Here are the limits, currently, on hirelings and henchmen in DF Felltower.
62-point Bargain Henchmen: Unlimited. PCs can get as many as they like, subject to rolls (the usual 1+margin of success)
125-point Henchmen: Limited. One per PC per search. Known and existing hirelings may be found on a seperate roll.
187-point Henchmen: Rare. A critical success on a search for a 125-point henchmen is needed.
250-point Henchmen. Just kidding. They don't exist.
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Friday, November 1, 2024
Friday Roundup 11/1/2024
Not much gaming-wise this week. However:
- Next game of Felltower is 11/17. We have to skip 11/3 because not enough players are available and 11/10 I'm not available.
- It's a bit of a pain to generate the formatted NPCs I put up on the blog, but if they're popular, I'll keep doing them.
- Next game session will be session 200 for us. Should I do something special for it? Inflict 200 damage on a random target? Charge 200 sp to enter the dungeon? Give out 200 xp? Nah, probably not. But it will be a lot of game sessions, especially given the slow rate of gaming in the past few years.
- I went through my comic collection and have a few issues of Forgotten Realms from DC comics. Issues 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and Annual #1 and something called the Grand Tour. I'm thinking of putting them up on eBay. I never got too into it and it's time to pass them on. I thought I had more but here we are.
- Next game of Felltower is 11/17. We have to skip 11/3 because not enough players are available and 11/10 I'm not available.
- It's a bit of a pain to generate the formatted NPCs I put up on the blog, but if they're popular, I'll keep doing them.
- Next game session will be session 200 for us. Should I do something special for it? Inflict 200 damage on a random target? Charge 200 sp to enter the dungeon? Give out 200 xp? Nah, probably not. But it will be a lot of game sessions, especially given the slow rate of gaming in the past few years.
- I went through my comic collection and have a few issues of Forgotten Realms from DC comics. Issues 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and Annual #1 and something called the Grand Tour. I'm thinking of putting them up on eBay. I never got too into it and it's time to pass them on. I thought I had more but here we are.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Felltower Generic NPC: Guard
This is the standard "guard" NPC that PCs hire or sometimes fight. This is built off of the 62-point Guard template in Dungeon Fantasy 15: Henchmen.
Generic Guard
Available for hire, or to fight the PCs as they delve!
ST 12 HP 12 Speed 5.75
DX 11 Will 10 Move 4
IQ 10 Per 10
HT 12 FP 12
Dodge 7 Parry 9+DB 2 Block 11
Broadsword (13): 1d+3 cutting, 1d+1 impaling, Reach 1.
Large Knife (11): 1d cut, or 1d-1 impaling, Reach C, 1.
Traits: Bully; Code of Honor (Soldier's); High Pain Threshold; Overconfidence (12); Sense of Duty (Companions).
Skills: Armoury (Melee Weapons)-9; Brawling-11; Broadsword-13; Carousing-12; Climbing-10; Knife-11; Shield-12; Stealth-10; Wrestling-10.
Equipment: Heavy Leather Armor Suit (with face protection); Cheap Broadsword; Large Knife; Medium Shield; Personal Basics; Pouch; Wineskin (1 quart capacity).
Notes: For a bandit type, repace Code of Honor (Soldier's) and Sese of Duty (Companions) with Greed. Loadout puts the guard at Light encumbrance with an empty pouch and wineskin, medium with just about any load at all.
Note they lack - deliberately - empty carrying sacks, backpacks, etc. This is a design choice by the GM to make it harder to turn "hired fighters" into "loot carriers." That's a laborer's job. Armor is from DFRPG, not GURPS Basic Set.
Generic Guard
Available for hire, or to fight the PCs as they delve!
ST 12 HP 12 Speed 5.75
DX 11 Will 10 Move 4
IQ 10 Per 10
HT 12 FP 12
Dodge 7 Parry 9+DB 2 Block 11
Broadsword (13): 1d+3 cutting, 1d+1 impaling, Reach 1.
Large Knife (11): 1d cut, or 1d-1 impaling, Reach C, 1.
Traits: Bully; Code of Honor (Soldier's); High Pain Threshold; Overconfidence (12); Sense of Duty (Companions).
Skills: Armoury (Melee Weapons)-9; Brawling-11; Broadsword-13; Carousing-12; Climbing-10; Knife-11; Shield-12; Stealth-10; Wrestling-10.
Equipment: Heavy Leather Armor Suit (with face protection); Cheap Broadsword; Large Knife; Medium Shield; Personal Basics; Pouch; Wineskin (1 quart capacity).
