Friends, Hirelings, and Side-Kicks

[restlessgriffin]

If you have a small group say only 1 or 2 players, what is a good way of allowing NPCs controlled by the GM as members of the party while NOT outshining the PCs. I'm specifically, looking at ways to use the NPCs to help the PCs survive and thrive while NOT taking the focus away from the PCs.

One area I really like is Leadership skill (Adventurers (A) p 80. I find this to be of little use with a standard party with no NPCs. Where it really shines is when used with hirelings and side-kicks. What other skills, advantages, etc work will with NPC sidekicks and hirelings?

Any tips to running side-kicks/hirelings so they can emphasize the PCs usefulness and not detract from their awesomeness?

Like say their is a Cleric who has a lower point sidekick Holy Warrior. Or Barbarian with a hireling Druid (at say 50-100 points lower). Maybe the party has an NPC sidekick halfing thief that is with the party because they were rescued.

[sjmdw45]

Originally Posted by restlessgriffin

If you have a small group say only 1 or 2 players, what is a good way of allowing NPCs controlled by the GM as members of the party while NOT outshining the PCs. I'm specifically, looking at ways to use the NPCs to help the PCs survive and thrive while NOT taking the focus away from the PCs.

Is there any special reason you need the GM to control the hirelings? The old-school way is for players to play their hirelings (with GM veto power over decisions to prevent suicidal or overly robotic actions like handing over valuables to PCs for no reason), which keeps the spotlight on the players of not necessarily the PCs. Sometimes players would even play a whole adventure as one of their PC's hirelings instead of the PC.

I've found that players really enjoy collecting even fairly mechanically-pathetic hirelings, and will invest in their welfare and work to keep them safe, as long as they have some sense of "ownership" over the hireling, and letting the player mostly control the hireling does that.

[Rolando]

One way of doing it is just to completely forget the hirelings until they are needed, they are extra tools and assets, it is very uninteresting but the advantages of this style is that you as a GM and the players don't have to invest effort and time in secondary and probably disposable characters.

Give them names and general descriptions if anything.

[restlessgriffin]

Originally Posted by sjmdw45

Is there any special reason you need the GM to control the hirelings? The old-school way is for players to play their hirelings (with GM veto power over decisions to prevent suicidal or overly robotic actions like handing over valuables to PCs for no reason), which keeps the spotlight on the players of not necessarily the PCs. Sometimes players would even play a whole adventure as one of their PC's hirelings instead of the PC.

I've found that players really enjoy collecting even fairly mechanically-pathetic hirelings, and will invest in their welfare and work to keep them safe, as long as they have some sense of "ownership" over the hireling, and letting the player mostly control the hireling does that.

The hirelings aren't PCs, nor are they puppets, tools, or disposable weapons. I want the players to explore GURPS non-combat skills and abilities. Leadership really shines when applied to NPCs, its nearly worthless when dealing with PCs. If the players control the hirelings why bother improving Leadership? There a a host of options I want to explore which you really don't get into with only PCs. If the players control the hirelings they're just low level PCs and frequently extensions of the PCs.

I want emphasize the role playing aspects of GURPS and the usefulness of things that aren't directly combat skills and abilities. Why improve Leadersip if you rarely have the ability to use it. If the PC knight has a Squire, does he really need to have good Leadersip to order around the Squire effectively if he already controls the Squire?

Also I want the players to not be burdened with learning to much at once. They should be focusing on learning all the skills and abilities on one character sheet not two or three.

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by restlessgriffin

If you have a small group say only 1 or 2 players, what is a good way of allowing NPCs controlled by the GM as members of the party while NOT outshining the PCs.

One way to not outshine the PCs is to build the hirelings on a lower point budget. In order to remain useful, they should be highly specialized in whatever niche they are meant to fill. Martinl created a set of henchmen a while back that illustrate the principle.

