D&D 5E Followers and Animal friends in 5E

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The action economy is the central problem with henchmen and followers because an extra action (even by a weaker character) is an extremely powerful ability. Animal companions, along with summoned monsters, have the problem that -- if they get their own actions -- they need to be almost uselessly weak or prohibitively expensive to be balanced against other character abilities.

I'm not sure what the answer is. I suspect that animals and followers are going to need to have an on-going monetary cost -- something that makes them like a different type of magic item. Then the character abilities that allow PCs to improve their morale (and maybe hire them more efficiently) can be compared against character abilities that create magic items.

All of this would be optional, of course, but it seems to me that worthwhile companions and followers have to be treated as a form of semi-expendable treasure. In other words, they are a valuable thing that exists in the gameworld and not an entitlement from a character ability. (That wouldn't go for familiars and other non-combat animal companions -- those are weak enough that they make reasonable character abilities.)

-KS

I could see this being balanced by level.

Combat cohorts will not be available at level 1. You'll get them all level X (or upgrade your noncombat cohort to combat worth at level X).

At level X, your battelbulter/ninjamaid/petbear/T-rexBFF/combatbird/golembuddy/childsidekick has crappy HP and just one attack. An equal level character would clobber it. And you + it would have to be made wear it won't be stronger than a character of the same class with a different theme.

A 6th level fighter (beastmaster) might get 3 attacks with his sword for 1d10+4 damage or from his bear form 1d8+6

A 6th level fighter (slayer) would get 3 attacks with his sword for 1d10+8 damage and deal 2d10 extra damage on critical hit.

 

[steeldragons]

Since its been brought up by a few posters here, I would like to throw out my two coppers on the Summoning spells (Monster and Nature's Ally, respectively).

No, they're not "animal companions" per se but are used that way, basically, in game, "here's something else to attack for/soak up damage for me."

Especially since we now know that they want to do "iconic spell lists" of 6 spells per level, there can't be a Summon Monster I-V or a Summon Natur's Ally I-V. They should each be their own spells. I'm gonna suggest 4th level for mages and, perhaps, 3rd level spells for Druids. That's it. 1 spell. 1 table of potential creatures that will appear/arrive.

No more of the "Summon Monster I: Ok, here's a celestial honey badger." or "Infernal flying squirrel" and Summon Monster V giving you "bronze dragons" or "Type III demons".

I am more than willing to say, at this point of the game's history, both Summon Monster and Nature's Ally are "iconic D&D spells". But they can't be used anymore at every single blessed level by everyone. Maybe spread it out for a Conjuration specialist...I could see that, though I'd probably opt for them to not be more than a dial of I: low level creature, II: mid-level, III: boogie-bad mamma jamma (or several lower level ones). But they'd have their own set of Conj/Summ spells for every level...and could be part of hte special tricks/abilities that a Conj. specialist would have.

But the days of, every bloody combat, "I summon Nature's Ally" and then buff it up and send it in to die would go back to a once per day (if said spell is memorized), every once in a while, tactic. Fight yer own battles!

SUmmoned monsters, animal companions, even retainers/henchmen as just so much cannon fodder needs to stop, imho.
--SD

 

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[MENTION=92511]steeldragons[/MENTION]

What about people who want to play mysophobes, dandies, brats, cowards, and snobs? How are they supposed to cower behind rocks and overturned tables as their summoned help does all the heavy lifting?

"Oh woe is me. What ever shall I do? Orcs. Orcs. Get away, orcs. Save me, summoned monster."

I agree though. Cohorts/improvedfamiliars/combatanimalcompanion and long duration summons should require deep investment in a theme/feattree to use as a meatshield or shock trooper. So much so that the base character has no specialization of their own and is just the core of the class.

 

[Li Shenron]

I have to say that followers/familiars/etc are not high on my priority list, but here are my spare thoughts about them:

- if they are class features or selectable feats/power, then they must have some clear benefit over their mundane counterparts which are hired henchmen or mercenaries, and bought & trained animals; e.g. in 3ed I always stressed the idea that familiars, animal companions and cohorts from Leadership feat were significantly more (possibly perfectly) loyal - therefore very reliable - than hired NPC and trained animals

- IMXP it is much much better not to let the player control the actions of the cohort/familiar directly, and I wish this was suggested as default in the PHB; a DM should be still free to let the player "play" the cohort but it's best to have some guidelines on the possible consequences

- if the companion is a class feature that cannot be opted-out and traded for something else, then it might be appropriate that it also come with a risk/liability (e.g. 3ed familiar's XP cost on death) so that opting-out by ignoring the class features carries the indirect benefit of not having to worry about such liability; HOWEVER a lot of players may be pissed off by having the liability when they do want to have that familiar... so either always make the class feature swappable with something else or alternatively design an option (e.g. a feat) that can be taken to remove the liability