So I’m finally getting a group together for Blades because I can make the time to GM, and I have a basic question. How does the game function with 3, 4, and 5 players? I need to know how many to gather.
So I’m finally getting a group together for Blades because I can make the time to GM, and I have a basic question.
So I’m finally getting a group together for Blades because I can make the time to GM, and I have a basic question.
We have 3 players, and they have 2 characters each, so it plays like a very well synchronized 6 person crew. I had originally out some restrictions in place regarding who can act with who, and who gets downtime actions and whatnot, but as it’s gone on we’ve found there hasn’t been really much call for enforcing it. Common sense kind of keeps everything on an even keel.
We have four players, but usually end up playing with 2 or 3 and it works fine – we did once (due to the encroachment of real life) play with just 1 and it still worked ok – better than expected actually! The job was tailored to the character’s strength (a Cutter who was not to be trifled with), so the loss of team work wasn’t so damaging
Our group (now in hiatus) ran with 3 players and it worked out fine. I could see 4 or 5 players being really nice too. My only caution is that as you’ve never GMed or played BitD before it’ll take a bit to get a feel for the mechanics so possibly having a 3 player game might be easier. The mechanics are great but there is a lot of flex and judgment calls with rolls shifting (position, effect, etc) based on the fiction which can take a bit to get used to. However you should be able to tackle it if your players are good and up for learning the game. Also, don’t feel that your group has to learn every single rule before you start playing. I might recommend not filling out the crew sheet or the factions until after your first session just to get going and having fun with the game.
Have run with three and four players multiple times, my opinion is this: With four, I found it was downright jam-packed with twists and turns and narrative hooks to track. Plenty going on, strong group dynamic.
At three, it was rife with twists, but slightly more manageable levels of fiction (because less PCs means less NPC relationships to manage, as well as less actions to track during downtime).
From my experience, I suggest gathering 3 or 4 to start, only adding a 4th (or 5th! if you are really craycray) as you get comfortable with the mechanisms of play when its more second-nature
Mark Cleveland Massengale Yeah now I really want to play again with 4 players. My 3 player game was great and just as you said it had a lot of room for individual stories to come out of it. Though I had a feeling the game at 4-5 players would really start to sing like a heavy metal guitar riff.
My normal group has four, and i once ran a one shot with nine players. I still have nightmares. Three or four is good, any more than that turns into Oceans Eleven, in my experience.
Colin Fahrion yea I liked the 4 player so far the best. I am still not comfortable with 5, but I think I am about to the point I could do it. (after 20-something games). What Nick Belleque describes is probably why I havent volunteered for this yet: I am scared that ._. I wont be able to keep track of the reign of terror the five would unleash!
Five seems like a walk in the park after the nine person one shot. The downtime actions alone were staggering.
Thanks for the input folks. I’m doing an intro game for my friend’s bachelor party that will be three players, and I’ll be putting together a 3-player online game as well, to add a 4th later. Now I just need to memorize the rulebook so improv is faster 🙂
Great! but Kyle Wende you could also play without memorizing it all. I don’t have it all memorized and I improv weekly. Sure, you might need to keep Player References nearby, and the GM Reference handy too, but this should get you playing without much memorization or prep: just use the basic resolution mechanics, and add the rest as you get more comfortable and need it.
And when you don’t know what to do next, try making up something reasonable together, or disclaiming decision making altogether with a 2d6 fortune roll (another basic expression of the game system)
Mark Cleveland Massengale I know I don’t have to; that’s just how I like to GM. Every time we have to look through the rules it breaks the tension in the story and loses time. I can’t control what my players are going to do, so I can’t prepare a detailed adventure, but I can control how well I know the rules.
I started with 7 from our normal group and am now down to 6. Trying to downtime + score in one evening means very little fun fiction makes it in. The players are still enjoying the game but I think it would be more detailed with 4-5.
Kyle Wende Well, whatever makes you comfortable then – just hope you get playing soon is all 🙂
Kyle Burckhard I can’t stand running any tabletop RPG game with more than 5 players, no matter the system. It just becomes a juggling exercise trying to give everyone their moment of play time. Not sure how you manage it.
Mark Cleveland Massengale It’ll be fine. I memorize things quickly. Also turns out I may have a trial session with just my brother as the lone PC tomorrow evening.
Let me know if you need a 4th for the online game.
John White I will make a note of your offer, for when I’m ready to expand. I have very little GM experience, so if 3 is big enough for the game to be fun I’ll start there.