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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 5173757" data-attributes="member: 386">HENCHMEN & HIRELINGSHENCHMENHenchmen are trusted allies that will watch your back in a deadly fight.  They follow your orders and will rarely betray you.Creating Henchmen: Henchmen are generated using the Companion Character rules found on pages 30-32 in the DMG2.  The DM should be sure to include the agendas, behavioural traits, and secrets for henchmen.Playing Henchmen: A player may opt to run one of his henchmen for a number of sessions while his regular PC is busy doing something else.If a player's main PC dies, the player can elect to replace his main PC with one of his henchmen in place of creating a brand-new PC at level 1.  The player should create the henchmen using the standard character creation rules.Maximum Number of Henchmen: Each PC can only have a certain number of henchmen at any given time.  The maximum number of henchmen a PC can have is equal to 2 plus his or her Charisma modifier.  Henchmen can have their own henchmen.Henchmen Experience: Each encounter, a henchman gains XP equal to an elite monster of his level.  This XP is removed from the total XP gained by the PCs.  If the henchman (or henchmen) present reduce the XP gained to 0 or below, divide the XP equally among the henchmen and award none to the PCs.Henchmen use the same XP chart as PCs to determine when they gain levels.Henchmen Conflict: Henchmen are NPCs - that means they are characters in their own right.  As characters, there will be times when they come into conflict with the PC.  If this happens, treat the henchman like any other NPC, resolving the conflict in the usual manner.  The DM should use the terms of employment, the henchman's agenda, behavioural trait, and secret to determine what constitutes a conflict and how the henchman will react.Note that henchmen are adventurers and will not normally shrink from the demands of their lifestyle.Recruiting a Henchman: In order to recruit a henchman, a PC has two options.  The first is to make an abstract Diplomacy (Recruit) action (see the Settlements chapter for more details).  This process takes a month, during which time the PC is trolling taverns and inns, posting wanted ads, hiring town criers, etc.  The DM should apply modifiers to the PC's roll based on the description of the action and any other relevant details - the PC's history and reputation, the area in which the PC is searching, etc.The other option is to play through the individual actions of the PC.  First, the PC must take some sort of action to find a suitable NPC.  The DC is set by the desired level of the henchman.  The DM is free to add in any modifiers; a standard modifier is a bonus to the PC's roll of the level of the settlement that the PC is searching in.[code]Roll        ResultFailure        NPC found, but has enmity toward the PCEasy        NPC of 4 levels lower than desiredModerate    NPC of 2 levels lower than desiredHard        NPC found[/code]Negotiating Terms: Once the NPC has been found, terms must be set.  The DM makes a reaction roll to determine the NPC's disposition.  (If the reaction roll indicates "Hostile", the DM should feel free to be creative in his interpretation of that result.)  The NPC's disposition sets the number of successes required in a Skill Challenge that determines the terms of employment.  The DM should use the NPC's agenda, behavioural trait, and secret to determine what the NPC is looking for; some NPCs may demand a large share of gold, a weekly salary, the chance to experiment in a lab; others may be content with an agreement to exact revenge on the villain who killed the NPC's wife.Playing through the skill challenge will determine what the NPC wants and what the PC has agreed to give in return for loyal services.  This will help inform the DM and player as to what constitutes a conflict between PC and henchman.  Failure in the skill challenge generally means the NPC is not interested in working for the PC, though DMs are free to get creative.HIRELINGSHirelings are paid employees of the PC who have no great loyalty.  They work for a wage, plain and simple, and are generally unwilling to take any undue risk without the promise of riches in return.Creating Hirelings: Hirelings are created as NPCs using the standard method in the DMG.  It is usually easier to simply use the NPC's entry in the Monster Manual if at all possible.Some hirelings have special skills - sages, ritual casters, engineers, etc. - that may not be found in a standard statblock.  The DM can, in this case, add in the required skill or ability to a standard monster's statblock.Recruiting Hirelings: In order to recruit a hireling, the PC must first find characters willing to work.  As with henchmen above, the player has two options.  The first is to use the Diplomacy (Recruit) action (see the Settlements chapter for more details).  This process takes a month.The other is to play through the actions of the PC.With either option, the DC to find the hirelings is the same.  The DC is based on the desired level of the hireling (or hirelings, if a group is wanted).  Use the following table and apply any modifiers that feel right (such as the standard bonus to the roll equal to the settlement's level).[code]Roll        ResultFailure        NPC found, but has enmity toward the PCEasy        NPC of 4 levels lower than desiredModerate    NPC of 2 levels lower than desiredHard        NPC found[/code]Generally speaking, groups of 10 hirelings can be recruited at any one time, though this is subject to change based on the in-game situation.Negotiating Terms: Negotating with a hireling usually requires nothing more than a promise of payment.  Hirelings are generally not worth the trouble to go into more detail.  Most hirelings will ask for a weekly payment of 1/10th a random monetary treasure parcel of their level, though in certain special situations this may not hold true.  If the hireling is expected to undergo any kind of danger, they will also ask for a "danger payment" equal to this amount for each such excursion.The PC can negotiate to lower this amount.  This requires a check, the DC set by the Will defense of the hireling.[code]Roll        ResultFailure        NPC agrees to 20% less than the normal amount but will be lazy         and not carry through on agreed-upon dutiesEasy        No changeModerate    10% lessHard        20% less[/code]This check can be made for groups of hirelings.Hireling Conflict: Hirelings are NPCs, but they tend to fade into the background in most cases.  In general, hirelings will come into conflict with PCs in two cases: If they do not recieve their agreed-upon payment or if they are asked to take undue risks.  If this happens, resolve the conflict in the usual manner.</blockquote>

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