Re: Using HP to buy a retinue

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 10:26:34 -0800

> I've got a player who wants to expand his household's followers with a
bunch of bodies. He's not looking for Follower quality, but something better than Dependents would be good.

By "his household" do you mean that these aren't *his* followers, but somehow "connected" to the household/stead? All households are going to have a number of personnel included - a simple heortling family will have several brothers/sisters, possibly grand-folk, some kids, etc. A richer household may have servents/cottars. In the Heortling culture at least, these will be competent fighters - all non-thralls are expected to own a spear or other weapon and to know how to use it (even if it is only the default of 13).

I could see spending HP as for followers, but assigning them "to the house" - make them joe-average whatever your culture is (for example, a Heortling 13/Farmer 17/Initiate of Orlanth (Orlanthcarl or Durev subcult) 17. Since "the Household" probably isn't getting "better", these guys are going to stay joe-average. Similarly with getting warriors in your household retinue (Heortling 13/Warrior 17/Initiate of (way too many cults to list) 17). In Heortling culture these guys will follow the way of "all" people, being Initiates instead of Devotees. In other cultures they'd follow the cultural norm - Community worship in Dara Happa, "Tribesmen" in animist societies, Lay member of a Malkioni church, etc. I throw in the Cultural keyword because it makes sense, and because these guys *aren't* directly supporting an adventuring hero.

Is this system open to abuse? Probably, I just whipped it up off the top of my head and haven't thought out all the angles, but keep an eye on it and don't let it get out of hand.

The HP can be hand-waved away as cows/goods that the hero gives to the householder - he could use that HP to increase his wealth, instead he "spends" it on attracting followers. In this case, his Wealth doesn't need to go down, it just doesn't go up.

Of course, these housholders should stick around and do their household chores (farming, guarding, whatever), not go gallivanting off with the hero (charge *another* HP to turn them into "real followers" because he's are abusing the system...).

RR