Millennium Force Fallen

[Super Squirrel]

I wish this where a case where the heroes were defeated by the villains. Unfortunately it is the other threat to a team. The game has, unfortunately, fallen apart.

Reptile is unavailable for good reason. His wife is due to give birth any day now.
Voltage moved and due to work constraints is unable to make the regular drive up for games.
Lynx (aka Limitation Lass) dropped from the game.

This leaves the Greek, Blur II, and Psihawk. That is, a weapon master, a speedster, and a mentalist.

I'm rather bummed out by this right now.

[Libra]

Always look on the bright side of your life. Things can always get worse, and they have not. So cheer up. Seriously, or I'll start singing "Always look on the the Bright side of your life". Did I mention I sing like a Butcher with tonsilitis?

[Hawksmoor]

Why is only three players a bad thing? Growing up most of my games were me and my two buds. Later Solo games with the wife became the norm. So in essence if you have a good little group why bemoan the loss of the bigger (esp. one that had difficulties)

Also, as Aaron Allston pointed out the concept of the GM - NPC or frequent guest star Hero is a valid construct. Make a simple brick with an interesting personality and some usefulness. I think of Namor or the like. And introduce him/her to the group as a recurring NPC. Only you get to join in on the fun by roleplaying him/her and then turning the character over to the Players in combat so they collectively can run his powers.

I suggest that because IMX it gives the Players something else to do (always a good thing) and eliminates the "Playing Chess With Myself" feeling many GMs get in these situations. In fact I often turn over control of followers, Henchmen, and Hirelings to the PCs so I can concentrate on the opposition, only occasionally butting in to remind the Players of a certain power or skill the character has that they are missing.

Hawksmoor

[Red Knight]

My Champions game only has 3 other plays and usually that falls to two.

I like playing in larger groups but you have to work with what you have. If you want to keep playing, then do so..

If the players that dropped out are willing, maybe they could turn their characters over to you to play for a couple of games so that the transition from big group to smaller group is less problematic.

[Trebuchet]

I agree this should be viewed as an opportunity and not as a problem. Small groups generally allow for far more role playing and character development. Indeed, I'd consider 3 - 4 players to be the optimal number for Champions. You may need to focus on slightly different adventure types since the remaining team lacks physical power, or you might ask one of the players to consider playing a brick instead of their current character.

Got lemons? Make lemonade. :bounce:

[Snowcat]

I wish i only had 3 players right now i currently, limit the game to 9 players
and i have 6 other that want to game, but i'm the only *%&$#@ GM!!
its to much work for anybody else.. so the point is small groups are good.
or at least a nice change for large,oxygensucking,timewaste,smellyass groups

[Dr. MID-Nite]

My group only has four regulars at this point. I can use the no-show players as NPCs....so no worries. 3-4 is an optimal size group IMO. Afterall, look at The Incredibles.

Rob

[hooligan x]

I like to run six player games, but I haven't had a full table in months. I currently have one definate opening from an OOG romance gone bad and one who flakes more often than not because of her job and that craphound she's dating. I am scrambling to tie up Cobalt's plot threads before he moves to Georgia in June. My last two sessions had three players. We made do.

Don't dispand the Millennium Force! What would the citizens of (insert campaign city) do? Recruit a couple more heros and carry on saving the day. I'm sure Reptyle will return once the baby is sleeping though the night. He has a sweet Clix figure, I hear :whistle:.

[Gary]

I love smaller groups. It gives each person more airtime and more roleplaying opportunities.

[CrosshairCollie]

Also, as Aaron Allston pointed out the concept of the GM - NPC or frequent guest star Hero is a valid construct. Make a simple brick with an interesting personality and some usefulness. I think of Namor or the like. And introduce him/her to the group as a recurring NPC. Only you get to join in on the fun by roleplaying him/her and then turning the character over to the Players in combat so they collectively can run his powers.

I suggest that because IMX it gives the Players something else to do (always a good thing) and eliminates the "Playing Chess With Myself" feeling many GMs get in these situations. In fact I often turn over control of followers, Henchmen, and Hirelings to the PCs so I can concentrate on the opposition, only occasionally butting in to remind the Players of a certain power or skill the character has that they are missing.

Hawksmoor

The second paragraph is interesting, but I'm not sure how well it would work. I could see the players getting into arguments about it, or worrying more about how to use the NPC to assist their own characters, rather than RPing him as-is. Of course, gaming groups vary and I'm always a paranoid sort about that sort of thing.

In Champions Battlegrounds, there were some suggestions for helping speed up the game when a DM is having NPCs slug it out while heroes are also involved. The two big ones were:
1. Roll 7+1d6 for attack rolls, and
2. Use Standard Effect for everything else.
This is only for NPC-NPC interactions, of course. Beyond that, I'd suggest giving the NPC a 'follower' type personality (a la Colossus) rather than a headstrong one (a la The Thing), where he'll just be inclined to follow orders from the PCs.

[Hawksmoor]

The second paragraph is interesting, but I'm not sure how well it would work. I could see the players getting into arguments about it, or worrying more about how to use the NPC to assist their own characters, rather than RPing him as-is. Of course, gaming groups vary and I'm always a paranoid sort about that sort of thing.

In Champions Battlegrounds, there were some suggestions for helping speed up the game when a DM is having NPCs slug it out while heroes are also involved. The two big ones were:
1. Roll 7+1d6 for attack rolls, and
2. Use Standard Effect for everything else.
This is only for NPC-NPC interactions, of course. Beyond that, I'd suggest giving the NPC a 'follower' type personality (a la Colossus) rather than a headstrong one (a la The Thing), where he'll just be inclined to follow orders from the PCs.

