D&D General Introducing henchmen and followers to players/PCs?

[aco175]

Basic question on how do people introduce followers such as henchmen to the party. Is it something the DM should dangle and the players take if wanted or leave things to the players to make the henchmen?

In my campaign, I have the party at level 8 and they want to establish a stronghold of some sort. I have introduced hooks for a magic item that grants the PC something if they have a stronghold and at least one henchman such as the cleric can cast channel divinity one more time per day if they have the magic item and a temple and one henchman. I have been creating some of the NPCs they meet to become some sort of follower if the player wants, but introducing them is a bit forced.

Last game the party took prisoner one of the cultist thugs instead of killing him and diplomacied their way to getting information and wanting to let him go. One of the players said, "Hey, you want to be a henchman." It felt a bit off, but fine if they want to take this guy on.

I'm interested in letting the players create followers of their own as well. They have ideas of having lower level characters to both follow the original party but also go on adventurers for low-level stuff. I was thinking these could also be some sort of special follower and have a chart to roll on to gather more followers to that PC once they make a stronghold.

Anyways, I am interested in how other people do things like this, thanks

 

[Marandahir]

Use the 3 NPC classes in Essentials Kit / Tasha's Cauldron. They're great for this, and can stay leveled with the PCs without overshadowing them. You can even let the players take turns or collectively choose the actions for these NPCs.

 

[payn]

Typically, I dont make NPCs with the sole purpose of being a potential follower. I leave it up to my players to decide if they want to take an NPC on if it interests them. I also dont expect, but encourage players to create their own followers to enter the game if they choose.

I also prefer that followers dont join combat encounters, but serve as a more off board assistance role. For example, PF1 has persona and you can gain followers that take on tasks in your home city/stronghold while you are out doing other things. In Kingmaker, they can fulfill all kinds of roles from craftsmen to city council members. Not every campaign is suited for followers, but you can probably work out a way to have them in any campaign if it is desired.

 

[Cruentus]

I do both. If there are NPCs that the party interacts with, and the player wants to invite them to be a henchman, then I roll with that. If I’m playing 5e, I might have the player make a charisma check or persuasion or something.

In my OSE games, the henchman signing on is handled through reaction rolls. PC’s can invite them, or PCs can advertise for their services in town or with a guild, or whatever. This takes time and resources. Then they negotiate the terms of service - how much per day they receive, what share of the treasure. For hirelings, it’s usually a set amount of coin per day, and they don’t fight. They hold torches, mind carts and horses, carry spears, etc. If they’re a henchmen, they adventure with the party, then they get a negotiated cut of the earnings of the adventure, and a cut of the xp. These are more specific to OSE or BX, but can be used in 5e. And they have to be lower level than the PC who hired them. If the PC is level 9, and the henchman becomes level 9, the henchman goes off to establish their own career/stronghold.

1e PHB, I think, or was it the DMG, had tables to roll on for followers that showed up at ‘name level’ once you established a stronghold. They also had costs. In the past, we’ve done ‘guards and general soldiery’ to be 0 level fighters and paid them a salary. Henchmen who did fighting or went on lower level adventures, they got the treasure cut, magic items, etc., and became a “stable” of characters for the players to use either in the main party, or on their own lower level excursions.

It all falls to the level of time and management you want to take on. I usually left the players to manage their hirelings and henchmen, and I helped track the coin being spent for the stronghold.

 

[aco175]

I was also trying to look at some of the Matt Colville and A5e stuff on followers. There might be low level and do not fight, but add something such as a torchbearer can provide light 40ft and 1/day light out to 100ft for 1d6 rounds. A squire might grant something like the shield spell 1/day. I have not figured out having them be on adventures, not fight directly, but also not die from a fireball.

 

[payn]

I was also trying to look at some of the Matt Colville and A5e stuff on followers. There might be low level and do not fight, but add something such as a torchbearer can provide light 40ft and 1/day light out to 100ft for 1d6 rounds. A squire might grant something like the shield spell 1/day. I have not figured out having them be on adventures, not fight directly, but also not die from a fireball.

Yeah thats the rub. allowing followers into combat can sometimes complicate things when you have both numerous PCs and allies and those allies are weaker. Which, is why I try and make followers more of an off board downtime minor boon thing such as you describe here.

 

[bloodtide]

In general, I just let the players do it if they want too.

When a character gets to "name" level (that is 9th) my default game has the player be a "somebody" and part of the game world. Assuming the player wants it. Generally a player needs or wants some NPCs.

It's rare I let a player make an NPC. As they are generally weak non combat types. So if a player really wants to make Bob the Baker and be all wow his cooking skill is +10, it does not matter much.

And personalities are just fluff...the player makes Gus the Guard like apples...wow...deep personality.