Henchmen

Henchmen, whether male or female, are greatly desired by the discerning players, for they usually spell the difference between failure and success in the long term view. They are useful in individual adventures as a safety measure against the machinations of rival player characters, provide strength to the character and his or her stronghold, and lastly serve as a means of adventuring when the player character is unable to.

Because they are so useful, and because they are typically so devoted, there are Charisma limitations as to how many henchmen a PC is able to attract. 

Knowing this, the real question for the Dungeon Master is who will be attracted? Where will they be found? When will they come? And what will the cost be? These questions are answered in detail hereafter.

Level of Prospective New Henchmen

As a general rule, only characters of 1st level of experience will be attracted to service with a player character. (If the NPC has already gained a level or more of experience on his or her own, why would the aegis of a PC be sought?!) If the player character attempting to find an NPC henchman is over 6th level, there is a 10% chance that the character found will be 2nd level, and seeking service because of the renown of the PC; if the player character is over 11th level, there is a 25% chance that NPC will be 3rd level, 25% chance for 2nd level, and 0% for 1st level.

Race of Prospective Henchmen

The locale in which the non-player character henchman is being sought, the racial distribution in that locale, the race of the prospective liege, and the manner of seeking henchmen, will all bear upon the race of any possible henchmen.

Locale and Racial Distribution: The amount of territory within which the henchman is being sought is of importance, for it determines what character races are available for acquisition. Determine racial percentages that exist within the area, and group them into increments of 5%. For example, a large city of 25,000 might be 80% human, 10% half-orc, and 10% “all others” (dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, and halfling).

Racial Specifications: Unless special note is made that only certain races of adventurers are desired, or the notices and broadsides specifically exclude races, the whole of the population base will be eligible, so random samplings will be attracted.

Number of Prospective Henchmen: Human and half-orc characters suitable for level advancement are found at a ratio of 1-in-100. Other races have an incidence of 1-in-50. However, as most of these characters will be other than low level adventurers and already in a situation they are satisfied with - and humans more so than other races, unless the development of the area is primarily other than human - about 1-in-1,000 population will be interested in offers of employment as a henchman.

Note: This figure must be adjusted by the DM according to the locale, for if it is an active adventuring area, the incidence of prospective henchmen might be as great as 1-in-200, while if it is a settled and staid area, incidence might be as low as 1-in-5,000.

Effective Location of Henchmen

While there might be as many as 25 or more prospective henchmen in the city of 25,000 cited above, the player character desirous of locating one or more for service must be able to reach the NPCs in order to let them know there is a henchman position available. In order to get this sort of information around, there are several methods which can be used singularly or in combination:

Each method can be tried but once a month with any hope of success. Reduce the percentage chance of effectiveness of each method by 5% when used in combination; this reflects the duplication of effort. 

The special costs for frequenting inns and taverns is a combination of the price of a round of drinks for the house and a fee to the barkeep to mention the prospective employer to adventurers. For each 10 g.p. (50 g.p. maximum) of fee, there is a 1% - 4% chance of reaching a henchman.

Up to ten establishments can be so worked, but for each visited, the effectiveness of the others is reduced by 1%. Therefore, the PC had better spend in excess of 20 gold pieces in payments to innkeepers and barkeeps if he or she is planning to try this method in more than a few establishments.

Example: The PC decides to try a media blitz to find a henchman. He posts notices and gets a 30% effectiveness, hires a crier who is 3% effective, hires agents who are 30% effective, and spends 500 g.p. in fees in inns and taverns to get an average 15% effectiveness after overlap. The total coverage is 30% + 3% + 30% + 15% = 78% - 15% (use of 3 methods beyond the first at -5% per method) = 63% final total effectiveness. Assume 65% of the total eligible NPC henchmen characters will seek service. Whatever final percentage figure is arrived at, this is multiplied by the total available non-player characters available as henchmen. Use proportions for racial types, unless the methods of informing prospective NPCs neglected some area where a specific race is concentrated.

