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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7753039" data-attributes="member: 42582">AD&amp;D is fairly careful with it.Moldvay Basic has retainers only (the analogue of AD&amp;D henchmen); Cook/Marsh Expert adds hirelings, who are the same (functionally, and also in general descriptions of the various categories) as AD&amp;D. Having just had a look at RC, it doesn't have the same clear distinction between retainers/henchmen, and hirelings. It seems to have a general category of hirelings, which includes retainers, mercenaries and specialists (in earlier editions these would be &quot;hirelings'), and then stronghold retainers (who in earlier editions would be &quot;followers&quot;). I don't know if this terminological feature of RC is unique to it, or reflects changes that were made in the Mentzer versions of BECMI.I think this was part of the logic of it, although it's never clearly spelled out (because clarity as to how to actually play the game would be too helpful!).EDIT: I also just noticed that RC doesn't have the &quot;half XP&quot; rule. It doesn't have a max level rule, but does have a &quot;can't be recruited if more than half the PC's level&quot; rule, with an exception for 1st level.The lack of a henchman/hireling distinction is reinforced by the fact that candidates for hiring as retainers will include 0-level NPCs, which isn't the case in AD&amp;D nor (I think) in B/X.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7753039, member: 42582"] AD&D is fairly careful with it. Moldvay Basic has retainers only (the analogue of AD&D henchmen); Cook/Marsh Expert adds hirelings, who are the same (functionally, and also in general descriptions of the various categories) as AD&D. Having just had a look at RC, it doesn't have the same clear distinction between retainers/henchmen, and hirelings. It seems to have a general category of hirelings, which includes retainers, mercenaries and specialists (in earlier editions these would be "hirelings'), and then stronghold retainers (who in earlier editions would be "followers"). I don't know if this terminological feature of RC is unique to it, or reflects changes that were made in the Mentzer versions of BECMI. I think this was part of the logic of it, although it's never clearly spelled out (because clarity as to how to actually play the game would be too helpful!). EDIT: I also just noticed that RC doesn't have the "half XP" rule. It doesn't have a max level rule, but does have a "can't be recruited if more than half the PC's level" rule, with an exception for 1st level. The lack of a henchman/hireling distinction is reinforced by the fact that candidates for hiring as retainers will include 0-level NPCs, which isn't the case in AD&D nor (I think) in B/X. [/QUOTE]

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