How Many Players are Too Many?

If your group is like mine, you may have double the players one session than the next. When more show up than you planned for, you can always throw a few more miniatures on the table or beef up their stats to make it a challenge.

You may think, as I did, "Hey, I can handle this."  However, it might not be fair to the players, who likely won't have as much fun as they would with fewer PC's.  If you don't have a choice, what can you do when more players show up than you planned for?

Keep 'em Busy

Give the players something to do in their downtime.  Here are some possibilities:

• Prepare some character development questions, then have them work on them between their turns. Here are some I like:
  • How do two or more PC's interact, based on their race, history, religion, etc.?
  • What phobias does your character have?
  • What is some odd characteristic or flaw your character has?
    
    Offer an experience point reward if they can work one or more of these things into how they play their character that session.  It gives them one more challenge to keep their minds engaged... and some bonus XP to boot.
    
    
• Ask a player to look something up for you
  
  
• Let them know that a treasure package is coming up and ask them to select items they're interested in
  
  
• If they're close to leveling, have them start looking over the choices for abilities they'll gain
  
  
• Have a more experienced player help one who is not as sure what they're doing

...Or you might just realize that players are going to hold their own discussions between turns to pass the time.  Some groups are very social, and have as much fun interacting with one another as they doing playing.  Players often have short attention spans, so if you want to keep them involved, give them something to do.

Whether you decide to handle large number of players by splitting off into more than one game, giving them a task to do, or just letting them talk amongst themselves, the main thing is to be aware of whether they're having fun.  If they look bored, you may have to get creative when it takes a long time between turns.

If they're having a great time, maybe you just let things take their natural course.  After all, they came to have a good time.  Whether they're having fun in-game or chatting it up, if they're smiling, you're probably doing something right.