For a while, the PCs hired a lot of henchmen. A good number have been killed. But some are still around . . . given that we've had some sessions get nixed because people lacked the firepower and players to want to risk their paper men, I figured I'd take a roll call.
Still around for hire, so many years on:
Basher the Thug (who is 11 years older than he was his last delve!)
Larry the Crossbowman (who won't lightly trust a wizard again, let me tell you.)
Norman the Axe (who won't accept a contract without some written guarantees for replacement of losses)
Deadeye Slim
And not many others . . . Lew McTorchy and Marc Strawngmussel are still alive as far as I can determine.
Red Raggi is the big one, of course, but after two consecutive maulings (in other words, deaths) and the PCs selling his prized axe, he basically hung up his armor and went back to his law practice. Ragnarson and Sons Legal Services still has an office in Stericksburg, run by a partner, but he's not making a lot of delves.
I do need to generate some more henchmen when I get a chance . . . they might provide some help when hired. The players do tend to want them to stay around forever and ever, though, which tends to grind them down and kill them eventually. A few more volunteers might show, too, if the PCs start bringing home some real loot . . .
Have you ever considered alternate players who are on call to fill slots when main players need time off?
ReplyDeleteNo guarantees of playing, but on the list of resources the party can call on.
If we like someone enough to play with them more than once, we'd rather just have them come all the time.
DeleteThe only downside to this approach, honestly, is that people want a majority of players to jump in . . . and with larger the pool, the larger that number is. "We can't do (fill in exploration plan) without (all of the front-line fighters/both clerics/both wizards/so-and-so's scout/etc.)" Even if a year before we had less players and less PCs, the expectations get raised by the times there is a full house.
Even so, I wouldn't want to try to integrate new players in last minute just to fill out the ranks, unless it was someone we're hoping will just be part of the group.
What about Pigsticker Paul? He isn't marked dead on the Henchman Page
ReplyDeleteLarry was old to begin with, now he must be positively vintage!
Oversight. Pigsticker Paul got killed a while back.
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