In a different thread the evolution of playstyles has been discussed, one chord of which chimed on the old school use of hirelings/henchmen/followers. As this developed either someone mentioned or I just remembered (I’m not sure which; the thread had gotten a bit tedious by then) the 1e acquisition of followers when the Title/Name Level was reached. For anyone who didn’t play 1e or who has forgotten, basically what happened was this: when a character gained level 9-10 or so, if they built a suitable stronghold/facility/guildhall then they automatically attracted a certain number and type of followers, suitable to their class.
So, I got to thinking that it shouldn’t be too hard to ‘port something like this into 5e. It would need some ground rules to prevent it from being some sort of equivalency to a class feature or special ability, but I think that can be mitigated at least in part by the necessity to build an appropriate structure in order to attract these followers. At the same time, though, with the increased number of class options and the variations of sub-classes, a “one-size-fits-all” approach definitely wouldn’t work too smoothly.
With this in mind, my goal was to envision some basic guidelines that would emulate this old school approach without encumbering players with a bunch of extra paperwork or adding to the DM’s already considerable workload. Now, keep in mind, none of this has actually been playtested. These are all just some general guidelines that I’m sharing for anyone who finds them interesting, and figured that an open thread like this opens it up for the board to collaborate on tweaks and whatnot. Then, if anyone is so inclined, they can even playtest this and see how it goes.
Ok, my initial guidelines:
These guidelines should – I think – allow for flexibility without adding too much power to any given character. At the 9th and 13th levels, the followers they attract will all be comparatively weak enough that they shouldn’t unbalance anything, yet still add to the overall persona of the character. The only part that might need to be monitored is making sure that whatever followers are chose make narrative sense. But that can be done fairly easily. Such as…
At 9th level, our paladin, Regent Erther Pendrake, builds a Large Keep (TCR 8). As his workers complete the keep, a noble Knight (CR 3) on a Warhorse (CR 1/2) arrives [TCR 8 -4 = TCR 4 Remaining]. A Bard (CR 2) hoping to gain inspiration for songs of glory also comes to serve Pendrake’s banner [TCR 4 -2 = TCR 2 Remaining]. Finally, 20 men-at-arms, for which we’ll use the Guard statistics (CR 1/8 each), arrive to help secure the Keep.
The original TCR 8 is reduced by 3 1/2 for the mounted knight, bringing it to a remaining 4 1/2 TCR. The bard reduces that by 2 (2 1/2 Remaining), and the men-at-arms adding up to 2 1/2 CR finish off the compliment. The remaining servants, staff, and soldiers needed to keep the Keep functioning would be hired and supported as normal.
Later, Erther – who has since found the Legendary Sword Incaliber – achieves 13th level, only to find a Mage (CR 6) arriving in his court offering to help counsel the young regent and share magical support for the burgeoning ruler. Since the Mage’s CR is equal to the TCR of the 13th level followers, Erther does not receive any additional followers.
Ok. So… critique away!
So, I got to thinking that it shouldn’t be too hard to ‘port something like this into 5e. It would need some ground rules to prevent it from being some sort of equivalency to a class feature or special ability, but I think that can be mitigated at least in part by the necessity to build an appropriate structure in order to attract these followers. At the same time, though, with the increased number of class options and the variations of sub-classes, a “one-size-fits-all” approach definitely wouldn’t work too smoothly.
With this in mind, my goal was to envision some basic guidelines that would emulate this old school approach without encumbering players with a bunch of extra paperwork or adding to the DM’s already considerable workload. Now, keep in mind, none of this has actually been playtested. These are all just some general guidelines that I’m sharing for anyone who finds them interesting, and figured that an open thread like this opens it up for the board to collaborate on tweaks and whatnot. Then, if anyone is so inclined, they can even playtest this and see how it goes.
Ok, my initial guidelines:
- At 9th level, characters have the possibility of attracting followers. In order to do this, they must build a suitable structure or setting. This could be a keep (for a fighter) or a specially planted/arranged natural grove (for a druid). The type of structure doesn’t matter, so long as it fits the character’s class and theme.
