Ronin - Multiplayer Games (3+)

[Mr. White]

I might have two others over for a game of Ronin in a few weeks. Has anyone played the game with more than two players? Four seems a little easy… two on each side… but what about an odd number of players. Has anyone played Ronin with three? Five? Tips and suggestions?

[EnclavedMicrostate]

I've never done it as a free-for-all, but in my experience I've found that if doing a 1v2, the side with the two players should get to decide between them whose figures get to move first, because otherwise the lone player gets to concentrate a lot of initiative on one part of the table.

[Maniac]

I have, and in general I've split two on 1 with the 1 player have double the points or something to that effect. 

The other way to do it, rather than just free for all, is an objective based game (capture a person of interest, item of interest, or similar). 

I have also done it with a search mission (multiple buildings, where players search them to find various items worth  points).

In the objective based game, invariably folks will team up on the currently winning player, but once another player gets in the lead the team up will switch vs that player.  Usually I run it so that the player has to get the objective off through their starting position, or take it to something specific (such as take it to a shrine and be the only model on the shrine for a whole activation for the controlling model)

In the search games I find players do not gang up unless there is a clear winner way out in the lead.  Based on the players I use a modified card deck (one card for each house), with each card equating to some item.  It might be points, it might be nothing, it might be a peril (such as a snake which the player either has to fight or survive an attack roll from), or it might be something useful (such as finding a teppo and ammo).  Break the buildings up so folks will have to fight over them and split forces up.  Then use the 'take a head' rule to add options to score, and at the end tally up points.

Here is the search game I've used a few times (3 and 4 player, and for both Ronin and FFoL):
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=122078.msg1532328#msg1532328