Wulf's views pretty much echo mine. An Ally certainly matches the
power level of a PC and has (usually) 2 abilities (one of which can
be
a keyword -- though I've bent that on occasion). If the ally shows
up
more regularly or is an important element in the plot, then by all
means treat it to a full writeup. But once they are fully written
up,
they gain, in my eyes a certain *additional* measure of independance
-- certainly for the much higher level of flexiblity they have
obtained.
And yes, they gain in skills as the players do. That makes them
terribly nasty opponents should they become disadvantages. And, of
course, at that point, they get a full writeup and allies/followers
of
their own. And what better villian than a former friend?
Patrons, on the other hand are fully written up but seldom seen. Usually they are a 'level' ahead of the group at least -- clansmen vs clan ring, clan ring vs tribal champion, 'tribal' level vs Hero or petty godling, etc.
Being a somewhat cynical narrator, I am always wary of PC's writing
up
Allies "in full" as it often ends up being somewhat... skewed. I
prefer to do the work myself or check over the results very
carefully.
Its seldom that an NPC is as perfect for their needs as some PC's
make them out to be. And I always equip them with their own adgendas
and goals, sometimes not entirely in the hero's favor. In our group,
Shaman Olvin (local Kolat Master) definitely has plans of his own.
He or shee is an "ally," not a follower, not a yes man, and
certainly
not a slave. The relationship is usually a 'you scratch my back, I
scratch yours' and that every time the heroes call upon him or her,
he
can call upon them. If this is not honoured, the relationship goes
down permanently. And that's a factor that players often ignore when
they call up on their allies willy-nilly.
And, of course, asking allies to do lunatic things like go on heroquests with them require a fairly hefty improv modifier -- unless there's something in it for them. (C'mon Vathamar, you're a good Elmali. We _need_ you on this quest. Elmal plays a pivotal role and we'll make sure you are rewarded for it. What? Sure, I think I'd be happy to gift you with that set of chainmail you've been eyeing. You're right, you will need it for the journey.) This is why its a good idea to buy up the value of the relationship.
Just like any other relationship, you've got to realize what you're asking of them in light of what they can do. We've found our relationship with the lcoal temples very, very useful in getting some long term feats or help before heroquests or expeditions -- especialy against our ancient enemies, the Black Oaks (ptui).
And taking followers on heroquest? Good luck! Every time my players ask that, I have a Knights of the Dinner Table moment.
Hope this helps,
Jeff
In our own game,
Powered by hypermail