- While the type of structure does not matter, the size of the structure does. For our purposes here, structures are considered either small, medium, or large. To keep things simple, we’ll use the Construction Time as the measure of size. Structures/settings that take less than 100 days to build are considered Small. Structures taking over 300 days to build are Large. Structures with between 100-300 days of Construction Time are Medium.
- When the structure is complete, the characters reputation will attract a small group of followers. These followers are typical in every way except as noted below. They have normal statistics and equipment. The only exceptions to this are cosmetic changes: alignments and titles can be changed, and equipment of equivalent ratings can be substituted for one another (exp.: a Longsword and a Battle Axe both are Melee weapons that inflict 1d8 damage; they can be swapped if the player prefers one over the other.)
- The character attracts a number of followers based on 1) the Size of the Structure and 2) the Total CR (TCR) of the followers. Characters who opted for a Small Structure gain TCR 4 of followers. Those who built a Medium Structure gain TCR 6. Finally, Large Structures attract TCR 8. The TCR of the followers can be split into whichever followers are appropriate for the character’s narrative, within the guidelines below:
- No more than half of the CR total can be applied to a single individual. So, for example, a wizard with a small college (TCR 4) could attract a Swordarm (we’ll use the statistics of a Bandit Captain, CR 2) and 8 Apprentice Wizards (CR 1/4). Similarly, a fighter would need to build at least a Medium structure if he hoped to attract a Veteran (CR 3 – half of the TCR 6 of Medium Structures).
- Characters are still responsible for providing for the needs and wages of the followers attracted to their banner. However, since the followers attracted to the characters are particularly interested in serving the character, all costs for their services and upkeep are halved. Further, if the optional Loyalty rules are being used, these followers have an initial Loyalty score equal to the Charisma of the player, and Loyalty penalties/losses are halved.
- While the followers’ Loyalty likely marks them as a cadre of core or elite servants, it is more than likely that these followers attracted by the characters will be insufficient to fully staff the characters’ structures. To achieve full staffing, characters may hire other hirelings per the normal rules.
- At 13th level, the characters attract one or more additional followers. At this level they immediately (since their Structure has already been built) attract TCR 6 additional followers. Unlike 9th level, the full TCR 6 can be applied to a single individual. So, for example, a 13th level wizard could attract a Mage (CR 6). Otherwise it may be split as the player desires: a Rouge might attract a Master Thief (CR 5) and a Spy (CR 1), for example.
These guidelines should – I think – allow for flexibility without adding too much power to any given character. At the 9th and 13th levels, the followers they attract will all be comparatively weak enough that they shouldn’t unbalance anything, yet still add to the overall persona of the character. The only part that might need to be monitored is making sure that whatever followers are chose make narrative sense. But that can be done fairly easily. Such as…
At 9th level, our paladin, Regent Erther Pendrake, builds a Large Keep (TCR 8). As his workers complete the keep, a noble Knight (CR 3) on a Warhorse (CR 1/2) arrives [TCR 8 -4 = TCR 4 Remaining]. A Bard (CR 2) hoping to gain inspiration for songs of glory also comes to serve Pendrake’s banner [TCR 4 -2 = TCR 2 Remaining]. Finally, 20 men-at-arms, for which we’ll use the Guard statistics (CR 1/8 each), arrive to help secure the Keep.
The original TCR 8 is reduced by 3 1/2 for the mounted knight, bringing it to a remaining 4 1/2 TCR. The bard reduces that by 2 (2 1/2 Remaining), and the men-at-arms adding up to 2 1/2 CR finish off the compliment. The remaining servants, staff, and soldiers needed to keep the Keep functioning would be hired and supported as normal.
Later, Erther – who has since found the Legendary Sword Incaliber – achieves 13th level, only to find a Mage (CR 6) arriving in his court offering to help counsel the young regent and share magical support for the burgeoning ruler. Since the Mage’s CR is equal to the TCR of the 13th level followers, Erther does not receive any additional followers.
Ok. So… critique away!