Originally Posted by sjmdw45

Is there any special reason you need the GM to control the hirelings? ... I've found that players really enjoy collecting even fairly mechanically-pathetic hirelings, and will invest in their welfare and work to keep them safe, as long as they have some sense of "ownership" over the hireling, and letting the player mostly control the hireling does that.

Strong agreement here. This lets you focus on the opposition while the players can enjoy additional tactical options through their hired help.

This doesn't have to be all-or-nothing either. I often let the PCs control their hirelings most of the time (definitely in combat) but I'll step in to roleplay them in campfire scenes and whatnot. This can be a great conduit for additional information in a game, too.

[restlessgriffin]

Originally Posted by Rolando

One way of doing it is just to completely forget the hirelings until they are needed, they are extra tools and assets, it is very uninteresting but the advantages of this style is that you as a GM and the players don't have to invest effort and time in secondary and probably disposable characters.

Give them names and general descriptions if anything.

How do I do this while delving? Let's say I have 2 players each with a PC. The first is a Knight and the second is a Wizard. I suggest they need at least a party of 4 to tackle the adventure. I also recommend they have a healer. So the Knight wants a Squire but suggests maybe a Palladin. So he gets a Squire who's a Holy Warrior. The Wizard figures she wants a side kick thats flamboyant and free wheelig so she selects a Swashbuckler.

The PCs are full 250 point characters, but I want the side kicks to be lesser characters so they'll be built on 150 points. So if I forget about the side kicks, how do they show up when the PCs are miles away from town and have descended t the third level of the dungeon?

[benz72]

They were there the whole time... the camera just wasn't on them until it needed to be. They don't get summoned or anything.

To make leadership relevant and still allow Player control of NPCs you could limit options based on the degree of success if you wanted to.
E.g. for Leadership roll:
Crit success, all combat options available to NPCs, NPCs can contribute ideas
Success, all combat options except AoA available to NPCs
Fail, Defensive attack is most aggressive option, each NPC spends 1d6-1 turns taking the Do Nothing maneuver while questioning orders
Crit Fail, NPCs refuse to fight, may flee

Adjust results to taste.

[restlessgriffin]

Originally Posted by Dalin

One way to not outshine the PCs is to build the hirelings on a lower point budget. In order to remain useful, they should be highly specialized in whatever niche they are meant to fill. Martinl created a set of henchmen a while back that illustrate the principle.

Ok, I'll give it a look.

Strong agreement here. This lets you focus on the opposition while the players can enjoy additional tactical options through their hired help.

Veto on this one. I'm fine focusing on NPCs including the side-kicks, hirelings. Early on, I'm not looking to implement the full complement of combat options. I have no problem with PCs directing SK/hireling to "flank on the left" or "circle around" or "go for the eyes". I don't want synchronized combat. Especially, where on player who has a better grasp of the rules outshines everyone else using wonderfully coordinated combat tactics with the SK/hireling instead of working to coordinate with the other PC(s). I also like using NPCs as a way to introduce a new concept or use different weapons, tactics. If PCs want coordinated attacks they need to work on it. They'll need to use downtime for teaching/training. Use various skills that complement each other, etc. When PCs have direct control over NPCs there is too much skipping of the separation of characters. Often I see a lot of meta-gaming too. That side kick barbarian is impulsive and a daredevil, but he ALWAYS stays out of the line of fire from the Scout (who controls the barbarian), but for some reason can't seem to do the same with the Wizard (who doesn’t).

I want to introduce coordinated complementary weapons using barbarian with his spear, but he usually goes with the axe which is one point better skill.

Anyway, please make other recommendations, particularly skills and abilities for NPCs to influence and assist the sidekicks/hirelings. I have no interest in allowing the players directly control of the NPCs. This is incompatible with my GMing.

[restlessgriffin]

Originally Posted by benz72

They were there the whole time... the camera just wasn't on them until it needed to be. They don't get summoned or anything.

To make leadership relevant and still allow Player control of NPCs you could limit options based on the degree of success if you wanted to.

