How do you handle servant/assistant type characters in your games? People who can do things like counting the PC's money or carrying shit but aren't intended or aren't made for action? Are they exclusively GM controlled or can the PC's control them? To what extent can PC's control them?
Is the GM controlling them a warning sign that they're going to betray you or is just a given?
if your GM is regularly having trusted NPCs betray you it sounds like you have a shit GM, to be honest.
>>46244669
First of all, SPOILERS.
Second of all, PCs shouldn't control much outside of their own characters. There are a few reasonable exceptions (Extras in Savage Worlds, Followers/Cohorts in D&D, and WoD has similar things) but even within those I wouldn't give each PC control over much, and none would have more access/power than the character they play. Your GM controlling an NPC is not a bad sign at all.
>>46244756
You sound like a boring, paranoid person. And a shit player, to be honest.
>>46244883
>SPOILERSIt's a commission though?
>>46244883
If everyone I hire tries to stab me in the back I'm just gonna stop fucking hiring people.
I think it depends.
If the minion/assistant is apart of a feat or merit or what have you the PC spent XP on then I'm ok with them controlling the character.
At that point the minion is as much apart of the character as a +1 to strength or his ability to perform cool maneuvers. You wouldn't permanently remove someone's strength advancement or take away their ability to fight with a signature technique so why would you take away someone they've spent valuable XP on to earn their trust, cooperation and ability.
>>46244669
I'm okay with PC control, but give them only a few limited interactions, essentially just some basic mechanical things they can do and a basic profile in order to do them. A squire is probably not going to be ready or trained for action yet, and neither is a maid.
If they want to invest in those NPCs, I'd say they can get a bit more out of them.
>>46244883
Though this also works well, so long as the DM isn't a dick about it. I'll also add Only War to the list as well, where a squadmate does sort of act as an extension or extra to a PC and is generally under a PC's control, but has limited utility unless you invest in them.
>>46244669
>do things like counting the PC's money or carrying shit but aren't intended or aren't made for action?
I want to have NPC cohorts like this, but my GM seems to get irrationally angry whenever a PC uses means other than his own back to carry things. Like the dude will take any opportunity to discourage us from using a cart or wagon, will routinely try to get them lost, damaged, or destroyed, and takes the most stingy possible view regarding what can be carried in them. Like even if the rules (and common sense) say that a wagon pulled by two mules can carry ~4 tons, he will absolutely refuse to allow us to keep more than two or three people in there at a time, or let us keep much loot in there.
You'll need good practices for keeping your attendants from getting merked. I'd probably have to look up the way RL knights treated their squires and pages, but I'm sure there's a good way of doing it.
Of course, there's not much you can do when the GM wants to kill your companion for cheap drama. Even relatively good GMs have a hard time resisting that temptation.