Notes: For a bandit type, repace Code of Honor (Soldier's) and Sese of Duty (Companions) with Greed. Loadout puts the guard at Light encumbrance with an empty pouch and wineskin, medium with just about any load at all.
Note they lack - deliberately - empty carrying sacks, backpacks, etc. This is a design choice by the GM to make it harder to turn "hired fighters" into "loot carriers." That's a laborer's job. Armor is from DFRPG, not GURPS Basic Set.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Acrobatic Dodge & Criticals?
In our last game, one of the PCs attempted an Acrobatic Dodge (Exploints, p. 48, and Campaigns, p. B375). He rolled an 18 on his Acrobatics roll.
What happens?
The player agued, nothing except a -2. An 18 is a failure, and a failure is a -2 to Dodge. It says that explicitly in both referenced rules.
I allowed that, but I'm still not convinced.
The argument in favor of the player's position is that the rule doesn't specify anything about a critical success or critical failure, so therefore they don't have any special effect.
But does the lack of a specific result for a critical failure overrule this basic, underlying rule for making skill rolls? Success Rolls (Exploits, p. 5-7, Campaigns p. B343-348) calls out what constitutes a critical success or critical failure. Does the lack of a specific result for critcial success or failure mean there are no critical successes or critical failures?
For my game, I am willing but not terribly happy to have Acrobatics rolls for Acrobatic Dodge insert the concept of "only skill rolls with specified critical results have criticals" into the game. I would restrict it only to rolls in this case. Largely, though, I'm not sure I like the implications . . . but for DF Felltower, I'll go with it and say it's only for this case and the related case of Aerobatics.
What happens?
The player agued, nothing except a -2. An 18 is a failure, and a failure is a -2 to Dodge. It says that explicitly in both referenced rules.
I allowed that, but I'm still not convinced.
The argument in favor of the player's position is that the rule doesn't specify anything about a critical success or critical failure, so therefore they don't have any special effect.
But does the lack of a specific result for a critical failure overrule this basic, underlying rule for making skill rolls? Success Rolls (Exploits, p. 5-7, Campaigns p. B343-348) calls out what constitutes a critical success or critical failure. Does the lack of a specific result for critcial success or failure mean there are no critical successes or critical failures?
For my game, I am willing but not terribly happy to have Acrobatics rolls for Acrobatic Dodge insert the concept of "only skill rolls with specified critical results have criticals" into the game. I would restrict it only to rolls in this case. Largely, though, I'm not sure I like the implications . . . but for DF Felltower, I'll go with it and say it's only for this case and the related case of Aerobatics.
Sunday, October 27, 2024
How to use hirelings to boost a Felltower Party: GM's View
This is a GM's view of a useful way to use hirelings in DF Felltower. I'm focusing especially 62-point hirelings, since they're pretty much available in large amounts in a way that 125 point ones are not. Expected additional reading: What are Hirelings Good For?
Repeat after me: Hirelings are Not PCs
One of the biggest issues I see is expecting too much of hirelings. I've heard of walls of polearm-armed NPCs keeping the enemy back, archers or crossbowmen keeping the enemy pinned down (I think that's much more a modern rapid-fire firearms idea, anyway) or "sniping," backstabbing foes, etc.
The thing is, 62-point hirelings are boderline fodder or actually fodder vs. 250 point delvers, depending on how efficiently built for combat they are. Against 300 point delvers, they're fodder. Why is that important? Because they're at best better than 1:1 equal with fodder, but more likely 1:1 equal with fodder. They aren't 1:1 equal against worthy opponents. If orcs are fodder, ogres are worthy. If large spiders are fodder, giant spiders are worthy. If goblins are fodder, trolls are worthy. Is your 62-point hireling equal to an ogre or a giant spider or a troll? No.
So don't expect them to accomplish anything more in combat than an equal number of fodder opponents.
So what are they good for?
Largely, freeing up PCs to do PC things.
Hirelings can be best used in Felltower, in my opinion, to do the following:
- Covering the flanks. In a place like Felltower, this is largely acting as a rear-guard tripwire, and watching crossing hallways to keep the PCs from being surprised - or at least reduce the odds of that. This also slows down any attackers until the PCs can turn around on them and engage. It's unlikely they'd win a fight, but they can provide valuable assistance just by starting the fight before the threat reaches the PCs.
Guards are your template of choice for this situation.
