Finally, a heroic group shot of the full party.

You know, I blame this trope on books. And also on movies. And also every other form of non-tabletop RPG adventure narrative out there. Beyond the confines of the gaming table the fantasy, sci-fi, and action genres are rife with lone wolves splitting off from the group to do any of the following:

That’s a cool moment in a non-interactive or single player story, but it just doesn’t work as well with your buddies sitting around the table. Of course, that’s not to say it can’t be done well with a bit of prep on the GM’s side. Running simultaneous encounters with a single initiative track is a particularly cool tactic. “You sabotage the bridge while we distract the guards,” can work just fine. The problem comes when players spontaneously decide to sneak off and do their own thing. Most encounters are based around challenging the whole party, so blundering into a group challenge all loneliest wolf style is generally going to result in chunky salsa.

Have any of you guys had a positive experience splitting the party? Let’s hear it in the comments.

ADD SOME NSFW TO YOUR FANTASY! If you’ve ever been curious about that Handbook of Erotic Fantasy banner down at the bottom of the page, then you should check out the “Quest Giver” reward level over on The Handbook of Heroes Patreon. Twice a month you’ll get to see what the Handbook cast get up to when the lights go out. Adults only, 18+ years of age, etc. etc.