Eldritch Earth: Five Hacks Deep

Question 1: does anyone except for PC's use classes? It seems to me that the text as written sees every single NPC created using the Monster system, rather than the classes. Is that how we are going to run with it?

I believe that is the way I want to run it. Only PCs should be able to access the class features. At the very least, NPCs shouldn't be able to get the specialty archtype class features.

Question 2: Retainer “classes” the retainers are classified as “Laborers”, “Experts”, “Militia” and “Adepts” with the sole example being “a 4 HD Laborer has +6 hauling load”. Weak sauce for running a game. We're going to need a bunch of guidelines to actually use these in play, aren't we?

Let's be honest here. Will anyone other than the two of us ever make retainer cards? I say we make them like we make monsters. We can certainly make hard and fast rules for this, but we could probably also get away with you and I making retainers to hire on an ad hoc basis. Let's put this on the to do list and come back later.

Question 3: How do we handle maintenance? It doesn't say anything about PC upkeep, Retainers expect 10gp per day of service per HD, and henchmen aren't paid at all. I've taken these facts and did a quick and dirty version of upkeep: : each month each player must pay 1gp per level/HD per day for himself, each of the retainers he keeps with him and each of his henchmen and each of his horses to cover food, equipment upkeep, lodging and incidentals. Retainers get 10gp per day per HD for each day they are on an active adventure. This rule keeps the text as written in the book, but interprets the 10gp/day for retainers and “no pay” for henchmen as the payment for active dungeon service, the boss still has to make sure they are fed and clothed in down-time.

Okay. My only suggestion would be to abstract time. I hope to use the concept of a “downtime” as a unit of time measurement. PCs get one “downtime” between each game session/adventure that is about a fortnight. Could we continue to use that abstract unit of time for everything including upkeep?

Gary told me 40 years ago that time must be kept track of. I really want time to be important in a campaign, if money is important. It's a source of meaningful choice, especially since we plan a Western Marches thing, it's an important weighing factor

I 100% agree. Money and time are two of the biggest resources our heroes have!

• Does spending on upkeep give XP?
  • The whole XP things is a separate can of worms that we haven't crossed that bridge or put our eggs in the basket yet. Are we doing spending? Are we doing getting treasure home? Are we awarding XP for anything other than treasure?
  • Okay. We can come back to this. My call is that we give XP for spending on just about anything that alters the game world. Build a winery? Put up a statue? Go drinking with your buddies? Pay alms to the church to attract more people to the city?

Question 4: tie together the first 3 questions gives us: “Do henchmen and retainers advance in leves/HD?” There are a lot of possible answers to this question, like “henchmen have PC classes and advance based on treasure you give them, while retainers don't advance” or “none of them advance at all” to “all of them use the PC XP chart, with HD corresponding to levels”. Things to think about.

• I say we add a reputation system so that a PC has to have certain credentials to draw from a pile of higher-rank retainers.

They have that Renown thing, and the Henchmen are based on level and CHA, we just have to clarify how it is applied.

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Question 5: So where did we end up on hirelings and retainers?

• Dave and Andrew create three hireling decks, each requiring a certain amount of reknown to draw from.
• Hirelings are categorized as Laborers, Experts, Milita, or Adepts.
• The hirelings in each deck are hand crafted rather than generated procedurally.
  • Although, we should agree on a format between the two of us that we like.
• Hirelings don't advance, but their equipment may be repaired or improved.

Question 6: Where did we end up on HENCHMEN?

• Henchmen (hench) are unpaid, and have superior morale. They should almost always be controlled by the player of the character they serve.
• I say we make henchmen using the same rules for PCs.
• We should allow them to be included in a PC's will as a replacement.
• Henchmen can improve in level based on XP they receive from gold that is won as part of their patron's share.

PCs are powerful leaders, and as such will acquire NPCs in their service. Retainers are controlled by the GM, but given orders by their PC commander. Retainers demand 10gp per HD per day in service. Highly dangerous work might elicit a demand for higher wages.

A PC can’t command more than their CHA retainers.

A PC may recruit a number of elite retainers known as “hench” equal to ((CHA + level) - 5). For example, A level 5 PC with CHA mod +1 attracts 1 hench (1 + 5 - 5 = 1). The same PC at level 9 could have 5 hench. Hench work for free and have superior morale and check modifiers, generally starting at 3HD or higher.

Henchmen may be recruited by taking a week of downtime and spending 100gp per attempt. It requires a CHA check to draw 1D6 potential henchmen, and a second successful check to convince one or more of them to join as henchmen. If henchman abandoned, abused or mistreated, they immediately leave the service of the PC at the GM's discretion.

PCs can garner renown, a rating of their infamy. The higher their renown, the more likely an NPC knows of a PC’s exploits.

Renown = PC’s highest ability mod + level.

The GM can choose to roll for an NPC’s familiarity, judging off of the PC’s renown. If rolling, the GM rolls 1d20; the NPC knows the PC if equal or under their renown. If the GM thinks it likely or unlikely that an NPC would know the PC but still wishes to roll, they may do so at advantage (the NPC is more likely to know the PC, take the lower result) or disadvantage (the NPC is unlikely to know the PC).