Building Bhakashal - Hirelings and Retainers
Retainers (“henchmen” in AD&D) are a crucial part of successful play. Bhakashal is a very dangerous setting, and retainers can provide both a buffer against death and a tactical advantage when trying to get spells cast and achieve goals in combat. Retainers are “soft”, many will die, it’s a dangerous business. Most are “0-level”, they have 1-6 HP and will survive by wits, luck and numbers. Some are 1st level in one of Bhakashal’s 20 character classes and do not progress levels. They are more experienced than 0-level warriors, some will even have limited spell casting ability, but they will not progress. There are a still smaller number of retainers who are 1st level but can progress in level, they are from all classes as well.
Finally there are an even smaller number of higher level NPCs available as retainers.
Bhakashal leans into the setting to make this all work, tying the hiring of retainers to the location you find them, and allowing for significant variation. Players love to have retainers, this gives them something to do when their “main” PC is down (paralyzed, asleep, held), and allows them to have a new PC immediately if their main dies in combat.
My home game has 5 players, 5 PCs and 15 retainers, this isn’t uncommon.
Bhakashal - Hirelings and Retainers
For hirelings the rules from the 1e DMG are usable as is, with the following amendments:
There are no “horses” or “horsemen”, etc. in Bhakashal, in each case this should be read as “cavalry”
Sages work differently (See Sages)
Retainers work as follows.
Location of Retainers
When a PC wants to hire retainers, they will have to go to one of the places where people gather to find that sort of work, listed below. The number in square brackets is the number of potential retainers available for work on a given day in any of these locations:
Ann inn or tavern near the arena [3d4+6]
The Arena [Var]*
The Docks [1d4+4]
The Raosk [5d4+8]
The Guild Houses (Ward X) [2d4+4]**
*The PCs may go to the arena and watch fights (see Arena section for discussion of daily fights), offering work to those who look good. If they are felons (d6, 1-5) then they will have a “bond price” to be paid to get them out of the arena proportionate to their crime (otherwise they have to fight their way out). Bond price for petty property crimes is 50gp, for petty personal honor crimes 100gp, for serious property crimes 500gp, for serious personal honor crimes 1000gp. Combatants vary, most are 0-level or 1st level non-progressing NPCs, but high level NPCs fight in the arena in honor duels regularly as well.
**The guild houses maintain work boards advertising jobs for caravan guards, patrol guards, House extras, private property guards, and personal bodyguards. There are usually sell-swords at the Guild Houses looking for work.
Roll on the Bhakashal Playable group table to determine the playable groups of the retainers. Any place where prospective retainers gather to sell their swords are either largely homogeneous or mixed group (d4, 1-2 homogeneous, 3-4 mixed). Roll on the table below for the primary playable group composition of the retainers pool in the chosen location:
Homogeneous retainer pools are all the same playable group
Mixed pools are d4: 1-2 (75%), 3-4 (50%) one playable group, the remainder are 2-5 other randomly determined playable groups in roughly equal proportion
Note that if the PCs do some advanced inquiry they may (at the referee’s discretion) find a location that has the specific type of retainers they are interested in, for example, if they want Saan retainers they can ask around for a location where Saan look for employment. If so then just roll for numbers and assign either playable group or class as requested.
Retainer Availability
There are four classes of retainer in Bhakashal
0-level Mercenaries - The vast bulk of retainers in Bhakashal are of this kind, 0-level mercenaries with 1-6 HP, 3 weapon proficiencies, d6: (1-4: no bonuses, 5-6: +1/+1 bonus on one weapon). PCs need only pay their regular salary, and standard room and board. Any gifts or extras beyond this will give them bonuses on loyalty checks. Loyalty checks will come up under any of the combat morale considerations, and if the PC treats the retainer badly, fails to pay them, etc.
1st level non-progressing NPCs of Any Class - A smaller percentage of retainers are 1st level NPCs of one of the 20 game classes, they do not progress beyond 1st level. PCs need only pay their regular salary, and standard room and board. Any gifts or extras beyond this will give them bonuses on loyalty checks. Loyalty checks will come up under any of the combat morale considerations, and if the PC treats the retainer badly, fails to pay them, etc.
1st level progressing NPCs of Any Class - A small percentage of retainers are 1st level NPCs of one of the 20 game classes, but they can progress beyond 1st level. PCs need to pay their regular salary, and standard room and board. They will expect comparable shares of loot and magic like any PC. Any gifts or extras beyond this will give them bonuses on loyalty checks. Loyalty checks will come up under any of the combat morale considerations, and if the PC treats the retainer badly, fails to pay them, etc.
A NPC of any Class Higher Than 1st Level - Sometimes a PC will want to hire a classed PC of more than 1st level. To do so they will need to go to the faction of that class, e.g., if they want to hire say a 4th level Seer as a retainer, they would have to go to a temple and make their case to an appropriate NPC. This process is governed by encounter reaction rules, with baseline assumption of equal share of the loot and a regular stipend.
