Beginning to think I was a little hasty when I agreed to six players

[CormacFabiano]

So a little background: I've been working on a new campaign for my friends since we haven't played in over a year and we all want to get back into it. Up to now I had it built for two people. Last night we were at a bar with a group of friends and the subject came up; we have plans to get together on Saturday (two days from now) and everyone is excited.

Welllllll, we were with four other people who all wanted to join. None of these people have ever played any type of tabletop RPG before, and I don't want to turn down anyone who is interested in gaming, so I said yes. Then I woke up this morning (sober) and realized, oh crap what did I just agree to?

Adjusting the campaign is not difficult. Throw in an extra encounter, swap out the big bad for something with a higher CR, add some more treasure at the end for everyone. But I've never run a game for a group this big, and never run a game with so many new people. I don't want to suddenly turn anyone away because aside from the fact that I've made a promise, Pathfinder is fun and I'd love to get them involved in the game and the community. But I am really nervous

I am a spammer

[damned]

Welcome CormacFabiano

Stop stressing!
Take it slow - dont try and explain everything upfront.
Walk them thru their character sheet and how to make rolls and then as things come up in the game walk them thru those
Ok - its your turn Red Sonja - what are you going to do? You can move up to 6 squares and your character has a Bow or a Long Sword they can attack with.
Ok - when you are ready to attack someone click on your token and then ctrl-click on the enemy token, now switch to the Actions tab on your character sheet and roll the icon next to sword.

[tahl_liadon]

.
hehe... it's nice you are airing this on public forum...

that's exactly what i would -- and will -- recommend you do: be up front about your feeling about the whole thing.
sometimes admitting your vulnerability will gain unexpected compassion from others.

when folks understand where you're coming from -- and if these are the nice people you say they are, they're gonna work with ya. you're gonna be fine!

few tips:

you want to have fun, first and foremost, and you want the gathering to be fun. for everybody. it's not your responsibility alone
it's everyone's participation; you all make it what it is, what it will be
the game should be a means to an end: for starters, use the game as a platform for socializing, instead of the game being the focus
that may take the pressure off seeing it as you being in the spotlight, that you are responsible to make it all work and go right
don't expect perfection on the first run
knowing the basic rules and being consistent help -- for first session: k.i.s.s. (keep it simple stupid) not to say anyone is
don't jump into deep details and go rules geeky; briefly explain when things come up, even if you have to do it more than once
be patient with them. be patient with yourself
you may have already had things set up, but if you are gm-newbie, starting with a pre-written short adventure (pathfinder has a bunch of these) will help ease everyone into it
it's one thing that you have under control -- the predictable factor of a premade adventure -- having confidence in that will free you up to manage the unpredictable part of having a big table with new players



so let everyone understand that it's a concerted effort and be open to the experience. run the game, but end a bit earlier for this maiden session.
have a chill session to chat about the experience: what works, what doesn't, did it meet each expectations, etc.
then see if everyone wants to have another go. most people will give it a couple of sessions before deciding if it works for them or not.

the thing is, if everyone in the group enjoys everyone else's company, it doesn't matter what you do together, right?

good luck, game on, and always have fun!