Message:At various places the character may attempt to recruit Hirelings. Test CHR for each addition. Each one kept in your service for the session increases the characters HP by one. However, the hireling representing the HP bump dies, if that HP is damaged. If the character's total goes to zero, all his henchmen die with him. Did you even know their names?
You may also sacrifice Hirelings for the cause to gain a new Dungeon Event or Tactic Card flip. You may slay one to stop any Trick or Trap from occurring. You may also spend a Hireling to gain a second roll for treasure. Not an extra treasure, but a second attempt at rolling for loot. Finally, you may kill a hireling like a soak-off to absorb any single to-hit Mob attack damage or any single Stat loss. Since some Mobs like the Balrog can kill outright, you may wish to have one of your followers step in to suffer that failed save instead of your main character.
Hirelings can perform tasks outside the group; these require the henchman to be sent away at the start of a session. The player character leader then makes Tests based on his own Stats; the basic idea being that Birds of a Feather....
***Marshal Forces: Test CHR for each man sent away for the session. Success and he returns with a companion for next session. There is no penalty for failure. This task may not be assigned when your character has acquired maximum hirelings.
***Scout Ahead: Test both Con and DEX for each man sent away for the session. This action may be dangerous. Success on both, and your man returns with the location of a major site. e.g., Rivendell. Referee selects site revealed. This might relieve the party from exploring empty map space hunting for famous sites (from the book). You will not gain anything if all sites of the map (by Book) are already known. Fail both, and the hireling never returns.
***Forage: Test three Stats: STR, INT and WIS for each man sent away for the session. This action may be dangerous. Success on two awards a Potion. Success on all three awards a Scroll and Potion. These awards are collected at the start of the next session. Fail all and the hireling never returns.
***Minor Quest: Test all six Stats for each man sent away for the session. This action may be dangerous. Success on all awards a Magic Item. This award is collected at the start of the next session. Fail three or more and the hireling never returns. This option is the only one where you may work in fellowship with other players. However, the dispatched team must be assigned roles. Not all just roll all six Stats and see which ones they make. You specifically send your man with one to six Tests to perform. Death for all the henchmen may still occur, though less likely. Regardless, success only collects at most one Magic Item.
None of these Tests may be performed using the party's combined best Magic Items; use only your own (those carried).
Hirelings may not be traded or given away as gifts to other players. Each must recruit his own.
Yours,
IronRed
08-Jul-2025