Retainers

RETAINERS

Since your character is an adventurer, it’s not at all surprising that other, less famous adventurers hear the tales of your character’s deeds and show up pledging service. These are called retainers and have their own rules.
A retainer is run by a player in combat, but is ultimately an NPC. A player can't get them to act in a way antithetical to their being, even if ordered to. (Example: telling your Healer retainer to go steal from their holy temple might lose you a retainer!)

Mentor

Every retainer has a player character mentor. A retainer’s mentor gives them orders, and the mentor’s player also controls the retainer. A retainer acts on the same initiative count as their mentor in combat, acting immediately after the mentor. As a mentor gains experience and levels up, so does their retainer.
The easiest way to earn a retainer is to establish a stronghold. Other adventurers who hear of your exploits are more likely to track you down if you have somewhere that they know you'll be. Its also possible that you may earn a retainer from completing some quest related to an NPC, but remember NPCs more powerful than you won't consider becoming your retainer (they could still be allies though).

Dying Retainers

When a retainer is reduced to 0 hit points, they’re dying and make death saving throws just as characters do.

Statistics

A retainer’s stat block is simple and easy to run, so that a player who has to manage a complex character doesn’t get overwhelmed with even more details.

Level

A retainer’s level is always 1 less than their mentor’s level (minimum 1 and maximum 19).

Hit Points and Hit Dice

A retainer’s hit point maximum is based on their Hit Dice:

• A retainer that uses a d8 for Hit Dice has a hit point maximum of 8 + eight times their level.
• A retainer that uses a d10 for Hit Dice has a hit point maximum of 9 + nine times their level.
• A retainer that uses a d12 for Hit Dice has a hit point maximum of 10 + ten times their level.

Retainers have higher than average hit points because they fight alongside characters of a higher level. The GM often awards characters with retainers for a job well done, sometimes in lieu of other treasure. Such rewards shouldn’t be lost so easily.

Abilities and Skills

A retainer has a primary ability and skill proficiencies.

• They make ability checks with a +3 bonus.
• They gain an additional +1 bonus to ability checks made with their primary ability.
• They gain an additional +2 bonus to ability checks made with one of their primary skills.

Saving Throws

A retainer has a +3 bonus to saving throws and gains an additional +3 bonus (for a total of +6) on saving throws they make with proficiency, which are listed in their stat block.

Features

All retainers begin with a signature attack they can make using the Attack action each round. At 7th level, retainers can make two signature attacks per round. Retainers have +6 bonus to all attack rolls. At the GM’s discretion, a retainer’s bonus to attack rolls could improve by 1 at 5th and 7th level. A retainer gains new features they can use at 3rd, 5th, and 7th levels. Each of these new features can only be used once every 10 minutes, and each is limited in the number of times per day it can be used as indicated in the retainer’s stat block.

Spells and DCs

Retainers’ spells and features that require a saving throw start at DC 13 at 3rd level, improve to DC 14 at 5th level, and finally improve to DC 15 at 7th level. If a retainer makes a spell attack, it uses the bonus that retainers get to all attacks.

Gear

Unless provisions are specifically made otherwise, a retainer has clothes, a suit of armor, a weapon, and an explorer’s pack. If the retainer casts spells, they also carry a spellcasting implement.
Magic Items. Retainers can use magic items like anyone else! A +1 weapon increases their attack and damage rolls by 1, and +1 armor of the appropriate type (light, medium, or heavy), increases their AC by 1. One happy side effect of having followers is that a player character can always pass your obsolete items on to them. Low-level items, once useless as treasure for high-level characters, now have a use!