- Carrying the loot and the bodies. Way too often, the PCs depend on PCs to carry loot, carry out unconcious buddies, and carry out the slain. Worse, it's often getting a badly wounded PC concious despite being at negative HP and just hoping they can limp to safety. Having some NPCs - especially those designed to do so - carry stuff is helpful. Laborers are rarely considered because people assume that arms-carrying mercenaries are happy to stop being warriors and start being laborers. They might tolerate it, even willingly do it thanks to high Loyalty, but a guy with ST 12 and armor and weapons and a shield has less carrying capacity than a lightly-clad lightly-armed laborer with ST 13 and Lifting ST 2.
- Junk Work. Guarding the camp probably takes an actual Guard, while minding the rations and the left-behind loot is a good job for Servants. But when a job needs doing, and the sessions devolves into "I don't want to discuss how we do (X or Y or Z) for 10 minutes" the answer probably is a cheap NPC doing it, instead. Leaving NPCs behind policing up the battlefield, guarded by a few guards, is risky and has drawbacks, but if you need the PCs immediately in another battle, at least it's getting done somehow. Having an NPC to routinely guard camp spares the 10 minutes spent discussing how you'll conceal your stuff left outside the dungeon. And so on.
The rest of the potential uses? Makeweight combatants, augmenting the front lines, etc.? Generally a bit of a waste in a high-lethality situation like Felltower itself. They're useful when you need to cover lots of angles of attack and slow down the enemy, but they aren't going to win you a fight. They can reduce the cost of such a fight, and let the PCs focus on what they need to focus on.
In other words, let the PCs do their jobs, but have NPCs be your eyes, ears, and hands for the flanks, rear, and loot. Bringing your own fodder to the main battle is good, but better is preventing the enemy from flanking you because your NPCs block the corridor for a time. Having some crossbowmen shoot at the enemy (and all the time that takes in actual play for the GM resolving it!) is nice, but nicer is having your Scout shoot at the enemy while your fodder prevents the enemy from charging straight in. Having your knights and barbarians fight instead of carrying your unconcious buddies and the loot sure beats anything else.
Pro Tips:
Have the Leader PC do the Hiring. Loyalty is set based on the reaction roll of the hiring PC; this PC should also be the leader. "We tell them to listen to any of us" sounds great, but in a fight, who do they turn to? Everyone? Anyone? "Listen to any of us" quickly becomes "Do whatever seems useful to someone at the moment." Better they have a set leader, who then delegates authority in non-combat situations.
Have a good mix. Don't just hire 10 laborers or 10 guards or 10 torch bearers. Get a mix depending on what you actually need.
Tell the GM ahead of time. If the GM is sitting down to play, the GM won't have so much time to generate NPCs and load in tokens and give them names and so on. VTT is slower on the setup than physical play.
Just my opinion. I could be wrong, but it's what I see from my side of the screen.
Repeat after me: Hirelings are Not PCs
One of the biggest issues I see is expecting too much of hirelings. I've heard of walls of polearm-armed NPCs keeping the enemy back, archers or crossbowmen keeping the enemy pinned down (I think that's much more a modern rapid-fire firearms idea, anyway) or "sniping," backstabbing foes, etc.
The thing is, 62-point hirelings are boderline fodder or actually fodder vs. 250 point delvers, depending on how efficiently built for combat they are. Against 300 point delvers, they're fodder. Why is that important? Because they're at best better than 1:1 equal with fodder, but more likely 1:1 equal with fodder. They aren't 1:1 equal against worthy opponents. If orcs are fodder, ogres are worthy. If large spiders are fodder, giant spiders are worthy. If goblins are fodder, trolls are worthy. Is your 62-point hireling equal to an ogre or a giant spider or a troll? No.
So don't expect them to accomplish anything more in combat than an equal number of fodder opponents.
So what are they good for?
Largely, freeing up PCs to do PC things.
Hirelings can be best used in Felltower, in my opinion, to do the following:
- Covering the flanks. In a place like Felltower, this is largely acting as a rear-guard tripwire, and watching crossing hallways to keep the PCs from being surprised - or at least reduce the odds of that. This also slows down any attackers until the PCs can turn around on them and engage. It's unlikely they'd win a fight, but they can provide valuable assistance just by starting the fight before the threat reaches the PCs.
Guards are your template of choice for this situation.
