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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 8172908" data-attributes="member: 29398">In other words, an in-party adventuring NPC.  It's the same thing.Not quite sure what you mean by this - maybe expand a bit further?Well of course it is!  It's a member of the party just like the rest of 'em; and the characters would have no reason to see it as different (unless it was specifically someone's hench, but henches aren't what I'm talking about here).And to repeat: IME the most common reason for these NPCs being in the party is that the players/PCs put them there.  I've finished my analysis on how NPCs - those relevant enough to warrant inclusion in the games' character logs -  have come into parties in my three big campaigns.  Details are in the spoiler block.[SPOILER]Why and how do NPCs enter adventuring parties:29.1% - Direct Recruitment. Usually done by the PCs during downtime to fill a role; e.g. we need a Thief so let's go recruit one.9.7% - Hired Henches.  Another form of direct recruitment, separated out from above as the relationship at least starts out quite differently, as while they remain henches these basically just do what their boss (always a PC; I've never had an NPC hire a hench) tells 'em to. However, if they last any length of time these henches often get promoted to full party members at some point, and carry on as full-ride party NPCs.21.9% - Encountered in the Field.  This category covers a wide range of things, the most common of which is meeting a Ranger in the woods and taking it into the party.  It also covers meeting another all-NPC party in the field and merging with it (has happened several times); and also covers adventuring foes who switch sides by choice either during or after fighting the PC party.  It does not cover rescued prisoners nor charmed captives; these get their own categories below.12.6% - Rescuees. A common feature of adventures is the classed-and-levelled prisoner or kidnap victim who, if rescued, equipped and cured, will volunteer to - at the very least - help the party finish out that adventure. Often these rescuees fit in well enough that the party keeps them around after that adventure is done. Many PCs have also come in this way.10.4% - Provided By Module. This category covers NPCs inserted purely as plot devices, or who come as a baked-in part of a particular module, or who are sent with the party as observers. This is the only category where the players/PCs really don't have much choice about accepting the NPC.7.9% - Captives. Usually captured ex-foes, these end up working for/with the party (due to being charmed or bribed or threatened or - in a few cases - simply fed, watered, and treated well) and last long enough to be worth noting.8.3% - Other.  This catch-all group includes a bunch of oddball reasons for an NPC to join up:--- companion of a new PC, "we come as a team"--- intelligent quasi-independent familiar of a PC--- local guides who end up adventuring with the party usually not by their own choice e.g. party is ambushed or captured or teleported while the guide is still with them--- cases where the party's first interaction with the NPC is to revive it from death, usually in mid-adventure--- a fake PC, given to the player to play while I ran the real PC as if an NPC (very long story!)--- non-adventuring NPCs who were logged simply due to their importance to the party (I usually log these separately but one or two slipped into the main character logs way back when)--- the NPC is a founding member of a brand new party thus none of the above have yet had a chance to occurInstant remarks and analysis: I was a bit surprised how large the "Encountered in the Field" category got.  A few from the "Other" category could be placed into named groups e.g. the revived-from-death ones could maybe go under Rescuees, but I left them in Other as it's so unusual.  I thought there'd be more in the Captives category.  The PCs/players have complete choice as to acceptance in all categories except Provided By Module and a few cases under Other e.g. local guides who get stuck with the party.Numbers are up to date including last session, where two new NPCs were recruited.[/SPOILER]Whatever that reddit bit is, it doesn't load for me.</blockquote>

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