Follower & Henchmen

Followers/Henchmen Overview

For the most part, the acquisition of followers is a role-play function. The notoriety, stability, and profession of the recruiter will affect both the number and the type of followers that may want to join his cause. Nearly in all cases, these followers & henchmen will expect payment and fair treatment from the PC that recruits them.

Though not all players desire to have followers, henchmen, or hirelings, obtaining them can allow players a level of temporal power not available in simple dungeon-crawling-style games. A level of politics, economics, and the ability to project temporal power always adds a new, deeper dimension to characters. Warriors can gain followers even if they do not build a stronghold, skilled mages will be sought out by youngsters seeking to learn the arcane arts. Priests are often sent out to establish shrines/churches in foreign lands, and when this task is complete, they are often given the responsibility to oversee said temple and the lesser priests therein. Psionists often attract individuals seeking to tame their budding mental talents or find individuals in society who cannot control their powerful emerging abilities. Rogues can benefit greatly from an ‘intelligence’ organization they create in a town/city. The amount of information they could gain would be worth the effort in most cases.

In all cases, taking on apprentices should not be seen as a chore but rather a way to spread the character’s philosophy/knowledge to a younger generation. Further, individuals that are groomed in the character’s philosophy will often remain loyal aids that can be employed or directed to accomplish menial tasks that the mentor does not wish to accomplish. They can be sent on missions, deliver messages to distant locations/people, or investigate an occurrence. Some can take up positions in the local guilds and law enforcement organizations or operate a business. These individuals will often welcome the opportunity to function as contacts/aids when the need arises.

As a general rule, all NPC (apprentices) gain 10% of the experience points awarded to the main character (PC) if they travel with their ‘master.’ If, however, sent out on individual missions without supervision, they gain full experience value for the mission. In the latter case, the mission, if dangerous, would require rolls to determine if the NPC survives. All such rolls are at the whim of the GM.

Recruitment -Hirelings

Notoriety: This is perhaps the most ambiguous aspect of obtaining followers. Not only is it subjective, but it could change during the course of a game. A character who accepts publicized quests, missions, and/or services will gain bonuses to his notoriety rating. Use the chart below to determine the total amount of bonuses. Deeds are not the only aspect of notoriety that people respect; general character experience is also a factor of notoriety. All characters start with a Notoriety rating of 0 at character generation (see the table below for modifications to Popularity Rating (PR)). Rather than keep track of yet another stat/rating, the GM can simply elect to grant Talents/Enhancements such as Minor Fame to the character(s) when they achieve a given level of notoriety.

Notoriety is not always positive, individuals that accomplish dastardly deeds will be feared and distrusted. Again, the GM can award flaws when the number of deeds reaches a given level of notoriety.

Stability: People tend to ally themselves with individuals who appear to be stable, lawful, and organized. These individuals can be counted upon to carry followers through the tough times and offer the best stability over the long haul. See the modifiers to recruiting based on alignment below.

Vocation: It is important to note that people tend to gravitate to individuals they can understand. Most warriors will seek out like-minded individuals and distrust mages or psionists. Conversely, young mages will seek out powerful mages from whom they may learn. The closer the follower’s vocation is to the recruiter’s, the better the amount of trust and loyalty. See the chart below for specifics on this modifier. These bonuses/penalties can range from -3 to +3 based on the disparity of vocations as prescribed by the GM.

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