- Carrying the loot and the bodies. Way too often, the PCs depend on PCs to carry loot, carry out unconcious buddies, and carry out the slain. Worse, it's often getting a badly wounded PC concious despite being at negative HP and just hoping they can limp to safety. Having some NPCs - especially those designed to do so - carry stuff is helpful. Laborers are rarely considered because people assume that arms-carrying mercenaries are happy to stop being warriors and start being laborers. They might tolerate it, even willingly do it thanks to high Loyalty, but a guy with ST 12 and armor and weapons and a shield has less carrying capacity than a lightly-clad lightly-armed laborer with ST 13 and Lifting ST 2.
- Junk Work. Guarding the camp probably takes an actual Guard, while minding the rations and the left-behind loot is a good job for Servants. But when a job needs doing, and the sessions devolves into "I don't want to discuss how we do (X or Y or Z) for 10 minutes" the answer probably is a cheap NPC doing it, instead. Leaving NPCs behind policing up the battlefield, guarded by a few guards, is risky and has drawbacks, but if you need the PCs immediately in another battle, at least it's getting done somehow. Having an NPC to routinely guard camp spares the 10 minutes spent discussing how you'll conceal your stuff left outside the dungeon. And so on.
The rest of the potential uses? Makeweight combatants, augmenting the front lines, etc.? Generally a bit of a waste in a high-lethality situation like Felltower itself. They're useful when you need to cover lots of angles of attack and slow down the enemy, but they aren't going to win you a fight. They can reduce the cost of such a fight, and let the PCs focus on what they need to focus on.
In other words, let the PCs do their jobs, but have NPCs be your eyes, ears, and hands for the flanks, rear, and loot. Bringing your own fodder to the main battle is good, but better is preventing the enemy from flanking you because your NPCs block the corridor for a time. Having some crossbowmen shoot at the enemy (and all the time that takes in actual play for the GM resolving it!) is nice, but nicer is having your Scout shoot at the enemy while your fodder prevents the enemy from charging straight in. Having your knights and barbarians fight instead of carrying your unconcious buddies and the loot sure beats anything else.
Pro Tips:
Have the Leader PC do the Hiring. Loyalty is set based on the reaction roll of the hiring PC; this PC should also be the leader. "We tell them to listen to any of us" sounds great, but in a fight, who do they turn to? Everyone? Anyone? "Listen to any of us" quickly becomes "Do whatever seems useful to someone at the moment." Better they have a set leader, who then delegates authority in non-combat situations.
Have a good mix. Don't just hire 10 laborers or 10 guards or 10 torch bearers. Get a mix depending on what you actually need.
Tell the GM ahead of time. If the GM is sitting down to play, the GM won't have so much time to generate NPCs and load in tokens and give them names and so on. VTT is slower on the setup than physical play.
Just my opinion. I could be wrong, but it's what I see from my side of the screen.
Friday, October 25, 2024
Friday Roundup 10/25/2024
Links for Friday.
- There is an article discussing a book that lets you build classes for B/X D&D.
Having fun with BX Options: Class Builder
There was a dragon magazine article that did exactly this, also with B/X, in Dragon #109, by Paul Montgomery Crabaugh. I wonder how much this matches up with that previous work?
- Undead Handmines. Cute.
- A bit of a look at AD&D's STR scores and bonuses.
- There is an article discussing a book that lets you build classes for B/X D&D.
Having fun with BX Options: Class Builder
There was a dragon magazine article that did exactly this, also with B/X, in Dragon #109, by Paul Montgomery Crabaugh. I wonder how much this matches up with that previous work?
- Undead Handmines. Cute.
- A bit of a look at AD&D's STR scores and bonuses.
Thursday, October 24, 2024
DFRPG Monsters 2 sale
Warehouse 23 is doing a sale . . . on mostly Halloween-themed things.
One of them is DFRPG Monsters 2. 23% off.
Oddly, though, GURPS Zombies is not on sale. Huh. Too bad, it's a keeper! I'd use the horde rules for zombies for my DF game, but my players refuse to defeat foes, they want to destroy each and every single one of them. So no point in figuring out what a crowd of critters is like and what is enough to defeat it if I then I have to deal with each one individually anyway. But it's a great supplement. It's just oddly not on sale in an October game sale.
One of them is DFRPG Monsters 2. 23% off.
Oddly, though, GURPS Zombies is not on sale. Huh. Too bad, it's a keeper! I'd use the horde rules for zombies for my DF game, but my players refuse to defeat foes, they want to destroy each and every single one of them. So no point in figuring out what a crowd of critters is like and what is enough to defeat it if I then I have to deal with each one individually anyway. But it's a great supplement. It's just oddly not on sale in an October game sale.
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