One thing I've occasionally toyed with, but never really personally used, is an unlikable follower.
Most hirelings, henchmen, Allies, and Dependents are in some way likable. Or at least valuable without being disliked. They're friendly, they listen to your PC (even if only most of the time), they have neutral to good traits from the perspective of the group.
But while re-reading Gene Wolfe's "The Book of the New Sun" series I thought about inherently unlikable followers.
Has anyone tried this in play? Using a follower that is useful and helpful to have around, or is an actual Ally of a PC, but is actually a pretty horrible person to be around? Or even actively dangerous to have around (except to, and for, the PCs)? Full-on negative disadvantages, say, outweighed by some value to the PCs that can't be easily had elsewhere?
I'm curious to find out how that may play out in a campaign.
Well in ad&d, at least first edition, the only edition I know, it is very difficult to get henchmen. I guess you are stuck with who you can get.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I ever made an unlikable henchmen (by accident) the PCs conspired to dump him at the first opportunity. Granted he wasn't necessary to them in any capacity, so not really on the same tier as your question.
ReplyDeleteHowever if the henchman/Ally/hireling is absolutely indispensable in some manner, then it either becomes akin to a really annoying 'escort quest' or the equivalent of having a Berserker PC in the group. Someone you can't just ditch, but is really going to piss everyone off or someone who is extremely dangerous to the party every so often.
Closest I've done is an Ally/Dependent -- Guido is hulking, hideous, slow-witted hunchback manservant to a physically weak inventor/gadgeteer. He's kind-hearted (basically the Disney version of Quasimodo), but quite terrifying if he decides you're a "bad, dangerous person" and breaks out his axe. However he can barely look out for himself in urban environments, being prone to be exploited by crooked merchants, teased and tormented by street urchins, and accused of various offenses on account of his monstrous appearance. In a DF campaign he probably wouldn't be much of a burden beyond not being able to handle overly complex directions, but in a more open-ended Fantasy campaign he can definitely cause as many problems as he solves (and thus has an appropriately reduced point cost).
ReplyDeleteI just loaded a problem pc who has a history of abuse of other players with a collection of no-account hirelings, from an evil cultist pretending to be a priest (who uses lend vitality for temp only healing...and steal HT) to a killer, a rakehell duelist, and a haunted mountbank who has magery 0 and a ghostly ally.
ReplyDeleteMake all your NPC horrible people. But then make their horrible beliefs give them bonuses to the rolls (divine intervention, delusion etc).
ReplyDeleteSo I want them to suceed.... do I argue with their position or do I keep quiet?
Had a player with a long term summonable demon ally. It spent a fair number of actions _in combat_ shoving the Holy Warrior out of the way (rather than just peacefully moving through his space), or taking backhand swipes that where full force hits (but only ended up doing a few points of damage due to DR), and just generally being a dick...
ReplyDeleteBut it was a combat monster with extraordinary mobility (Flight!) and was bought with minion so was useful for rear guard actions and tactical assaults. The player of the Holy Warrior rolled with it, gave it lip, refused to heal it, "ooops, sorry about that shield across the face", that kind of thing. It worked out.