Some questions for a beginner

[-Loki-]

Alrighty. We haven't done an RPG since high school, and I never DM'd one. But the world of Malifaux is too interesting to not give TTB a shot.

Is it worth starting with just the base game, or dive in with the faction specific expansions for more options? Not really concerned about complexity.

Are the longer Penny Dreadfuls okay to leap into with new, or almost new, characters? I'm not up to crafting my own adventure yet, but the ready made Penny Dreadfuls and One Shots make this nice and convenient.

How many players is preferable for a group?

[GummyGator]

You will need the fatemaster and fated almanacs for sure and i would advise getting Into the Steam as well for the expanded crafting/weapons section and some of the added bestiary.  I ran Northern Aggression for a group of 3 online and it went well enough if a bit straightforward and easy (I think that was in large part due to the players though).  I've also run a couple of the one shots from the magazine and they went well. It's the basic pro con of prefab content; you don't have to make it up yourself but it's not tailored to your crew so difficulty/direction is going to take a little tweaking to get right. I prefer 4-6 with 5 being the perfect number but that's more a player dynamics sort of thing.  I've run as few as 3 and as many as 8.  Both have their strengths and weaknesses.  THe more players you have the less content you need to prepare each session but the more you have to work to keep everyone on board and focused.  The fewer people the more work you have to do from a roleplay/worldbuild perspective but the easier the players are to manage. 

[Druso]

Hi!

One-Shots and Penny Dreadfuls are great chances to start a character. I use One-Shots (there a few free in Wyrd Chronicles) in demos and conventions and to teach newcomers about Malifaux atmosphere and TTB mechanics. You don´t need Into The Steam and Under Quarentine for playing TTB but you will see that they are a magnific resource and add a lot of interesting things.

I like to stay between 3 and 5 players (more add a bit of complexity and too many cards, and less is a bit boring)

[RenoGM]

Although I traditional run games for 5 - 6 players, this summer I'm running a TTB campaign for 2. For me there is something about Malifaux that makes things more personal and horrific in the small group dynamic (options become limited, resources a little more scarce, and fate steps more intimate). That being said however, the Penny Dreadfuls are definitely geared toward groups larger then 2 but with a few modifications would work fine.

As far as the books go I think you're fine with simply using the core books, however the expansions are definitely worth the price!