Length of Time Required for Responses

It will take from 2 to 8 days for all prospective henchmen who are going to apply to locate the player character and seek him or her out to apply for the job. During this period of time, the PC must remain in the place he or she made known as the spot to go for employment. Failure to do so will result in a loss of any applicants coming that day and each day thereafter he or she is not available. When the total number of applicants coming are known by you, divide this number by the number of days during which notice is getting around (2-8), and this will give the number of applicants per day. Always have any odd numbers remaining come during the first or second day.

Treatment of Prospective Henchmen

When a character arrives for employment, it is considered poor manners to enspell him or her in any way (except possibly in the case of know alignment or detect good/evil), to say nothing of physically searching him or her. Direct questions about alignment and religion are usually taken poorly.

Classes of Prospective Henchmen

Of the total number of prospective characters who are capable of working upwards in level, the distribution of class will be as follows:

Non-human characters located will have two classes if they have scores of 14 or greater in two major ability areas, three classes if they have ability scores of 14 or greater in three major areas which match up with those of classes which they are able to work in simultaneously. 

Exception: Those races which can work only in two professions at once will not be exceptional, and regardless of their ability scores they can work in only as many classes as stated in Character Races.

Cost of Successful Employment

In addition to the costs of getting prospective henchmen to seek employment, the player character desiring to hire one or more of them must be  prepared to make a substantial offer which is comprised of the following considerations:

Initial Payment: Not less than 100 gold pieces per level of the applicant  must be offered. This will give a base 25% interest in accepting the position. For each additional 100 gold pieces, interest increases 10% to a maximum of 55%.

Equipment: The prospective henchman must be provided with complete equipment according to his or her class or classes. Any magic items included will make the character more interested in accepting the position, assuming he or she can use such items, of course. For each magic item (exclude arrows except in groups of 5), increase interest by 15%.

Quarters and Support: The PC must offer reasonable housing and promise free food and clothing as needed to the prospective henchman. This simply adds 5% to interest level when offered, but failure to promise such quarters and support will lower interest by 25%.

Activity and Shares: The player character must state what amount of activity the prospective henchman will be given, and what duties and position is envisioned for him or her. Furthermore, the prospective henchman must be told what share of treasure he or she can expect from adventuring, and what division of magic items can be expected. 

Characteristics of Henchmen: The characteristics, including alignment, of NPC applicants are discussed under the section, Personae of Non-Player Characters. You, as DM, can decide how best to reveal all of this information to the PC, some by relating what is “seen”, some by actually playing the role of the applicant. If the character asks specific questions, remember that the applicant might take this amiss.

Acceptance of Employment

When the basic level of interest is found, and Characteristics discovered, roll percentile dice if the PC states a desire to accept the applicant as a henchman. Adding the player character’s Charisma reaction adjustment to the interest level, and if the dice score does not exceed interest and Charisma reaction adjustment, the NPC accepts employment.

Equipment of Henchmen

All henchmen will come with nothing except the (normal) clothes they wear. Although they will have a few copper and silver coins, they will have nothing of value - no armor or weapons, nothing! Their wretched state is, in fact, one of the prime motivations for their seeking employment with a successful adventurer.

Exceptional Henchmen

From time to time player characters will manage to capture or otherwise have in their power characters of higher than 2nd level. This in itself is of no consequence, but what if the player character then makes an offer of henchman status to the other character!

If the non-player character is more than two levels greater than the player character, only associate status possibly for but one adventure or undertaking, perhaps for two, will be accepted, regardless of the amount of inducement offered.

If the non-player character is from two levels lower to two levels greater than the player character, the NPC will consider only offers of becoming a temporary hireling or an associate for 1-4 weeks or adventures/undertakings.

If the non-player character is three or more levels under the level of the player character, he or she will consider the offer, but all of the normal requirements of offer and acceptance must be handled as usual. If the offer is forced (do it or else you die, etc.), the loyalty of the henchman will be that of a slave. It will be that of captured and enlisted unless a considerable sum of additional money or considerations of magic are given.

Such exceptional henchmen are the sole exception to the rule that henchmen come unequipped, as they might well have considerable goods.