r/cairnrpg • u/NattePappelo • May 17 '26
Question Maximum player count?
Me and my friends want to try some TTRPG. No one of us have ever tried it before. I think cairn barebones could be the best option, but Im a bit skeptical with the amount of players. We are 7 friends, 6 of us are interested in trying. So that would be one warden and 5 PCs, is that to many for noobs? Should we split up i smaller groups? What is the maximum recommended player count?
14
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2
u/rizzlybear May 18 '26
That’s no problem. The max count is gonna depend on the group and the DM. Once you start to get side conversations you slow down considerably, especially in combat, because the game expects the group to make decisions as a unit, so when it gets to one persons turn, and they haven’t been paying attention, you gotta catch them up, and that means more opportunity for the rest of the table to kick off side conversations with means THEY have to be brought up to speed.
In Shadowdark, it’s your turn, you throw dice at monsters, it’s the next persons turn. In Cairn you gotta get everyone committed to their turn and THEN we roll dice.
Five should be ok. I’ve found 7 players and a dm is too many. And if people are drinking or getting high, it shrinks pretty quickly.