To determine the breakdown of retainers by type in any location for of type A-D, do the following:
Roll the Number of Eligible Candidates using the span located at the end of the location entry, e.g. for inns and taverns near the arena it is [3d4+6].
Roll the “+” value as a dice, e.g., for [3d4+6] that’s a d6, this many of the previous total are 1st level *non-progressing* NPCs of a random class (as indicated on the Bhakashal class table)
Take the first listed number in the span as a d value, in the case of [3d4+6] that’s a d3 (d6/2), and there are that many 1st level *progressing* NPCs of a random class in the previous total
Take the total roll from 1), this is the % chance that there will be a NPC available for work of higher than 1st level. Class should be randomly determined, and level will be from 2-5.
Example - Hormag the Hexage is a 4th level Emberi (human) Warlock who decides he needs retainers, he’s been interrupted casting spells too many times. He goes to Cleavegill’s Silver Sabre in the Weapons and Armor Ward, and sits down. There are mercenaries of all kinds talking about work. The custom at Cleavegill’s is to rap the table three times and call for a “pitcher”, then to shout your preferences, e.g.,
“Three warriors, light armor, Saan and Togmu preferred, missile weapon expertise needed”
“Muscle, preferably specialized in one weapon”
“Four to five Malu with harpoons and tracking experience”
“Caravan guards, 5 needed”
“Four Saan, with at least one of them being an experienced animal handler”
Then the potential employer pours a drink for each prospective employee, and they are asked any further questions by the PC.
So for Cleavegill’s:
1. the referee rolls [3d4+6], and gets a 14 total
2. Then they roll a d6 and get a 3 for 1st level non-progressing NPCs of a random class
3. They roll a d6/2 and get a 1 for 1st level progressing NPCs of a random class
4. There is a 14% chance of a higher than 1st level NPC being present.
5. Roll the classes from the Bhakashal Class Table (pg X):
For the 3 non-progressing 1st level NPCs we roll a mercenary, a spider and a phantasmist
For the 1 progressing 1st level NPC we roll a Thaumaturge.
The % roll is a 55, so there are no higher level NPCs around that night
With respect to the playable group, the referee rolls 50% homogeneous, then 3 other playable groups. The ref then rolls Saan for the 50% homogeneous, Malu, Jugyi and Togmu for the mixed. The ref decides to allocate these more or less in order, so the retainers distribution Cleavegill’s Silver Sabre that night is as follows:
(10) 0-level mercenaries (7 Saan, 3 Malu)*
1st level mercenary (non-progressing) - Jugyi
1st level spider (non-progressing) - Jugyi
1st level phantasmist (non-progressing) - Togmu
1st level thaumaturge (progressing) - Togmu
*note that arrangements suggest themselves based on the roll, and the referee is free to interpret. For example, those 3 Malu 0-level’s might be a “team” and hire out together. As always, it’s up to the referee to interpret the dice.
Hormag the Hexage decides he wants to hire the three Malu mercenaries, as he has an ocean voyage in his future and fully amphibious retainers will be a bonus.
Retainer Equipment, Armor Weapons and Hit Points
Most retainers are 0-level mercenaries, and will have 3 weapons, other classes will have fewer or more depending. All retainers will come with their own weapons/armor/equipment.
For equipment they will have a standard equipment pack.
For weapons, the referee can allocate as desired, or you can roll for it on the Random Weapon Generation Table (pg X). For standard 0-level’s roll one melee weapon, one missile weapon, then d4: 1-2: another melee weapon, 3-4: a +1/+1 bonus on an existing weapon.
For armor, roll 2d4+2, and that is the AC of armor they will have, referring to the Armor and Shield table (pg X) to pick the specific variation.
Note that for higher level NPCs (not 0-levels, 1st level non-progressing and progressing NPCS) use the system outlined in the character generation section (page X) to determine equipment, magic weapons and armor.
If the employer offers to upgrade any armor, weapon or equipment, add +2% to the acceptance roll per upgrade area offered, e.g. if they upgrade armor and shield that’s +2%, if they upgrade one or more weapons, that’s +2%, etc.
The referee rolls to see what armor and weapons these Malu will have, assuming they are amphibious their armor shouldn’t be too heavy. The referee rolls on the random weapons table, assuming a pole arm and a missile weapon for all three retainers. The ref rolls a bardiche and a bow, but decides to change the bow to a harpoon to stay with the amphibious motif. The ref rolls that they will take a bonus on one weapon rather than a third weapon, so it is alternated, two will have +1/+1 on the bardiche, and one will have +1/+1 with the harpoon. As for armor, they roll a 8, but drops it down to “breastplate/greaves AC 7” as leather armor would not be conducive to freedom while swimming.
