Did you plan how many rounded characters would be in your novel? I believe that most novels have a maximum of five or six rounded characters. How many did you finally decide on?
My novel is historical fantasy, so I have eight rounded characters, which includes the main character.
Jon, I mean rounded, not flat characters. The charaters that are integral to the plot and storyline. Tolstoy uses many characters in War and Peace, but he sticks with the same six or seven. The number of characters is understandable in a novel of over 1400 pages and 365 chapters.
Mark, that's like a standard 'Hero's Journey' adventure story scenario - 'Star Wars' is the modern example most often quoted. The same character types appear over and over again and the plot follows a roughly consistent line. That's not a criticism because it seems we're genetically programmed to love this type of story!
Adrian - do you mean 'viewpoint' characters? I agree - too many gets confusing for readers and too few makes for a short book. But it depends on setting. I've been criticised for having too many people (not just characters) in an army camp. Doh!
I didn't plan a specific number (I'm noticing a pattern with my replies, usually along the didn't-plan line), I just decided how many I would need to carry the story forward.
By 'characters' I assume you refer specifically to protagonists (the Fellowship of the Ring, as it were). In that case, specifically in fantasy, there seems to be a pot to draw from - the MC, their best friend, the older 'wizard' character, the fighter (hero) and an indeterminate number of less-explored others.
Villains are a different ball game, I think - they all have to be rounded in that they need believable motivations, but without making them sympathetic.