Not allowed

E.g. for Leadership roll:
Crit success, all combat options available to NPCs, NPCs can contribute ideas
Success, all combat options except AoA available to NPCs
Fail, Defensive attack is most aggressive option, each NPC spends 1d6-1 turns taking the Do Nothing maneuver while questioning orders
Crit Fail, NPCs refuse to fight, may flee

Adjust results to taste.

How I'd handle Leadership roll:

Crit success NPCs understands your orders and does them exactly as you wish
Note: This is the one and only case I'd let the PC directly control the NPC

Success NPC follows directives to the best of their ability

Fail NPC misunderstands orders directiions. Either asks for clarification or does wrong thing

Crit Fail NPC does something drastically wrong. Opposite of what's asked, freezes, flees, etc. Based on NPCs personality (use disadvantages and quirks wherever appropriate)

Only in one case would I have player directly control NPC.

[Rolando]

Originally Posted by restlessgriffin

How do I do this while delving? Let's say I have 2 players each with a PC. The first is a Knight and the second is a Wizard. I suggest they need at least a party of 4 to tackle the adventure. I also recommend they have a healer. So the Knight wants a Squire but suggests maybe a Palladin. So he gets a Squire who's a Holy Warrior. The Wizard figures she wants a side kick thats flamboyant and free wheelig so she selects a Swashbuckler.

The PCs are full 250 point characters, but I want the side kicks to be lesser characters so they'll be built on 150 points. So if I forget about the side kicks, how do they show up when the PCs are miles away from town and have descended t the third level of the dungeon?

What I do, but admittedly I don't really play classic dungeon crawls, is to give NPCs personality, names, appearance (things to differentiate them and remember them) and some core abilities.

In your example your players need or want a healer and maybe a squire, they don't have to be player character "classes", so they are not paladins, druids, etc, they are hirelings. NPC Nº1 is a fighter/healer (squire), in background may be paladin aspirant or just squire, in game terms it have healing skills at 12 to 14 and maybe some healing magic, also professional skills to do the job (tending horses, weapons and armors), maybe also some knowledge skills about religion and high society (all of them at 12).

NPC Nº2 is a swashbuckler, so besides the flamboyant personality and garish clothes it is good with some social interaction skills, have seafaring skills, maybe appraisal and low and high society skills (all at 12 to 14), also good with the sword and evading getting hit by way of acrobatics or parry.

you don't care about detailed stats, just the capabilities and everything else is narration and description.

Game effect of these supporting characters is:
In combat both NPCs will take some of the baddies with them, so 8 orcs attack the party, 2 orcs will be trying to kill each character, but only the players will be actively rolling skills and defenses, the NPCs will only be narrated, NPC1 will be surviving by shield and armor while the NPC2 by dodging, parrying and laying insults to the orcs, the players must do the actual fighting and maybe when they go to help the hirelings there is one orc down and maybe the hireling have a cut or bruise, but you don't bother rolling attacks, defenses and damage for a fight between NPCs, just narrate some reasonable outcome.

Outside combat these NPCs will add some commentary in their expertise, or help making some interaction smoother, or even stealing something from someone (if the hireling have the skills), in those occasions you do roll for the NPC skill.

in this way the NPCs are great color and are there for all the narrative and roleplaying experience but are not cumbersome to play, and do add some skills and needed support.

If the hirelings know magic you do have to list their spell list and energy availability and take acute account of energy, also use the personality of the NPC, so the NPC may hold unto some energy or sacrifice more energy that what is healthy if that is what this particular NPC would do.

Also in a fight against a big baddie the NPCs will help distract and annoy the enemy, or even add some damage but it is all narrated not rolled and played, when the turn to act come for an N?C you narrate the outcome right away, you may roll if you want and make something special if a critical success or failure is rolled though, some players like to know the dice and not the GM is in command, but otherwise only the actual player characters are the ones doing the fight.

you add interesting situations and make the players appreciate their hirelings as characters and not as tools, but they are tools to make the game easier to game master and play.