Gaining Followers (Comp. Ranger's Handbook)

Gaining Followers

It's strictly up to the Dungeon Master to determine when a ranger receives his followers, how many he's entitled to, and the circumstances under which they appear. Though the player is free to express his preferences, the DM has the final word.

Number of Followers

As soon as a ranger reaches 10th level, the DM secretly rolls 2d6. The result indicates the maximum number of followers the ranger will receive over the course of his career. This roll is made only once, and the number is never revealed to the player. The DM should make a note of the number on a sheet of paper; he can use the same sheet to keep track of the followers as the ranger receives them to make sure he doesn't exceed his allotment. The player should also keep track of his ranger's followers; the record sheets at the end of this book are designed for this purpose.

Lost followers are not replaced. If a ranger has a limit of two followers and both are killed, he'll never receive another follower for the rest of his career.

Identity of Followers

After the DM makes the 2d6 roll to determine the number of followers, it's time to think about who or what they're going to be. He should begin by deciding the identity of the first two or three followers, so that he can make plans to smoothly introduce them into his campaign. He can determine the identities of the remaining followers later, whenever he likes.

To determine the identity of followers, the DM may roll on Table 19 in Chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook, use Tables 33-43 in this chapter, or simply choose any particular creature he likes. Regardless of the method preferred, the DM should keep the following restrictions and recommendations in mind:

ˇ The type of followers should make sense within the context of the campaign. Lions and crocodiles shouldn't show up in the arctic, just as dolphins shouldn't appear in the desert.

ˇ The use of powerful creatures as followers should be kept to a minimum, so as not overshadow the efforts of the ranger and other player characters. It's difficult to design challenging encounters for a ranger with a dozen giants at his beck and call! Such creatures should be introduced with care and pacing; it is more fun for the player to have a chance for a powerful ally in his ranger's future.

ˇ A species enemy can't be a follower. The ranger's antagonism for his species enemy makes bonding impossible.

ˇ Generally, the follower will not be a poisonous creature. Rangers do not use poisons, and their followers tend to follow suit. Occasionally a ranger may find himself with an intelligent and poisonous follower; remember that poison use is not a good act, and that to some extent the ranger is responsible for his followers. This can be used by the DM as a special hindrance or to encourage role-playing.

ˇ Certain character kits have specific follower requirements or limitations which take precedence over other considerations. See Chapter 4 for details.

Using the Follower Tables

The DM may find the Follower Tables (Tables 33-43) especially useful for determining followers, as they provide a variety of types associated with specific terrains. To use the tables, select a terrain and roll 1d100. Some explanations:

ˇ If the result has an asterisk (*) and the ranger already has a follower of this type--or if he's had a follower of that type and lost it--ignore the result and roll again.

ˇ If more than one species of a particular animal is given in parentheses, the DM can choose whichever species he likes. For example, if the result on Table 33 is a herd animal, the DM can choose either a caribou, reindeer, or musk ox.

ˇ If the result is "Human/demihuman," roll again on the Human/Demihuman Followers Table (Table 43). See the Humans and Demihumans section at the end of this chapter for further guidelines.

ˇ The Trainability column indicates an animal follower's aptitude for learning tricks and tasks; these notations are explained in the Training Followers section later in this chapter.

ˇ Statistics for some creatures not found in core Monstrous CompendiumŽ collections are in the Helpful Statistics section.

The DM isn't confined to the creatures listed on the tables. New entries can be drawn from the Monstrous Compendium volumes and other sources. New tables can be created, based on unique terrain and cultural demographics of a campaign; the Aquatic Followers Table, for instance, may be subdivided into Saltwater and Freshwater Tables.

The DM must also choose which tables to use for each ranger. He may decide to use only the table corresponding to the ranger's primary terrain (for instance, a ranger whose primary terrain is Desert receives followers only from the Desert table), use the table corresponding to the ranger's current location in the campaign, or focus on the primary terrain table with occasional use of the other tables (most of the Desert ranger's followers come from the Desert table, but he receives a few from the other tables as well).

There are advantages and disadvantages to each method. For instance, if you're only using the primary terrain table, a Desert ranger is likely to end up with a collection of creatures he's comfortable with, but he may have a hard time acquiring any followers at all if the campaign keeps him out of arid environments. Using the local table ensures that a ranger will have regular access to followers, but he may end up with a bizarre menagerie (imagine a Desert ranger with a merman, skunk, and baboon!). Regardless of which method you prefer, it's best to settle on one at the outset of a campaign and use it throughout.

