Hechmen, hirelings, mercenaries

[Quasqueton]

In AD&D1, how often did your group(s) employ henchmen/hirelings/mercenaries/etc. for combat roles?

Don’t count anyone hired just to carry bags, carry the lantern, hold the horses, and such. This poll is asking about only those NPCs hired for helping the party out in combats on adventures.

I’m making the distinction because presumably, those NPCs who just carried bags/lanterns or watched the horses and such didn’t get a share of the treasure and xp in adventures. Such hirelings were, according to the rules, usually just paid a flat wage and were of no real use in a battle (sometimes not even having weapons).

And when you did use mercenaries to support the party in battle on adventures, did you hire many (equal to or more than the number of PCs) or few (less than the number of PCs)?

Quasqueton

 

[Dracomeander]

I couldn't say never although in 20+ years of playing AD&D1 and 2, I can only recall using henchmen or hirelings 3 times. None of those times was during a published module, they were all in homebrewed adventures.

Our group didn't even bother with hirelings to watch camp and carry baggage. If our characters couldn't carry something with us, it got left behind unless we were sure the region was safe. Then our group would bring in pack mules or a wagon and cart things away.

 

[philreed]

I voted "often" since we would tend to hire someone about every other adventure.

 

[Melan]

Often. Several characters had low level flunkies, and took them on some adventures. This was usually done in revolving door-style, in that the flunkies died in droves (so did the PCs, just less often). Some survived and got promoted or given a freshly conquered village/stronghold as a reward.

 

[diaglo]

always. linkboy, valet, harlot, scribe.

no decent adventuring party goes on the road sans camp followers.

 

[painandgreed]

Sometimes. Seems like mostly it was just PCs, but every now and then either the situation or the player would opt for NPCs in the party. Usually, they were just a henchman or two that would act as yes men for the PC. If there was a big battle, there might be some mercenaries as they were pretty cheap in the DMG. We really threw our DM for a loop once after he told us that our country's captial had been taken over by Viking raiders and we figured out we could sell our magic sword and hire enough mercenaries to march over there and free them (which we did). The most I've ever seen was when the party was acting as a military unit in a fantasy war between two empires. We needed as many bodies as possible so every single player character got henchmen and we also got mercenaries. The party was a mercenary company workign under a constitution with about 8 PCs with a total head count of over 50 including paymasters, supply officers, etc. Our "dungeons" were essentially really large (and long) mass combats for which we spent lots of money for buffs.

 

[Grymar]

When the group is small (two players, etc) it isn't uncommon for them to have an npc to fill out a role (healer, tank, skill, etc). But that npc will rarely speak and have no plot points or affiliations that focus on him/her.

In a larger group (four or more players), none unless there is a pc with leadership who chooses to bring along his companion.

 

[The Shaman]

no decent adventuring party goes on the road sans camp followers.

QFT.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Never. And I ran a 1 PC campaign in 1E.

Just to note:
In 2E it happened Sometimes.
In 3E probably Often, but the PCs often got the NPCs to join the group as regulars.

 

[jodyjohnson]

We mostly have them for the 'strength in numbers' effect while travelling.

8 orcs in the bushes might actually attack 4 adventurers. I suspect metagaming when the 8 orcs attacks a 10+ band of mounted and armed travellers.

I think it would be metagamey to not go into any situation that would benefit from extra bodies without those extra bodies even though we know OOC that the 1 HD guys won't last long. They don't run around with their stats in their tabards ("Warrior 2 Sgt. 12 hp").

Any BBEG should have them as well. In character you just never know the real capabilities of the enemy (short of the alternate use of Sense Motive for guessing challenge).