New Mechanic: Followers

The rules in this section cover the creation, recruitment, and usage of followers, replacing the original Dungeon World rules for hirelings. These rules make followers feel more impactful and allow for greater customisation.

Only the penniless and foolhardy undertake an expedition without proper support in the form of porters, hunters, guides, and guards, not to mention specialists who can bring their skills to bear in several ways. Followers are those individuals who offer such assistance, accompanying the party on their exploits about the world.

Like monsters, followers have HP, damage, and instincts. They also have moves and tags that indicate what they’re good at and how they act. Unlike monsters, they have three additional statistics: Quality, Loyalty, and Cost.

Quality represents how effective the follower is, particularly in the areas defined by their tags and moves. A followers’ Quality can range from -1 (rubbish) to +3 (masterful). A follower of average competence has a Quality of 0.

Loyalty tracks how committed the follower is to you and your cause. It usually starts at +1 but changes often, ranging from -3 to +3. Note that Loyalty is a resource to be used up by the GM like any other.

Cost describes what motivates the follower to follow. Although a strong leader or worthy cause can be motivating factors, all but the most selfless followers do the dirty work in exchange for coin or other material reward. A follower’s Loyalty is increased when you pay their Cost. Costs aren’t always tangible things, they may be include revenge against a common enemy, an opportunity to discover something, or the rush of glory in battle.

When you pay a follower’s Cost, increase their Loyalty by 1 (to a maximum of +3). In general, the higher the Follower’s Quality, the greater amount of their Cost will be required to meet it.

When a follower has -3 Loyalty, they betray or abandon you at the next opportunity.

Instinct is comparable to a monster’s Instinct. Instinct is the trouble that the follower gets into or pursues when idle or stressed. Commanding a follower to act against their Instinct requires making the Order Follower move.

Followers deal and take damage like a monster does. When they would deal damage, roll a d6 and add their damage modifier (usually +0), just like any other damage roll. When they take damage, they lose HP. When they are reduced to 0 HP, they are out of the action and probably dead or dying — their fate is in the GM’s hands.

Followers who are with the party for a long time may evolve and advance, increasing in Quality or gaining tags or moves. This is purely at the GM’s discretion and should be rooted in the fiction.

Revised Move: Recruit

When you go looking to hire help, tell the GM what you’re looking for, phrased in one of the following ways:

  • A skilled __ (guide, sage, burglar, bodyguard, etc.)
  • A group of __ (porters, guards, minstrels, etc.)

A group is a follower like any other, but with the group tag. If the GM says you can’t find that kind of help in a place like this, start over or move on. Otherwise, roll+nothing. If you have a good reputation in these parts, or if you’re willing to throw around some money (the GM will tell you how much), roll with advantage. *On a hit, you find someone suitable. *On a 7-9, choose one, the GM will provide the details:

  • They’ll demand greater compensation, in coin or some other form
  • They’ll have a need that must be met first (permission from someone else, a favor, etc.)
  • They will obviously be less than ideal

In general, the players can tell the GM what they want their followers to do and expect that they will do it. Unless otherwise noted, they don’t make any of the basic moves. Instead, use these moves:

New Move: Order Follower

When you order or expect a follower to do something dangerous, degrading, or contrary to their Instinct, roll+Loyalty. *On a 10+, they do it, to the best of their ability. *On a 7-9, they do it, but choose one:

  • Decrease the follower’s Loyalty by 1
  • They complain loudly, now or later, and demand something in return
  • Caution, laziness, or fear makes them take a long time to do it
  • They do a poor job of it, shoddy or half-hearted

New Move: Do Their Thing

When a follower does something chancy within the scope of their tags or moves, roll+Quality. *On a 10+, they do it, as well as one could reasonably hope. *On a 7-9, they do it, but there’s a cost, consequence, or limitation; the GM will say what. When a follower does something chancy that falls beyond the scope of their tags or moves, or does anything on their own, the GM will simply tell you what happens. No roll is made.

New Move: Call for Assistance

When a follower helps you make a move that calls for a roll, you gain advantage for that roll, but they will be exposed to any potential consequences.

When a follower helps you Hack and Slash or Volley, your damage roll gets advantage, and add any damage bonuses the follower has on top of that.

When a follower helps you Defend, you can spend 1 hold to redirect an attack to them instead of yourself.

Creating Followers

Like any important NPC, followers should have their own names. By default, followers have 6 HP, a damage modifier of +0, and can carry 2 weight beyond what they come equipped with. The GM will choose their specifics (Quality, Instinct, Cost, tags, etc.) as needed, to be discovered through play.