How and When Followers Appear

To give the DM maximum flexibility for introducing followers into his campaign, no fixed rules exist for determining exactly when they show up. Once the appropriate level is attained, followers should trickle in, one at a time, throughout the course of the ranger's career. As a rule of thumb, assume that a new follower makes an appearance no more than once every few months.

Keep the terrain in mind when deciding how often animal or special followers appear. Regions heavily populated with animals, such as dense jungles or lush forests, are more likely to generate such followers than barren mountains or bleak arctic landscapes. As seen in Tables 33-43, certain types of followers tend to show up in particular areas; for instance, a ranger is more likely to acquire a camel follower in the desert than in the jungle. But exceptions abound; a ranger might encounter a camel that accidently wandered into the plains, or encounter one on display in a zoo in the mountains. As long as the DM creates an explanation, animal and special followers can show up in a surprising variety of places.

Regardless of when and where followers show up, the DM should strive to work their appearance into the events of a campaign. Here are a few situations that may result in a new follower:

Use of Proficiencies, Special Abilities, or Spells. After the successful use of the animal handling or animal training proficiency, the affected creature might take a liking to the ranger and offer itself as a follower. This may also occur after a ranger uses his animal empathy ability. Likewise, an animal enchanted by a spell such as animal friendship might linger in the area after the magical effects wear off. In any case, the effects of the proficiency or spell no longer apply; the animal in question has decided of its own accord to stick around.

Planned Encounters. As part of an adventure, the DM may decide to stage one or more encounters featuring potential followers. For instance, the party may need to explore a cave containing a curious bear, search for a sunken treasure chest surrounded by friendly dolphins, or navigate a jungle filled with mischievous baboons. Assuming that the ranger doesn't inadvertently sabotage the encounter--he kills the bear or avoids the treasure chest--this is one of the most dependable methods for introducing new followers.

Hunting or Shopping. When shopping for a new mount, a ranger may be surprised to find one of the horses in the stable noses its way to the front, as if presenting itself for purchase. When hunting for the evening meal, the ranger might suddenly notice that a deer or other game animal is following him. Perceptive rangers may realize that these animals are offering themselves as followers.

Character Interaction. The ranger spares a foe, only to be adopted by the grateful creature. An NPC youth of long acquaintance (perhaps one rescued on a previous adventure) decides to take ranger training with the PC as a mentor.

Abrupt Appearance. For no apparent reason, a creature may present itself to the ranger. Hiking through the woods, the ranger becomes aware of a brownie sauntering behind him. The ranger wakes up with a sleeping fox curled up on his chest. A pseudodragon flutters from the sky and perches on the ranger's shoulder. From a purist's point of view, this is the least satisfying option for introducing followers, as it doesn't arise directly from the events of the story. But it's an acceptable method when all else fails.

Acquiring Specific Followers

Clearly, some types of followers are more desirable than others. Most rangers will find a horse to be more useful than a rabbit, a dog more advantageous than a mouse. Even in the best of situations, a snake or scorpion follower may be more trouble than it's worth.

There's not much a ranger can do to ensure he gets the type of followers he wants. Becoming a follower is essentially a choice made by the animal or NPC, not the ranger. Though the ranger can influence animal behavior to a certain degree, a ranger can't force a particular creature to become a follower against its will.

However, a ranger can increase his chances of acquiring specific followers in several ways. The easiest and most obvious way is to go where the animals live. A ranger who wants a polar bear follower should go to arctic. Farms and market places are good sources of domestic animals, while zoos and carnivals may stock a wide variety of exotic creatures.

The frequent use of the animal training or animal handling proficiencies, as well as the animal empathy special ability, brings the ranger in close contact with potential followers. Spells such as locate animals or plants can lead him to particular species, while the call animal follower spell (described in Chapter 6) may successfully summon a follower.

Note that such efforts don't guarantee the arrival of a follower in any way. In many campaigns, however, extra efforts made to locate followers increases the likelihood of their appearance.

Recognizing Animal Followers

A good DM tries to capture the behavior of real animals, and doesn't just announce to the ranger that an animal follower just presented itself. Instead, the DM describes the actions and behavior of the animal and allows the ranger to come to his own conclusions.

