Re: Followers

From: Wulf Corbett <wulfc_at_...>
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2001 22:00:49 +0100


On Tue, 04 Sep 2001 20:16:06 -0000, "Stephen McGinness" <mcginnesss_at_parliament.uk> wrote:

>I was wondering whether anyone has had problems with players abusing
>the followers rules.

Personally I keep forgetting to add Follower APs... "OK, I'll leap over it. Well, my horse will. Ah... my horse is a Follower, isn't it? Can I adjust my AP now?"

>As far as I can see, from examples in the book, they are an excellent
>source of Action Points in combat whilst allowing you extra attacks
>and to defend against multiple attacks with very little
>consequences.

You don't get ANY extra attacks when adding Follower AP - that's why there's a Follower mechanic, to simplify things & cut down on die rolls. And all it does against Multiple Opponents is eliminate the cumulative -3 per extra opponent, up to the number of followers you have. The potential consequences are the injury or death of the followers - one level of status worse than the hero at the end of the fight.

>In other systems I'd be heavily penalising through treasure and
>experience awards but I'm not sure how you balance out the followers
>thing....

I have started to award FPs - Follower Points - for when the follower does the heroic bit.

>Do you roll ability checks on the relationship in tricky situations,
>or simple contests if asked to fight someone with a heavy reputation??

"I get my healer to heal me" - "She's having nothing to do with you after you Coupe de Grace'd the last four guys" "I'll get the alynx to scout on ahead" - "It's a swamp. It's wet. No way."
"We'll charge at the shaman through his Spirit Circle" - "What's this 'we' business? You're on your own there, mate, we're theists..."

or even...

"I don't care what the rest are doing, we'll follow the vampire into the woods" - WHACK! - "It's for your own good, you'll thank me some day"

Followers are people too. Well, some of them are.

Wulf

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