Crowd Control – DMing with a Large Group

I recently added two new players to my Dnd 4e group, up from 6 to 8. Actually, one of my original 6 was gone all summer, so in practice it seemed like we went from 5 to 8. This was shocking, but not devastating and I think I can make it work. It is going to take some new house rules though – the ‘behavior’ kind, not the ‘mechanics’ kind. Here are a few things that I am instituting to keep my game running smooth and fast:

1. Non-Combat Initiative. The first problem that comes up is that everyone wants to be able to talk at the same time. I’m not talking about the side conversations that inevitably happen when you get a large group of people together. I’m talking about when one person is trying to talk to the DM and another player interrupts. Usually the player doesn’t realize he’s doing it, it’s just an exciting point in the game and he just thought of something really cool to do and busts out with it. Or when there are just three different main things going on and everyone wants their item of interest handled first. This ends up being a lot of voices talking to the DM at the same time.

Even if we aren’t on the battlemap in the heat of a huge combat, the players are still performing game functions such as exploring, looking for secret doors, searching for traps, opening doors, reading inscriptions on cave walls, climbing pillars, etc. In a small group, as one PC is doing these things, the other three PCs are either helping or keeping a lookout – simple and clean and way different from a large party. In a party of 8, when one PC is doing something, maybe 1 or 2 other PCs are assisting, but the other 5 or 6 players start doing other things. The way I handle this is by having the players roll non-combat initiative at the beginning of each session. This is a normal d20 + initiative modifier and the result is the order in which all non-combat game situations will be resolved throughout the entire session. I usually write it on the white-board or black-board where it is visible to everyone throughout the game.

Getting players to buy into this is not necessarily easy and the application of non-combat initiative is where a fine line is drawn. The line is drawn because you don’t want to kill the interaction that happens when a party works together, gathers clues, and solves puzzles because everyone is involved. If that is happening naturally, I don’t stop it and insist that we run through everyone’s actions in initiative order. More often than not, though, the group ends up multi-tasking, with some players doing one thing and others doing a second thing (and sometimes a third thing, too). When this happens, it is ‘theoretically’ happening simultaneously in the game-world, and this can make it pretty chaotic for the DM; having a posted non-combat initiative order is just the thing to remind everyone to slow down and take it one step at a time.

Variation: Have PCs roll initiative at the beginning of the session and use that as non-combat AND combat initiative order for the entire session. This is a great times saver, but you may run into problems if you don’t have a flexible initiative tracker since players can delay or ready an action and therefore change their place in the initiative lineup.

2. Time Limits. We all know that 4e combat takes time. In fact, I haven’t played a decent RPG system where combat didn’t take a long time, especially with 8 players. I have mixed feelings about this, I mean, combat is a major part of the 4e experience and the mechanics for combat are relatively streamlined, considering all of the stuff you can actually do. So I’m not upset that combat takes so long, but sometimes it just takes too long. Also, the problem is not with my feelings about the length of combat, it’s with the player’s feelings. If I was in a game with 8 people and I didn’t get a turn except every 10 minutes I would also get bored and disgruntled. So I took a page out of NewbieDM’s book (newbiedm.com; it’s a great blog, check it out) in which he suggests using a thirty second sand-timer to put constraints on a player’s decision making time.

Now, I know what you’re thinking if you’re a player – “Thirty seconds!! That isn’t enough time to work out my strategy and decide what I’m doing and roll dice and move my mini, and, and, and…”  But I have four things to say to that:

1) The thirty second time limit is only a limit on your deciding what to do and announcing it.  The time limit doesn’t apply to how long it takes you to move your mini, roll the dice, roll saving throws, and otherwise resolve your turn.

2) You can use the time in between your turns to work out your strategy and decide what you PC will do – you can even work out strategy with your fellow players (as long as they aren’t in the middle of their 30 second limit).

3) The round in 4e DnD is supposed to represent 6 seconds of game-time, so having a 30 second limit to your decision makes sense in a way… You would be making very quick decisions in the heat of battle and sometimes you might make a mistake.

4) You will appreciate the 30 second limit when your turns come around a lot sooner than they did before, when everyone was taking forever and a day to finish their turn.

The urgency that is added to the game with a sand timer could go a long way to enhancing the tension-filled combat scene, and the quick decision making needed in the midst of combat.  Also, since the sand timer can be placed in the middle of the table,  everyone can see it and be accountable for their part in speeding up the game while also keeping it as non-chaotic as possible.

What are the consequences to going over your 30 second time limit?  Well, there are two options that I have seen suggested: 1) Anyone going over their limit is assumed to have used the ‘total defense’ action as their standard action and they keep their place in the initiative order, or 2) the player’s turn action counts as a ‘delay’ action and they lose their initiative spot until they decide what to do.

One last thing about timing: Having the players buy into this thirty second time limit idea requires that the DM also make combat decisions in a timely manner.  You can’t expect your players to rush and make decisions if, when it is the monster’s turn, you mosey over to the table and spend a few seconds looking up the relevant page in the monster manual and then read the text block so that you can decide what the creature does that round.  You must also live by the thirty second rule, which makes it more likely that the players will also respect the rule, and the game will move faster and smoother for everyone.

3. DM Preparation.

Maps: I show up for the game a few minutes early every week so that I can lay out the maps that we will be using ahead of time.  If I don’t want the players to see them I cover them with white pieces of paper (a non-virtual fog of war).

Minis: I also have the box of minis out for them to get their characters out as soon as they walk in the door, and then they put them by the first map we will use.  I also have all creature minis that I will be using for the evening at my fingertips.  Usually they are hidden in my bag, but they are in a case or ziplock at the ready and I can whip them out at a moments notice and place them on the battlemap. 

Monsters and NPCs: I have all creature and NPC stat blocks printed out so that I have them at my disposal as soon as I need them.  If you don’t want to re-write them or you can’t print them out, use post-it notes and stick them to the pages of the monster manual that you need to access quickly.  Review the abilities and attributes of the creatures that you are running immediately before the session so that you can act quickly.

Initiative: Keep track of initiative order in a way in which everyone can see it, and don’t be afraid to say, “Okay, who’s next?” to keep the game moving.  I use a black-board or white-board, but there are several other things you can do, including designating one of the payers to be the initiative tracker.  Their job would be to keep everyone on track by prompting the players when it is their turn, or just simply turning over the aforementioned sand timer.

Dice: I have a large box of dice that I set in the middle of the table.  I know, I know, many players and DMs (including myself) like to use a specific set of dice.  But in the heat of things, when dice roll off the table or a player needed just one more d6, it is nice to have a box of dice sitting there for anyone to use.  I bought a couple of Chessex pound-o-dice (Chessex) bags (on ebay, for much cheaper than list price), so I’m not worried about losing one or two and none of them are special to me so I don’t get superstitious about others using the dice.

Final Word… Aside from all of the above, what it really comes down to is holding the reigns on the game a little tighter for the first few sessions with a  large group.  Once everyone gets in the habit of acting quickly and respecting the fact that everyone gets a turn in the spotlight, the players (and the DM) adjust to the pace and the large group game runs smoothly.

I welcome your comments and suggestions: What do you do to ensure that your large group game runs smoothly?  What do you do to ensure that all of the players in your large group are having fun?  How do you, as a player, deal with large group dynamics?

Until my next post, I wish you good gaming.

~DM Samuel