Lackeys

Lackeys are hired help that adventure with you for a share of the loot or daily pay. Lackey rules as well as various types of Lackeys, their capabilities, and their costs are listed below.

Loyalty

Even for pay, there are commands that will shake a lackey's faith in their employer. Provided they are being compensated fairly, a lackey starts with 12 maximum Loyalty.

Anytime you pressure a lackey into doing something they don’t want to, fail to provide them food, or if they witness something terrifying, their loyalty is tested. If they roll under their loyalty check, they continue the adventure, but their Loyalty is reduced by 1 (or more if the treatment is particularly bad). A failed Loyalty check will result in your lackey abandoning you at the first safe opportunity. If they can’t leave right away, they will refuse to take risks for you but may still aid you in combat if they feel it's in their best interest.

Lackeys restore 1d4 lost loyalty after Hitting the Hay if they didn’t lose any loyalty that day.

Extra pay or particularly good treatment can increase a lackey’s maximum Loyalty.

Risky Tasks

Some lackeys are more open to risk than others. Here are some examples of risky tasks

Overtly risky tasks: being the first one down a hallway, pulling an unmarked lever.

Moderately risky tasks: standing watch in the hall while the party is in a room.

Types of Lackeys

Lantern Luggers

Luggers will work for half a share of the money from an adventure, or for 1s per day (whichever is more).

Luggers will not participate in combat, but they have 10 inventory slots at their employer's disposal. They will refuse to do anything overtly risky but can be coaxed to do moderately risky things with a Loyalty check. They’re always willing to hold a lantern and stand behind you.

Hunters

Hunters will work for a half share of the money from an adventure, or for 5s per day (whichever is more).

Hunters won’t go into dungeons, but they will accompany you during exploration. Each day in clear weather and good hunting conditions, hunters will provide enough food to feed themselves + 1 other person. On a day where they aren’t traveling, there is a 50% chance for a hunter to find enough food to feed a second other person. Anyone fed by a hunter does not need to consume a ration to benefit from Hitting the Hay.

Mercenaries

Mercenaries will work for an equal share of the money from an adventure, or for 10s per day (whichever is more).

Each mercenary will do their best to stay close to the person who hired them. They give that person +2 Damage to each attack made in combat, but do not take combat turns by themselves. If a character with a mercenary would take damage that would reduce their Grit to 0 there is a 3 in 6 chance that your mercenary is killed instead. You can only benefit from 1 mercenary at a time.

Mercenaries prefer to stand in the background whenever possible, but they will not shirk from combat. They will take as many risks as the rest of the Player Characters, including overtly risky tasks. If they notice that they are being asked to take more risks than the Player Characters (e.g. they are always forced to open the door), they will become unwilling to take further risks.