board rather than 2. More people to get into RP arguments with, have RP friendships with, etc. More backgrounds to explore, hooks for quests, and so on. With a larger group, you are trading screen time, for more variety of things to RP about. Whether that is a good or bad trade will depend on the player -- there is no right answer, no perfect group size. Only what works for your player (and you).
Try to come up with story hooks for each one. Don't try to deploy them all at once. But if you can make each character the star of one session, and rotate, then over time, each character gets the spotlight. But the players need to understand that they will not have the spotlight every week, or even necessarily every other week. There are 6 people. This is an ensemble cast. Like the show Friends from the 1990s... No one character was the star. Each one got a little screen time each episode. Each one got "something to do". But there was a "main character" of most episodes, and they just swapped them out every week. This is different from a show like, say, Columbo, where there is ONE star every single episode, who gets most of the good lines, and solves each and every case. In a large group, you are going to have Friends, not Columbo. Players need to understand that going in.
Call them out... Have stuff about their characters. Have things only they can do. This is the only character with History skill? OK, make an adventure that hinges around historical knowledge.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
So track the social stuff on paper along with the game stuff. I like that!
Makes sense. I suppose this is one of many reasons D&D is so good for our social skills!
Oh, kinda like more siblings get less parental attention each, but have more dynamics with each other. Yeah, I'd really like to help them cultivate that. Thank you!
Yes exactly. My sister and I had to share our parents' attention, but we also had a built in playmate on rainy days or when we were on vacation as a family and such.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
@Avohei raises some really good points. Also, just try to give each player’s character and backstory equal attention and encourage the PCs to cooperate and interact with each other in game (and also maybe by text with you and each other in between games if they have something to say).
Hope this helps 😊
An alternate idea that can work very well with the *right* group mix is each session can focus far more heavily on one or two PC's background, story, abilities, etc. only. The following week's session would move the focus to a different set of PC's, and so on. Such a scheme can work out very well if it's the right group mix--that is, everyone really likes roleplaying and are generous to cede "talking time" to others knowing that their own opportunities will be forthcoming, and also enjoy watching others enjoying themselves. I play in an alt-history rpg (non D&D) every other week and last session the GM points out my holy man's character's religious obligations will tie him up for the day (a good cue that supports my character's role plus shifts the focus of the session to the sheriff's scene).
I got to sit back, out of harm's way, all session, practically munching on the popcorn like I'm watching a movie about another character, and was actually very fun watching the story unfold. Think more or less how many TV series will often focus on one character or two each episode, especially with a larger ensemble cast. Heck, even framing that approach with the group upfront could result in a beter understanding and buy-in. It's an approach that can work well if the group collectively agrees to such ahead of time, is generous and has more respect for roleplaying rather than combat.
Boldly go
Also, make sure that they have plenty of reason to RP with each other, rather than only with you.
If there is some complex(?) plot, then they will have to discuss how to progress the plot.
If the characters have some background details, then maybe you can find a way of having a plot point cause two differing backgrounds to be in conflict with each other. Then the two characters have to resolve this between themselves, which would involve RP.
(I'm thinking of the amount of chat that Critical Role do between the PCs, rather than only between a PC and the GM.)
While 5 players is pretty much my ideal group size, I have run for larger groups. Experience puts my cap at 8. I just can't manage more than that and not feel overwhelmed, or not have players talking over one another at key points. The group for whom I am currently running is now seven players. So, as to your questions:
Yes, you can have good role-play with with 5+. Our Wednesday group is now level 6-7 and having fun, while working on their third story-arc.
It helps to have notes on each of the characters. I like to include personality traits, quirks and goals, as well as any outstanding physical features. Then if someone seems to be on the fringes of things, I can add little details like: "While the mayor is talking to [insert vocal role-player here], you notice a small child looking at you. The kid leans back, slowly looking up and up and silently mouths 'Wow'."
Now the player is free to respond or not as they choose. The trick is to remember everyone present and offer each an opportunity to interact.
As for encouraging players to talk to one another, a great trick I found on-line was to have each player list several (in this case 5) rumors about their character, and then distribute these to the other players. It encourages RP among group members as they share or react to what they have heard.
Ironically, I have actually found that some shy players automatically do better in larger groups. I think it may be that they fell less pressure to be in the center of the action and so are more free to contribute ideas and comments. For someone with the opposite reaction, I would try 1) using minor NPCs like in my example above. Someone whose character may be reluctant to talk to an authority figure, may be comfortable just waving back at a toddler or smiling at a tired servant. 2) For a new player, try to give them a mentor. They might find it easier to discuss questions or suggestions with another player. 3) If possible, help a shy player find or form a connection in-game to another party member. If they have a reason to interact with one person, that can often be the basis to help build their confidence.
My current group is a group of six and they all lean more toward the RP side rather than just hack and slash everything. It's made some interesting advancements in the story and I've legitimately been stumped by each and every one of them at least once. It hasn't hindered their RP and sometimes even facilitates it further because they can work together so well.
I asked everyone to make a backstory for their characters and would take bits of that so that there would be an NPC or general scenario that would affect them. Treating each session like a little bit of a TV show, I have a partial storyline with the intent of focusing on one of them as a buffer as they progress through the campaign. Maybe one of them had a teacher who was important to them that went through a traumatic experience recently? A close friend that had fallen off the beaten path and draws their sword toward the party? Their village is met with sudden prosperity, but something seems a bit off?
This gets everyone a little bit more invested in their own characters and each other's, having to play a bit and get a bit more understanding of one through the history you're all actively creating together.