How does a ranger know if a particular animal is indeed a follower? Here are some signs:

ˇ The animal doggedly follows him. If the ranger climbs a steep mountain, the animal struggles to keep up. If he goes swimming, the animal waits on the shore.

ˇ The animal shows signs of affection. A lion rubs against the ranger's legs, a wolf licks his face, a horse nuzzles him.

ˇ The animal is uncharacteristically docile. A tiger sits peacefully in the grass while the ranger has dinner. A wild dog yawns when the ranger approaches, but growls when the ranger's companion comes near.

A day or two spent observing such actions should convince even the most skeptical ranger that he's acquired a follower. The DM may verify this conclusion, but is under no obligation to do so. If doubt remains in the ranger's mind, he may be able to ask a companion to use speak with animals or a similar spell to verify the animal's status.

Human and demihuman followers tend to express their admiration openly and unambiguously, fawn over the ranger's every utterance, gazing admiringly at him, or offer their assistance at every opportunity. Unless he's exceptionally suspicious or just plain dense, a ranger should have much less trouble recognizing human and demihuman followers.

Table 33: Arctic Followers

D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-07	Animal, herd (caribou,
	reindeer, musk-ox)	Low
08-15	Avian (penguin, tern,
	snowy owl)	Low
16-25	Bear (polar)	Med.
26	Elephant (mammoth,
	mastodon)*	Med.
27	Elephant (oliphant)*	High
28-30	Great cat (snow leopard)	Med.
31-32	Great cat (giant lynx)*	High
33-34	Great cat (smilodon)*	Med.
35-37	Dog (wild, war)	Med.
38-43	Mammal, small (ermine,
	snow hare)	Low
44-45	Remorhaz*	Low
46-49	Seal	Med.
50-52	Selkie	-
53-54	Toad (ice)*	High
55-56	Walrus	Med.
57-62	Wolf (common, dire)	Med.
63-66	Wolverine (normal, giant)	Med.
67-70	Yeti	-
71-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 34: Aquatic Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-12	Avian (gull, duck, osprey,
	parrot, pelican)	Low
13-14	Crab, giant	Neg.
15-18	Crocodile (common)	Neg.
19-20	Eel (electric, giant, weed)	Neg.
21-22	Fish, giant (pike, catfish)	Low
23-24	Frog, giant	Neg.
25-32	Dolphin	High
33-34	Hippocampus*	High
35-36	Locathah*	-
37-41	Mammal, small (beaver, sea
	otter, giant otter)	Low
42-43	Merman	-
44-45	Nixie*	-
46-47	Octopus, giant*	Neg.
48-50	Seahorse, giant	Med.
51-54	Sea lion	Med.
55-58	Selkie	-
59-60	Triton*	-
61-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 35: Desert Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-08	Avian (falcon, hawk, owl,
	vulture)	Low
09-13	Camel	Low
14-23	Dog (wild, war)	Med.
24-25	Dog, moon*	High
26-28	Griffon*	Med.
29-35	Horse (medium, light,
	wild)	Med.
36-40	Jackal	Med.
41-42	Jann*	-
43-44	Lizard (giant)	Neg.
45-50	Mammal, small (jackrabbit,
	kangaroo rat, prairie dog)	Low
51-52	Scorpion (large)	Neg.
53-55	Snake (poisonous)	Neg.
56-58	Thri-kreen	-
59-60	Toad (fire, giant)	Neg.
61-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 36: Forest Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-04	Animal, herd (deer, stag)	Low
05-12	Avian (falcon, hawk, owl)	Low
13-14	Badger (common, giant)	Low
15-16	Bat (common, giant)	Low
17-28	Bear (black, brown)	Med.
29-31	Boar (wild, giant)	Med.
32-34	Centaur, sylvan	-
35-41	Mammal, small (ferret,
	fox, squirrel, raccoon, rabbit,
	woodchuck, chipmunk)	Low
42	Pegasus* (if ranger is female,
	50% chance for unicorn*)	-
43	Pixie*	-
44-45	Porcupine (black, brown,
	giant)	Low
46	Pseudodragon*	-
47	Satyr*	-
48-49	Skunk (normal, giant)	Low
50	Treant*	-
51	Voadkyn*	-
52-54	Weasel (wild, giant)	Low
55	Werebear*	-
56-60	Wolf	Med.
61-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 37: Hill Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-05	Animal, herd (deer, goat,
	sheep)	Low
06-07	Aurumvorax*	-
08-17	Avian (falcon, hawk, owl)	Low
18-19	Badger (giant, common)	Low
20-21	Bat (common, large)	Low
22-32	Bear (black, brown, cave)	Med.
33-36	Boar (wild, giant)	Med.
37	Brownie*	-
38	Dragonet (firedrake)*	Med.
39	Hippogriff*	Med.
40-43	Horse (medium, light, pony,	Med.
	wild, mule)
44-46	Lizard (minotaur)	Neg.
47-54	Mammal, small (fox,
	mouse, rabbit, squirrel)	Med.
55	Pegasus*	High
56-59	Wolf	Med.
60	Wereboar*	-
61-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 38: Jungle Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-05	Animal, herd (zebra,
	giraffe, antelope)	Low
06-07	Ape, carnivorous*	High
08-15	Avian (parrot, cockatoo,
	toucan)	Low
16-17	Bat (common, large)	Low
18-19	Boalisk	Low
20-21	Boar (warthog)	Med.
22	Couatl*	-
23-24	Faerie dragon*	-
25-26	Elephant	Med.
27-36	Great cat (lion, tiger, jaguar,
	leopard)	Med.
37-38	Grippli	Med.
39-40	Lizard man (advanced)	-
41-47	Mammal, small (ferret,
	monkey, mouse)	Low
48-50	Primate (baboon, orangutan)	High
51-52	Rhinoceros*	Low
53-56	Snake (normal constrictor,
	giant constrictor, jaculi)	Neg.
57-58	Weretiger*	-
59-60	Tabaxi	-
61-00	Human/Demihuman	-

