If you're going to retain yourself some hirelings, you just know that there's no point in recording more than the bare necessities. Do you really think they are going to survive for more than one gaming session? Either they bolt at the first hint of danger, or they die from that centipede bite in the first room of the dungeon.In either case, given the futility of actually recording them on your own character sheet, or, god forbid, using a whole sheet of paper (won't someone please think of the trees?!) to record the stats for your lantern bearer, porter, or trap-springer, why not use a small scrap of paper to keep track of them.
The above 2"x2" character card is perfect for keeping track of your hirelings. Roll up some quick stats, put a weapon in their hand and some armor on their back, and then head-off to the dungeon, and their certain demise. If they actually last long enough to also serve as your dungeon pack-animal, write down the stuff they are carrying for you on the back of the card. And if you, not they, are the first to perish, you've already got some stats rolled up for your replacement character. Just have them loot your dead body, and off we go for more adventure.
Go to the office supply stores that have print shops. You can get custom printed post-it notes. New hireling, stick it to the character sheet. When it dies, remove it.
ReplyDeleteBoom! Don't forget to dramatically crumple the sheet when he dies, for visual effect!
ReplyDeleteHow about a pyre (ashtray, match) in the middle of the table?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they do those customised post its here but it would be handy: I use them for my mage's spells. I put an X next to each one as it's used that day.
Only if it's one of those, "Oh no, not old Pete!" moments. You may also want to enforce a minute of silence.
ReplyDeleteIf it's the death of re-shirt number 17, crumple and toss over your shoulder.
Or have "Another one bites the dust" on the CD player.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad idea a all, considering that in our last Mutant future game, the casualties were all NPCs and 'hirelings'. This makes things much easier.
ReplyDelete