4 person or 5 person party?

[Reebo Kesh]

This particular question plagues me every time I GM or play in an AP.

From experience a 4 person group seems to struggle while a 5 person group has an easier time of it. A 6 person just ROFL stomps encounters even when you Elite all the enemies.

Action Economy which plagues that other game seems to rear its ugly head here too.

So for anyone who has been lucky to read the PDF of Book 1, is this a 4 person or 5 person Adventure Path?

[James Jacobs]

All of our adventures assume a 4 person group. If you've found that 5 people groups work better for your table, though, then absolutely that should be your standard for games you run!

[Reebo Kesh]

James Jacobs wrote:

All of our adventures assume a 4 person group. If you've found that 5 people groups work better for your table, though, then absolutely that should be your standard for games you run!

Thanks James, that's what I thought. Honestly I prefer 4 as a GM and player because I feel 5 or more makes the AP too easy.

Also I asked about the Backgrounds in another thread, if you could chime in that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

[Darkenspirit]

Reebo Kesh wrote:

A 6 person just ROFL stomps encounters even when you Elite all the enemies.

I am running this with 6 players. So far have not had too much issue with encounters being too ez/hard with adding in the extra monsters as required by the builder but I do also have to elite everything at least HP wise to give them a standing chance to last the 3-4 rounds. Bolan fight however killed a player because they failed not only two reflex saves (hero pointed) to not fall off the bridge, they also crit failed and failed twice on death saves after taking 25.

I had Bolan cut the other rope bridge after he ziplined. My players forgot despite the bridge trap earlier and other people cutting bridges on them.

Overall the only thing that is hurting my players the most is positioning with 6 players and space within a dungeon. The result is that almost every AoE is going to hit 2-3 people and their Heal resources are dwindling much faster than a usual party.

[Reebo Kesh]

Yesterday we added a 5th player mostly because if someone can't make a session it's harder to 3 man an AP but also because there were several Dying 1 and Dying 2 moments (and one Dying 3) in Chapter 1 of Book 1.

In a combat last night with three Tamagyrs one the five PCs was down to 1hp. I'm expecting things will generally go better in Chapter 2 but I'll adjust as needed.

Thanks for your input.