Table 39: Mountain Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-03	Aarakocra*	-
04-11	Animal, herd (goat, deer,
	sheep)	Low
12-21	Avian (wild eagle, falcon,
	hawk, owl)	Low
22-24	Badger (giant, common)	Low
25-36	Bear (black, brown, cave)	Med.
37	Dragonet (firedrake)*	-
38-39	Eagle, giant*	High
40	Galeb duhr*	-
41-45	Great cat (mountain lion)	Med.
46-47	Griffin*	Med.
48-50	Hippogriff*	Med.
51-53	Lizard (minotaur)	Neg.
54-60	Mammal, small (fox,
	mouse, squirrel, beaver)	Med.
61-65	Wolf	Med.
66-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 40: Plains Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-06	Animal, herd (deer, goat,
	buffalo, sheep, cattle,
	antelope)	Low
07-18	Avian (falcon, hawk, owl,
	pigeon, crow, raven)	Low
19-21	Badger (common, giant)	Low
22-24	Boar (wild, giant)	Med.
25-26	Brownie*	-
27-32	Dog (wild, war)	Med.
33-35	Dog, blink*	High
36-42	Mammal, small (mouse, fox,
	chipmunk, rabbit, wild
	pig, gopher, hamster)	Low
43-44	Cat, small (domestic, wild)	Med.
45-49	Horse (heavy, medium,
	light, pony, wild, mule)	Med.
50-51	Hyena	Low
52-53	Rat (common, giant)	Med.
54-55	Wemic	-
56-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 41: Swamp Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-08	Avian (owl, heron, loon,
	raven)	Low
09-11	Badger (common, giant)	Low
12-14	Bat (normal, large)	Low
15-17	Boar (wild, giant, warthog)	Med.
18-22	Crocodile (common)	Neg.
23-25	Frog (giant)	Neg.
26-28	Lizard (giant)	Neg.
29-32	Lizard man (advanced)	-
33-39	Mammal, small (ferret, fox,
	otter, mouse, muskrat)	Low
40-41	Naga (water)*	-
42-44	Porcupine (black, brown,
	giant)	Low
45-47	Rat (common, giant)	Med.
48	Shambling mound*	Low
49-60	Snake (constrictor, giant
	constrictor)	Neg.
61-63	Toad (giant)	Neg.
64-65	Werebear*	-
61-00	Human/demihuman	-

