Henchmen & Hirelings: The Lost Secret of B/X Survival (YouTube Video Transcript)

(00:00:00) Your YouTube transcript will appear here (00:00:02) Hey folks, welcome back to the tavern. (00:00:04) Last Monday we talked about reaction (00:00:06) roles. That tiny little 2d6 system that (00:00:10) makes your world actually respond to (00:00:12) your players instead of feeling (00:00:14) scripted. Well, today we're taking that (00:00:17) a step further because reaction roles (00:00:20) don't just work on monsters. They're (00:00:23) baked into a part of early Dn D that a (00:00:26) lot of modern tables flat out ignore. (00:00:29) henchmen, retainers, (00:00:32) and hierlings. These aren't optional (00:00:35) rules. They're a part of how BX and AD (00:00:37) and D were designed to be played. So, (00:00:41) let's break down how those often NPCs (00:00:46) make old school gaming smoother, (00:00:49) deadlier, (00:00:51) and a hell of a lot more fun. So, let's (00:00:54) start simple. We'll give definitions. (00:00:57) Henchmen. These are full-on NPC (00:01:01) adventurers who join for long stretches. (00:01:06) Retainers (00:01:07) are generally lightly trained allies who (00:01:10) sign up for shares or small wages. And (00:01:14) then of course you have hires. These are (00:01:16) your torchbears, your portage, your (00:01:18) locksmiths, your laborers. (00:01:21) uh you know these (00:01:24) general non-skilled individuals and (00:01:28) here's why they matter. (00:01:30) They expand the party without adding (00:01:33) extra players. (00:01:35) They make low-level plays survivable (00:01:38) without tweaking encounters. (00:01:41) They give your world texture. NPCs are (00:01:45) actual people with loyalty, morale, and (00:01:49) personality. They create drama. Someone (00:01:52) might break, bolt, or step up like a (00:01:55) hero when least expected. (00:01:58) BX modules assumed this. You weren't (00:02:02) supposed to explore the caves of chaos (00:02:04) with four PCs in a prayer. (00:02:08) You had help. What's up? (00:02:12) Let's go and take keep on the (00:02:14) borderland. every classic table back in (00:02:18) the day had (00:02:20) well you were going to hire probably a (00:02:22) torchbearer (00:02:24) uh a porter and maybe not for your first (00:02:26) adventure cuz you were broke but the (00:02:29) moment you could one or two men at arms (00:02:33) maybe a guard dog (00:02:35) and as you leveled perhaps a retainer or (00:02:39) two and if you could hire a clerk (00:02:43) that would be awesome. (00:02:45) cuz honestly most of my parties never (00:02:47) had a cleric. (00:02:50) The game assumed (00:02:52) more bodies. It assumed more morale (00:02:55) roles. It assumed more loyalty checks. (00:02:59) It makes charisma (00:03:01) less of a dumpstat. (00:03:04) And it's more living, breathing, (00:03:07) unpredictable NPC behavior. And that's (00:03:10) what makes OSR play feel like you're (00:03:14) part of a world, not a pre-written (00:03:17) adventure path. (00:03:19) So, this is where the mechanics start (00:03:23) singing. Henchmen and retainers, they (00:03:27) will reaction decide whether or not (00:03:29) they'll even work with you. (00:03:32) All right? They have loyalty based on (00:03:35) your charisma and how well you treat (00:03:37) them. (00:03:39) Interesting, right? Again, stop thinking (00:03:42) of charisma as a dump stat. You roll (00:03:46) morale in combat to see if they stick or (00:03:49) break. (00:03:51) They can gain XP and not the (00:03:53) torchbearers, (00:03:55) but the retainers, the henchmen, they (00:03:58) can gain XP, but usually at a reduced (00:04:01) share. (00:04:03) And (00:04:06) they judge (00:04:08) you and the party based upon your (00:04:10) actions, your party's actions, (00:04:13) reputation, and how often you get their (00:04:16) fellows killed. And every one of those (00:04:19) roles creates a story. (00:04:23) Will your retainer charge the ogre with (00:04:25) you? Will your torchbearer panic when (00:04:28) the skeletons rise? Will your new (00:04:30) henchmen turn on you if the treasure (00:04:33) split feels unfair? (00:04:37) This