D&D 5E Retainers/followers/companions: how?

[JiffyPopTart]

To me, the alternate rules for this style of character in the Engage section seems more confusing, is longer, and requires lots more GM rulings in combat than just giving them a very simple stat line...

Frithgar the Builder
S +4, D +1, C +3, I -, W -1, Ch -
AC:13 (leather)
HP: 17 (2D10+6)
2-Handed Sword: +6/11 (2D6+4)
Skill: Athletics +6, Medicine +5

Bear Blooded: Adv. on STR checks and saves

Rescuer of Heros: If an ally falls to 0 HP in combat, Frithgar will attempt to move to that ally and use Medicine on them until they are stabilized or dead.

******************

The combat rules aside, however, I really like the idea of a set of NPC granted abilities like in your example to account for all the little bonuses that sages, blacksmiths, butlers, etc. could provide when hired or even temporarily engaged for services. I think that system would be an excellent addition to 5e. I just don't like them instead of traditional combat stats if they were to be in a battle.

Something like the following (spitballing, not looking for loopholes or balance)....

Sage Knowledge: A sage can assist in any skill check that research and accumulated knowledge could assist in answering. The players can add a +X bonus to a single skill check to make such a skill roll.
(Cost: +5 10GP/1 day, +10 100GP/1 week, +15 1000GP/1 month, +20 10000GP/1 year)

Butler's Impeccable Taste: If the PC finished their most recent long rest at the same location as the Butler, they gain Advantage on Persauasion skill checks until their next combat or long rest.
(Cost: 10GP + 2GP/day ongoing)

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

If I may ask, which generator did you find?

Otherwise i was about to suggest something similar, inspired from the steel defender (Battle Smith Artificer in the Eberron RFTLW). That's how i run my followers at the moment.

D&D 5e Statblock Generator

tetra-cube.com

The ability to use an SRD creature as a starting template and the alrealdy formated attack/spellcasting/features are a huge boon.

 

[aco175]

I tend to make MM stats for these types of NPCs. I like to make them on half sheets of paper the long way, or one column to fit on my table better. I also tend to use a lot of 4e powers to give them. The powers are simple and I just make them 1/rest power or 1/day powers. It gives the follower a cool thing once in a while, but they tend to be sub-par in the rest of the stats and power.

 

[Lanefan]

Adventuring henchlings and followers are people too.

By that, I mean adventuring henchlings are the same as PCs, only without so many levels and - often - without so much wealth; and followers are either likewise (if they have levels) or the same as commoners (if they don't - yet).

Which means, adventuring henchlings are treated exactly the same as adventuring PCs when it comes to rolling them up. For non-adventuring followers I don't worry so much until-unless adventuring somehow comes to them e.g. their leige's castle comes under attack.

 

[dave2008]

Essential's Sidekick: I find them too restrictive if you have more than 2 or 3 followers.

Is the UA: Sidekicks or something else?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Is the UA: Sidekicks or something else?

They were made official in the Essential Kit a few months back. Sadly they are much less interesting than previously seen on UA; they are basic statblocks for NPC that can be leveled instead of being level-able template you add to creatures.

 

[ccs]

●If the follower is expected to be involved in the adventure and I'm not running the npc. Or sharing control of them, I just hand the players a full character sheet.
A few years back I ran a pirate campaign -there were about 40 distinct NPCs on the boat. We all took turns playing them/shared control. So that was 40 full PF character sheets....
●Now if I'm the only one running the npc? Then I've probably only got a few scrawled notes for them & rely on making things up....
I've always done this, whatever the edition.

 

[Shiroiken]

In general, I divide NPCs with the party into 3 categories: followers, henchmen, and allies.

• Followers/Retainers - low CR NPCs, such as commoners, guards, bandits, etc. I reskin as needed to fit the role. They never level up, and once the party gets to level 5+, they become only useful in large numbers (I suggest using the mob rules). Most players will choose not to endanger them on adventures, but instead use them for support, such as taking care of horses, driving carts, and other things that make the PC's life easier.
• Henchmen - higher CR NPCs, such as bandit captains, berserkers, archers, veterans, knights, etc. They also don't level, but they'll stay relevant for much longer (we have a veteran in our Avernus campaign, and even at level 8 she's still useful).
• Allies - built as PCs, but never run by players. They level up as normal, and take a share of the XP. Due to how difficult these can be, I would limit them to only one, and try to keep them short term.

 

[jgsugden]

I have "sidekick"s for PCs, such as animal companions and Meepo, and they tend to advance a bit behind the PCs and have their own NPC sheets, but for the most part anyone else that is in the service of the PCs is just run as an NPC with a small stat block and a few notes on personality. I don't see a need to have more than that, and having rules about how you can collect followers, etc... rather tan just letting it come as part of organic storytelling can result in some weird and awkward forced story elements.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm running my table through the scenario of Baldur's Gate (the video game) and I love to use the companions of the game and allow them to be recruit-able by the PC.

I dont want to hand my players a full stat block, because if they are too complex, they just wont use them.

I mean, a stat block is the right solution for what you want to do, if your players reject it, I think you're pretty much doomed in your goal of using BG companions etc. Feels like a lot of the responses skipped the bolded bit.

Feel free to streamline them (pick the most simple possible subclasses), remove abilities, turn a Wizard into a Sorcerer, but if you want recruitable BG companions, it's literally the only way you're getting ones that aren't annoying to use. The Sidekick rules are disaster for anything custom, as they allow basically zero customization. It doesn't matter if they're a bit weaker than actual PCs, but it's very easy to cut down a character slightly so they're easy to run as a second character.

Even with casual players, if someone has to leave the game early (or arrive late), we just hand over the character sheet to another designated player (this has been agreed beforehand or on the spot over WhatsApp or whatever) and the player simply plays both of them. This isn't 3E or 4E, where that might be a nightmare. It's 5E, so it's fine.