Table 42: Underdark Followers


D100 Roll	Follower	Trainability
01-06	Bat (normal, large)	Low
07-18	Bear (cave)	Med.
19-21	Beetle (fire, boring)	Low.
22-24	Crocodile (common)	Neg.
25-26	Doppleganger*	-
27-34	Lizard (giant--
	subspecies)	Med.
35-38	Lizard (subterranean)	Neg.
39-40	Mimic (common)*	High
41-48	Mongrelman	-
49-51	Myconid*	Low
52-53	Otyugh*	Med.
54-59	Owlbear	Low
60-62	Rat (common, giant)	Med.
63-65	Spider (giant
	steeder)	High
66-00	Human/demihuman	-

Subspecies: This assumes a subspecies native to the Underdark that is more intelligent or trainable than the standard species.

Table 43: Human/Demihuman Followers

D100 Roll	Follower
01-02	Bard
03	Bard (half-elf)
04-06	Druid
07-08	Druid (half-elf)
09-14	Cleric
15	Cleric (elf)*
16	Cleric (half-elf)
17-23	Fighter (elf)
24-28	Fighter (gnome)
29-33	Fighter (halfling)
34-51	Fighter
52	Fighter/Cleric (half-elf)
53-54	Fighter/Mage (elf)*
55	Fighter/Illusionist (gnome)*
56-67	Ranger (half-elf)
68-92	Ranger
93	Ranger/Cleric (half-elf)
94-95	Thief (halfling)
96-97	Thief
98	Thief (gnome)
99-00	DM's Choice

* If ranger has had a follower of this type, roll again.

Sea Ranger: Any full elf follower is 80% likely to be an aquatic elf.

Mountaineer: Replace any full elf with mountain dwarf. Any full elf fighter/mage is replaced by a gnome fighter/illusionist.

Helpful Statistics
Avian (tern, penguin, pelican, duck, parrot, cockatoo, toucan, crow, raven, loon, heron): Int animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 1-3, Fl 24-36 (B) (penguin: MV 3); HD 1-4 hp; THAC0 nil or 20; #AT nil or 1; Dmg nil or 1; SZ T or S; ML 5-7; XP 0 or 15

Boar, giant: Int animal; AL N; AC 6; MV 12; HD 7; THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg 3d6; SD fight 1d4 rounds if hp 0 to B10; SZ L; ML 11; XP 650

Caribou: Int animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 21; HD 3; THAC0 17; #AT 2; Dmg 1-4/1-4; SZ L; ML 5-7; XP 120

Dragonet, Firedrake: Int semi-; AL N; AC 5; MV 6 fl 18 (C); HD 4; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2d4; SA fire breath 5/day, 2d8 in 60x10' cone; SD 1-2 fire damage per P or S weapon hit unless save vs. breath; SZ S; ML 9; XP 420

Catfish, giant: Int animal; AL N; AC 7; MV Sw 18; HD 7; THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg 3d4; SA swallow size S if 4+ over hit roll; two toxic feelers, 2d4 each (1d4 if save); SZ L; ML 9; XP 2,000

Giraffe: Int animal; AL N; AC 6; MV 21; HD 4; THAC0 17; #AT 1 or 2; Dmg 1-4 or 1-2/1-2; SZ H; ML 5-7; XP 120

Goat: Int animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 15; HD 1+2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3; SA charge (+2 attack, +1-2 dmg); SZ M; ML 8-10; XP 35

Musk-ox: Int animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 12; HD 4; THAC0 17; #AT 2; Dmg 1-4/1-4; SZ L; ML 8-10; XP 120

Primate (orangutan): Int low; AL N; AC 7; MV 9; HD 1+1; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SZ S; ML 5-7; XP 35

Reindeer: Int animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 24; HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SZ M; ML 5-7; XP 35

Rhinoceros: Int animal; AL N; AC 6; MV 12; HD 8; THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; SA charge (double damage), trample 2-8/2-8; SZ L; ML 8; XP 975.

Seal: Int animal; AL N; AC 6; MV 3, Sw 18; HD 1; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3; SZ M; ML 8-10; XP 35

Small mammal (hamster, kangaroo rat, prairie dog): Int animal; AL N; AC 9; MV 12, Br 1; HD 1 hp; THAC0 nil; #AT nil; Dmg nil; SZ S; ML 2-4; XP 0

Zebra: Int animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 24; HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3; SZ L; ML 5-7; XP 65

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