is immersion without railroading. (00:04:40) It's an emerging (00:04:44) story. (00:04:48) Hlings don't get enough love. They're (00:04:52) not adventurers. They're the blue collar (00:04:54) backbone of the OSR party. (00:04:58) Portters keep you from drowning in (00:05:01) encumbrance. You can actually bring your (00:05:03) treasure back to town. Link boys or (00:05:07) torchbears literally let you see. (00:05:11) Men at- arms, they hold the line at (00:05:16) level one, level two, when every hit (00:05:19) point matters. (00:05:21) Specialists like engineers or sages can (00:05:25) solve problems without the DM needing (00:05:28) new rules. They keep the expedition (00:05:32) running so the end so the PCs can focus (00:05:36) on the danger. (00:05:38) Now, if you want to run OSR campaigns (00:05:42) the way they were meant to be played, (00:05:45) use this simple breakdown. (00:05:48) Hirelings quick and dirty. Keep them (00:05:51) lightweight. (00:05:52) Armor class (00:05:54) hit points, (00:05:57) a simple [snorts] (00:05:59) attack line, (00:06:02) you know what they need to hit, AC0 (00:06:04) perhaps, and the weapon they using, the (00:06:06) damage, a morale score, and uh a job (00:06:11) skill if it's relevant. (00:06:14) cuz yes, (00:06:16) even your torchbearer is probably going (00:06:18) to know need to know what their AC and (00:06:21) hit points are. (00:06:23) Um, retainers, (00:06:26) kind of like your junior adventurers, (00:06:29) all right, they're (00:06:33) temporary, right? That you hire them on (00:06:37) an adventure by adventure basis. They (00:06:40) get a class, they get a level, usually (00:06:43) first or second AC, hit points, their (00:06:47) normal attack routine where they're (00:06:49) attack usually with a range weapon first (00:06:51) or, you know, are they the bowman? Are (00:06:53) they uh a sword bearer? What is their (00:06:58) main method of attack? You need to know (00:07:01) how loyal they are, what the morale (00:07:03) score is, and basic ability scores. If (00:07:06) there is something that's above or below (00:07:10) the average, (00:07:12) their gear is assigned by the PCs. (00:07:16) Okay? So, you outfit them as you expect (00:07:18) them to be outfitted (00:07:20) and they are, my opinion, give them a (00:07:25) quirk, large or small, they should be (00:07:27) memorable. (00:07:30) And then you have henchmen. (00:07:32) These are full NPC characters. They are (00:07:36) going to return adventure after (00:07:38) adventure. (00:07:40) They deserve the works. Full ability (00:07:42) scores, (00:07:44) a proper class and level chart. You're (00:07:47) going to keep their XP that they earn, (00:07:50) their hit dice, their saving throws, (00:07:53) um morale and loyalty, obviously (00:07:58) full equipment. So yes, there's a little (00:08:00) time involved in that. (00:08:03) They have to get downtime and training (00:08:06) in advancement if you're using those (00:08:08) rules (00:08:10) because here's the punch line. Herlings (00:08:14) stay simple. Retainers get light stats. (00:08:17) But henchmen (00:08:18) statum like their PCs (00:08:21) because in old school play (00:08:24) they become a PC when somebody dies. (00:08:27) they will step up and now you have an (00:08:30) instant replacement for your deceased (00:08:32) character. (00:08:34) That was true then, it's true now. (00:08:38) Using all three, hierlings, retainers, (00:08:41) and henchmen doesn't just (00:08:44) add bodies, (00:08:46) it adds texture, it adds tension. It (00:08:50) lets you play BX the way it was (00:08:52) designed. deadly, dynamic, and full of (00:08:56) unexpected heroes. (00:08:58) So, let me know in the comments below. (00:09:00) Do you still use henchmen and harlings (00:09:02) in your games, or has your table (00:09:04) forgotten (00:09:05) this old school magic? Hit like, sub if (00:09:08) you're new, and Friday's member only BX (00:09:11) deep dive ties right into this topic, (00:09:15) demihuman experience tables, why they (00:09:17) existed, and how they shaped early (00:09:20) edition pacing. God bless and I'll see (00:09:23) you then.