Finally, all retainers will have Hit Points based on their class and level, 0-level mercenaries get 1-6 HP, 1st level retainers get the appropriate HD to their class. The ref chooses to take the average on two of them (3hp) and rolls for the last and gets 5HP.
The three retainers are named Yorluk, Maggan and Humba
Payment and Acceptance of Offer
When an employer and retainer come together for a potential offer of employment, the standard rate for dangerous employment (e.g., employment where some sort of violence is to be expected) is 10 gp per month, or 5 gp a month plus room, board and equipment.
When the employer makes an offer, roll an encounter reaction roll with the following modifiers:
+20% for going to an appropriate location
+5% per point of employer’s CHA bonus
+1% per gp per month over the base rate*
+5% flat for same playable group
+5% flat for speaking the same primary language
+5% flat for same class
+5% flat for same primary deity
*(e.g., if offered 15gp per month, they would get a +5%. If they are given a flat bonus, e.g., 100 gp signing bonus, divide this up over 12 months (rounding up or down as you like) to get the monthly addition, e.g., 100 gp divided by 12 months is approximately 8gp per month extra, which would be a +8% bonus)
Any result of negative for the encounter reaction means the retainer is not interested and generally ends the negotiation
Any result of neutral means the retainer will bargain for more compensation, the PC can decide to walk away or change the offer. If they offer more, make a new encounter reaction roll with the appropriate modifiers.
Any result of friendly means they will accept the offer. Any result of enthusiastically friendly gives a +5% on loyalty for a number of checks equal to the employers CHA bonus.
Hormag the Hexage offers the three retainers regular wages (10 gp per month) and offers to pay half the year’s wages up front as signing bonus. He has a CHA bonus of +1. Hormag is an Emberi (human) so gets no bonus for playable group, neither does he get a class or deity bonus. However, he speaks Malu fluently. So total bonuses are:
+20% for going to an appropriate location
+5% for employer’s CHA bonus
+5% flat for paying for half or more of the full year up front
+5% flat for speaking the same language
So a +30% bonus.
Yorluk rolls a 30% + 30% = 60%, friendly, so Yorluk accepts.
This gives Maggan an additional +10%, so +40%, Maggan rolls a 50%+40% = 90%, also friendly, so Maggan accepts.
This gives Humba a +30% + 20% = +50%, Humba rolls a 25 for a total of 75%, also friendly, so Humba accepts.
Morale and Loyalty
retainer loyalty is not guaranteed, in certain circumstances they will have to make a check to ensure that they stay loyal.
Checks occur in the following situations:
The group meets an obviously superior force
The most powerful member of the retainer’s group is neutralized/slain
The leader of the retainer’s group is neutralized/slain
More than 50% of the retainer’s group is neutralized/slain
The retainer’s group takes more hits than they give for multiple rounds
To succeed at the check, the retainer has to roll 50% or higher on a d100 with the following modifiers:
Employer pays more than base rate/pays in advance: +2%
Employer gets +5% per point of CHA bonus
Employer gets +2% per level
Employer treats retainers respectfully: +5%
Employer regularly gives retainer share of non-magical loot: +5%
Employer regularly gives retainer share of magical loot: +10%
Employer heals retainer (or arranged to have them healed): +20%
Employer is the same playable group as retainer : +2%
Employer is the same class as retainer : +2%
Employer worships the same primary god as retainer: +2%
On a failed check, roll a d6:
1-4 - retainer flees
5-6 - retainer “switches sides” and joins employers opponents in attacking them.
Rather than giving a flat “time served” bonus, bonuses are tied to how the retainer is treated during service. Retainers are most likely to fail a loyalty check when they are first hired, the longer they are around and the better they are treated the less likely they will be disloyal.
So for example, for Hormag the Hexage, after hiring the three retainers the referee calculates their loyalty modifier. It’s +2% for paying up front, +5% for CHA, +8% for level, for a total of +15% on any loyalty roll. So for the first few encounters, things will be dicey. But if they survive the first few encounters, get a share of the loot, are treated well, are healed, etc. these numbers go up fast.
So for Hormag the Hexage, here are the results after an evening at Cleavegill’s Silver Sabre, Hormag has hired three retainers for 6 months:
Yorluk - AC:7 (breastplate and vambrace), HP: 3, Weapons: Bardiche (+1/+1), Harpoon, Loyalty +15%
Maggan - AC:7 (breastplate and vambrace), HP: 3, Weapons: Bardiche (+1/+1), Harpoon, Loyalty +15%
Humba - AC: 7 (breastplate and vambrace), HP: 5, Weapons: Bardiche, Harpoon (+1/+1), Loyalty +15%
Total paid: 60gp each, so 180gp, they are paid for 6 months and will have to pay for their own room and board with this gold.
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