As discussed in our article on Henchmen and Hirelings, henchmen are loyal followers and friends that accompany Player Characters on their adventures. They are more common and of much more importance in AD&D than later editions of Dungeons & Dragons. They add a lot of value to your game and will go a long way in keeping your PCs alive.
Second Edition does not really offer much of anything in the way of mechanics or formulae in the recruitment or hiring of henchmen. They simply offer some loose guidelines in a narrative form. Alternatively, First Edition has some concrete details. Second Edition so closely mirrors First in a number of ways that it is simple enough to make use of the 1e mechanics in your 2e game. I suggest you do so. All of what you need to read on the subject can be found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, p34-35.
Recruiting Henchmen
It helps to use the following terms in regards to henchmen in different stages of the hiring process. Prospects are the NPCs in town that have the potential for hire. This would be that 1 in 1,000 number. Applicants are the Prospects that are alerted to your advertising and show up for an interview.
Prospects
The DMG notes that the typical town or city will have one prospective henchmen applicant for every 1,000 population. This number can be as high as 1 in 200 if in a high adventuring area and as low as 1 in 5,000 if in a stable, settled locale.
Advertising
In order to find prospects, you must advertise. There are four options noted in the DMG. You can;
- Hire a Crier to call out in a relatively dense square or the like;
- Post Notices around town in highly trafficked areas;
- Hire an Agent;
- Leave word (and some coin) with the barkeep at Inns and Taverns (up to 10);
Each method can be tried once per month. You can use multiple methods together or try them separately. The more methods you employ, the greater your chances of reaching more interested parties in the area. That said, there can be overlap. A prospective henchmen might hear the Crier as well as read a Notice posted in the market. If you attempt multiple methods at one time, or leave word at multiple taverns, there will be some “duplication of effort” that will slightly penalize each individual effect.
In regards to the Inns and Taverns mode in particular, the more establishments you attempt, the greater the fee you will want to pay to offset the duplication of effort penalty.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of the advertising campaign is determined by the amount of gold and effort (methods) put into it. A percentage value is then determined and this percentage of all available Prospects in town will become Applicants.
Applicants
It generally takes from 2-8 days for all potential prospects to become aware of your advertising and show up for an interview. A location in which to meet the employer and apply must be provided in all advertising. The Green Dragon Inn, for instance. If an applicant shows on a particular day and the employer is not there, the applicant is lost.
Applicants are usually Level 1. It is possible for higher level PCs to attract Level 2 or even Level 3 NPCs.
Hire Henchmen
Upon meeting applicants, it is up to the DM how much and what about the NPC is revealed to the employer. If the employer expressed interest, you then use the Hire Henchman module to see if the offer is accepted. The employer’s Charisma, an offer to pay for lifetime Room and Board, an initial Retainer, and Magic Items all impact the offer.
Mandatory Expenses
It is required in all cases, unless overridden by the DM, that all equipment necessary to perform according to the NPC’s class are provided and maintained by the employer. Likewise, a monthly stipend of 100gp/NPC level must be paid.
