Henchmen¶
A henchman is a hired companion willing to go into danger for his master. In return he takes an equal share of treasure and expects to be paid every month.
Used by: the Basic Game Loop, when a PC wants to recruit between adventures.
Uses: Morale Checks when a henchman is asked to face danger.
Goes back to: the calling procedure.
Records to update: henchman notes (stat block, wage, current HP).
Recruiting & Limit¶
Recruiting is an activity that only leveled PCs can undertake in a settlement. It requires one workweek and costs 25 gp. A PC's maximum henchmen is equal to his proficiency bonus plus his Charisma modifier, with a minimum of 0. A fighter's limit is double this, provided the additional henchmen cannot cast spells.
Recruit availability¶
To determine whether a recruit is availale, roll d100 on the table below against the entry for the recruit type and the settlement type. On a successful roll, one of that type is available. On a failure, one additional roll may be made if 100 gp is offered as a signing bonus, which is paid if that roll is successful. If no roll is successful, no recruit of that type is available from that settlement for the week.
Each recruit type may be hired up to a number of times per month based on the size of the settlement. Villages have up to one, towns up to two, cities up to 3.
| Recruit Type | CR | Village | Town | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guard | 1/8 | 50% | 80% | 100% |
| Tribal Warrior | 1/8 | 30% | 40% | 60% |
| Bandit | 1/8 | 30% | 50% | 70% |
| Acolyte | 1/4 | 30% | 60% | 90% |
| Apprentice Wizard | 1/4 | 15% | 30% | 50% |
| Scout | 1/2 | 10%* | 30% | 50% |
| Thug | 1/2 | 20% | 40% | 50% |
| Spy | 1 | — | 15% | 30% |
| Priest | 1 | — | 15% | 40% |
| Veteran | 3 | 5% | 20% | 40% |
* 30% if near wilderness
Payment¶
Henchmen expect payment in treasure or a minimum monthly wage. Henchmen of CR 1/4 and above expect their first month's wage on the first day. The monthly wage is equal to 1 gp per XP of the henchman's CR. Henchmen able to cast spells require 1.5x this amount.
A henchman requires an equal share of party treasure. A party of two PCs with two henchmen splits treasure four ways. A henchman's treasure share counts toward his wage. If the wage is 100 gp and this month's treasure share was 130 gp, the henchman is considered paid.
An unpaid henchman leaves at the end of the month if not paid. This will likely produce rumors.
Henchman Behavior¶
Morale. Under dangerous circumstances, the henchman must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or move to get out of danger. The DC ranges from 10 for above normal danger to 20 or more for deadly situations. Morale failures are tracked per mission. On the first failure, the henchman simply refuses the request or order. On the second, the henchman will not follow other orders that require a morale check. On the third or later failure, the henchman quits at the earliest safe moment and will not work for his master again.
Moving out of danger. When the henchman feels threatened or suffers a morale failure, he will use available means to get to safety. This may include stepping back, using the Disengage action, moving to a safer location, or even leaving the area altogether.
Near death. If a henchman is reduced to 5 HP or fewer, he will immediately suffer a morale failure and move out of danger.
Death. A henchman dies at 0 hit points. When a henchman dies, rumors will likely result, and his master will not be able to recruit in the henchman's settlement for one month. Repeated henchmen deaths may result in further recruiting penalties, permanent bans in the settlement, mob action, and even legal consequences.
Sidekicks¶
When a PC finishes training to gain a new level, he may promote one existing henchman as his sidekick if it meets the requirements (see TCE 142).
A PC may only have one sidekick at a time. The sidekick takes an equal share of treasure like a henchman, but no longer expects a monthly wage. A sidekick has +10 on morale checks if he can see his master. A sidekick's level can't exceed his master's level minus one. A sidekick gains a level when his master does. Otherwise, a sidekick is identical to a henchman.