It works, from long experience. Although I must admit it works best if a player has a vested interest in the NPC. My wife for instance was playing a Wizard in a D&D game I was running for her. She had control over the other characters in her small party when time came for combat. Well, actually she had control over half of the party, she wasn't up to the challenge of all four. In any case as long as she knew the NPC's personality and powers she was quite adept at using the NPC.

For larger groups it generally defaults to one player. The other players might offer suggestions but most of the time they are concentrating on their own actions. The activities of another character's Significant NPCs or Henchmen bother them not in the slightest.

In a superhero game I have used the brick as the mainstay for GM-NPC for quite a while. As long as he is personality wise quite interesting the lack of insight gaining skills and talents can be overlooked. Significant contacts are ok, but the spotlight is still focused on the PCs. I try hard not to create situations where the focus is on the GM-NPC to accomplish a major task. Follower or Love interest types are the personality template I use most often for example so I whole heartedly agree with your example.

For an genre example I point to Namor in frequent Fantastic Four comics (tagging along) or Prince Gruslag in Angel (television show) he was Cordelia's love interest and IMO her player's vent to the more physical action until Cordelia earns enough XP to become half-demon.

As long as the story revolves around the PCs their is no reason another hero shouldn't be allowed to tag along. The GM is RPing the whole world after all. :D

Hawksmoor

[Corven_Ren]

I wish this where a case where the heroes were defeated by the villains. Unfortunately it is the other threat to a team. The game has, unfortunately, fallen apart.

Reptile is unavailable for good reason. His wife is due to give birth any day now.
Voltage moved and due to work constraints is unable to make the regular drive up for games.
Lynx (aka Limitation Lass) dropped from the game.

This leaves the Greek, Blur II, and Psihawk. That is, a weapon master, a speedster, and a mentalist.

I'm rather bummed out by this right now.

Dont be bummed out, like everyone else says look on the bright side. I wish I had that many to game with, but I don't even have one and no prospects for getting a game going. So cheer up SS :bounce:

[Super Squirrel]

The three players are my regulars. I always expect a little variation from week to week. If you have seen my other threads it is the fact that one of the three is one of the problem players I have had. I can try to do more investigative games with those I have.

[jediklingon]

Sorry I haven't been able to make it back. I suggest you keep running with who you have, though. And, I hearby give you permission to run Voltage as an NPC from this point on. I will try to make it back once in a while for a guest-spot and/or to run the Atlantis game. I may have a Saturday off coming up, soon. Send me a private message for details. Good luck.

[BlackSword]

The three players are my regulars. I always expect a little variation from week to week. If you have seen my other threads it is the fact that one of the three is one of the problem players I have had. I can try to do more investigative games with those I have.
My group ran for about 6-8 months with four people total (a rotating GM and three players). A few times I had to travel so the group met with two players. We are now up to four players + GM. Two more friends may join once they can. Our ideal group size is 6-7 total, but we won't sacrifice quality of person/player for group size.

If you want to put the Champs team on hiatus, I would recommend an espionage game. We player Spycraft for a while, and the small flexible team worked well for us.

[Super Squirrel]

Sorry I haven't been able to make it back. I suggest you keep running with who you have, though. And, I hearby give you permission to run Voltage as an NPC from this point on. I will try to make it back once in a while for a guest-spot and/or to run the Atlantis game. I may have a Saturday off coming up, soon. Send me a private message for details. Good luck.
Well, it looks like Blur II can't make it for at least two weeks. Alice and I have to move the following week so that puts us back at least three weeks now. Hopefully though, if we hear back from the apartment application and get the place we may still have room to host games.

[Kirby]

I have only three players in my Champions group (though a fourth may make it) and -while it's not ideal- I still make do with it. I started with two players, jumped to four for about a month, back to two, then three and have been like that for several months and will possibly have a fourth. Don't be too sad.

A suggestion might be to use one of the PCs that you know won't be returning and kill them off. Nice mystery to solve and it's more personal.

I'm just saying.

[AliceTheOwl]

Well, it looks like Blur II can't make it for at least two weeks. Alice and I have to move the following week so that puts us back at least three weeks now. Hopefully though, if we hear back from the apartment application and get the place we may still have room to host games.
Where? On the back porch?

I'd be fine with having this thing be just 3 characters, though I'm afraid we'd all have to work on group dynamics. Two of us have Secret IDs and the other keeps to himself. This worked fine with five of us, but won't work well with the group we have.

I'm also afraid I'd totally dominate a game with just 3 players, and that wouldn't be fair or fun for the other players.

[Super Squirrel]

Villainy Amok can be said to have saved the campaign. It provides enough sufficient ideas in it for now that I can run a two or three player game for a while. Now if I could just get an apartment and moved in 13 days. :ugly:

[John T]

Hey, at least you're not having to cope with a 7-player game that frequently goes on hiatus (due to scheduling) for 4-6 weeks at a time... or longer. :p

John T

[AliceTheOwl]

Hey, at least you're not having to cope with a 7-player game that frequently goes on hiatus (due to scheduling) for 4-6 weeks at a time... or longer. :p

John T
No; that's only what we THOUGHT we had to deal with.

And we have had frequent hiatuses (hiati?) before this due to scheduling problems or people just not feeling up to roleplaying.

But then, par for the course, considering my close relationship with Chaos. *shrug*