Max Follower points based on Max Character AP in game

[Jujitsuguy]

Gang:

Our game has a Max AP and I have a player that was going to make some followers.  I'm not sure about the maximum CP that you can use for the NPCs (followers).

 

In my game, the characters are at 350+ CP and I have made 75AP as the Max AP in the game.

 

Being that if you used raw 75AP as the max, would mean the NPC followers would be a max of 375CP NPCs...literally more than the character themself.

 

Is there an official RAW on this, or is there a good rule of thumb?

[LoneWolf]

The Hero System does not focus on official RAW like other games do.  It has a lot of optional rules and each GM is encouraged to structure their campaign the way they want it.  When Steve Long was answering the rules questions he almost always ended his post with something like “The GM can alter this if they choose.” 

 

That being said I would never allow a follower to outshine the player or any PC for that matter.  Also, the point totals are only a rough guideline on how effective a character is.  An experience player with a good understanding of the rules can write up a character on fewer points that is way more powerful than a character on significantly more points.   

 

As long as the PCs are the main focus of the game it should be fine. 

[unclevlad]

Yeah, there's no rule.  The text offers up a "one step down" guideline.  You're kinda in between steps...so maybe 2/3.  Call it 250 points max.

 

And yeah...what's the follower's role to be?  Cuz a non-combat-capable character with 250 points...that's quite a bit.  

[Christopher R Taylor]

Here's the thing.  In an ordinary campaign, I would never as a GM allow a character to have a follower with more points than they have.  But there could be a campaign I might design in which, for example, every player plays a sidekick*, and their "follower" is the main hero in the story.  A campaign that focuses on being the sidekick and what they do, while the GM runs the main hero off doing main hero stuff, needing to be rescued, acting on leads you pick up, etc.

 

Or a game in which you are the squire of a knight, or the guardian of a wizard.  That's why there's no hard and fast rule: like almost everything in Hero, it depends.

 

*I would link an obligatory The Tick episode with the sidekick lounge and the Mad Bomber What Bombs At Midnight but I can't find it on Youtube.