As a benchmark for follower aptitude:

  • Reasonably competent: Quality +0, 2 tags, 1 move
  • Skilled and experienced: Quality +1, 3 tags, 2 moves
  • Very talented veteran: Quality +2, 4 tags, 3 moves
  • Has lived a life of servitude and oppression: +meek
  • Past their prime: -1 to Quality, +1 wise tag
  • Has lived a life of danger: +2 tags
  • Has lived a life of privilege: +1 tag
  • Not their first adventure: +1 tag
  • Specialist: +1 to Quality, -2 tags

Follower Tags

The first tag every follower has is a Wise, expressed as __-wise, where the blank is filled by whatever subject or thing the follower knows best. Write down the follower’s Wise. If the follower has more than 1 tag, choose additional tags from the Follower Tags list, either now or as needed.

Follower Moves

Write 1-3 moves for the follower that further describe their behavior and abilities. These are for you, the GM. Use them like other GM moves, when the players look to you to see what the follower does, or when they give you a golden opportunity. The players might order or expect a follower to use one of these moves on their behalf; that’s fine, but you may require them to Order Followers or that the follower Do Their Thing if the situation is stressful or chancy.

A follower move reflects a skill, ability, or trait that can’t be better summarised by a tag. Examples include:

  • Point out a flaw in the plan
  • Notice something hidden
  • Follow quarry by tracks and spoor
  • Tend to the sick and injured
  • Divine the future
  • Poison someone
  • Maintain and operate the ship

Loyalty

By default, a new follower starts with Loyalty +1, but the GM may add or subtract 1 Loyalty to reflect their initial disposition and their respect (or lack thereof) for the characters they follow.

Instinct

How does the follower naturally cause trouble?

  1. Hold grudges and seek payback
  2. Slack off and give into temptation
  3. Treat others as beneath them
  4. Hew to superstition and tradition
  5. Take things too far when given a chance to indulge
  6. Bicker and fight amongst themselves

Cost

What motivates the follower to assist the characters?

  1. Fellowship: Risks taken, by you, to help them
  2. Fellowship: See above
  3. Defense: Threats to their home put down
  4. Debauchery: Food, drink, gambling, sex, and mischief
  5. Glory: Defeating a worthy foe in battle
  6. Wealth: Valuable treasure looted (of which they get their cut)
  7. Renown: Public recognition for their deeds and skills.
  8. Vengeance: Payback against those that have wronged them or their loved ones
  9. Knowledge: Secrets, mysteries, and wonders only found by exploring the wider world
  10. Good: Suffering alleviated, innocents defended, wrongs righted
  11. Good: See above

Follower Tag list

  • __-wise: They know all about __ and can roll +Quality to Spout Lore about it on your behalf. Examples: Woods-wise, Sea-wise, Herb-wise.
  • archer: They use ranged attacks (not necessarily bows) effectively and can roll +Quality to Volley.
  • athletic: Good at running, jumping, climbing, etc.
  • beautiful: They make an impression, drawing admiration and attention.
  • cautious: They are careful and methodical; they avoid acting rashly.
  • connected ( __ ): They have friends or contacts in the indicated steading or group.
  • cunning: Clever and observant. They can roll +Quality to Discern Realities when ordered.
  • devious: Deceitful, treacherous, tricky. Just the sort you want working for you.
  • group: A team, gang, or mob, with all the strengths and disadvantages that come with greater numbers.
  • guide ( __ ): Knows a particular steading or region and can roll+Quality to Spout Lore, or take on a job when Undertaking a Perilous Journey for this area.
  • hardy: Tough, hard-working, and willing to put up with discomfort. They can carry an additional 2 weight.
  • healer: They have the knowledge and ability to provide aid to the injured and the sick. They can make the First Aid move, and add their Quality to the HP recovered.
  • meek: They accept their lowly lot and will do degrading or unreasonable things without needing to Follow Orders.
  • magical: They are magical by nature or training, and sensitive to the workings of magic. Use at least one of their moves to elaborate on their powers.
  • mount: You can ride them like a horse.
  • organized: They make and follow plans well and work well in a group. Once they agree to a plan, you do not need to Order Followers to keep them on that course of action, unless the plan goes south or the situation drastically changes.
  • stealthy: They can avoid detection and often get the drop on foes.
  • warrior: They have 1 armor and get +1 to their damage bonus, and you don’t need to Order Followers to get them to fight (as long as the opposition is not terrifying or overwhelming).