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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

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GM Core / Chapter 4: Subsystems / Leadership

Organization NPCs

Source GM Core pg. 205 2.0
Followers and lieutenants are noncombatant NPCs of the levels indicated on Organization Statistics by Level. When an organization has followers or lieutenants of several levels, most of them are at the lowest possible level. As a rule of thumb, an organization has twice as many NPCs of a given level than of the next-higher level. This allows you to quickly estimate the level composition of the organization's members, but you can of course change the levels of various followers as much as you like. When the minimum level for lieutenants increases, either the lower-level lieutenants level up to the new minimum, or they become followers of more powerful lieutenants the PCs recruit, whichever fits best with the story.

Followers and lieutenants are loyal to the PCs and their organization, working to maintain the organization, its base of operations, and their own way of life. Because of this work, PCs don't need to pay for basic upkeep of their base of operations or for expansions to house the burgeoning activity as their organization grows in level— the followers and lieutenants take care of all of that. But similarly, these followers and lieutenants never get involved in the PCs' adventuring, nor do they provide a source of free magic or labor.

Table 3–3: Organization Statistics by Level

LevelFollowersMax Follower LevelLieutenantsLieutenant Levels
11–20——
23–40——
35–6011
47–9011
510–13011
614–18122
719–27122
828–36132–3
937–5314–52–3
1054–7526–73–4
1176–9928–103–4
12100–150211–153–5
13151–215216–223–5
14216–300323–304–6
15301–425331–424–6
16426–600343–604–7
17601–850361–854–7
18851–1,200486–1205–8
191,201–1,7004121–1705–8
201,701–2,4004171–2405–9

Cohorts and New PCs

Source GM Core pg. 205 2.0
While the followers and lieutenants who define an organization’s advancement don’t accompany the PCs on adventures, sometimes the organization is the perfect plot hook to introduce an NPC who will be traveling along with the party or a new PC hoping to join the party. For instance, if the PCs are running a mercenary army, a rising officer might become a new PC. Treat such NPC cohorts and PCs just like any other additional characters in the party, with an enriched story that ties them to the PCs.