Hirelings & Henchmen – Tools of the Trade or just Tools?

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Episode 184 Streamed Live Tuesday March 26, 2024. (R)

Catch-up from the past week

This past Friday 3/22/24 we live streamed Horde Wars Ultimate Campaign – much death and much miraculous recoveries. The Priest/Acolyte was, as always, One and Done!

Hirelings & Henchmen- Tools of the Trade or just Tools?

https://oldschoolroleplaying.com/henchmen-and-hirelings-in-dungeons-and-dragons/

Henchmen: is a better grade of hireling. While money may still be a motivating factor for them these are permanent retainers or allies for the player characters. They are sidekicks.

Advantages

Gives use for the hard-earned coin.

Allows for PCs to feel like big shots and build up to Domain play in an organic way and at lower or the lowest character levels.

Challenges

Who plays these NPCs especially if there is many of them? Additional burden on the DM???

How do you stop them from becoming fodder or “trap detectors”?

How do you handle these characters leveling up? How long will the follow the characters? A PC is level 5 and a henchman is level 4…does the boss-worker dynamic change?

At what point would it be ok to have a BBEG convince one of the hirelings/henchmen to turn on the party? Kill them in their sleep?

How do they/did they work throughout the editions?

Story Mechanics in TTRPGs?

Bennies, Re-rolls, Narrative Control, Hero Points, Fail Forward, Success with a Cost …others?

Yes, no, maybe, always good, sometimes good , never good?

How do they aid play? How do they hinder?

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