Henchfox
Here is a proposal for a fox taken on as a henchman in AD&D.
The focus is on mechanical properties of the fox, and not retention or the apportion of treasure and experience points.
HENCHFOXES TABLE
A henchfox has fighter XP and progresses up through the canidae in Monster Manual 1. The data in the “Stats” column is transcribed from the monster entry in the “Source” column although I have tweaked alignment. The fox gets bigger and smarter as it levels up.
| XP | Level | Source | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2000 | 1 | “Fox” stats as per AD&D 2e “Mammal, Small (fox)”, reproduced from 2e below, unavailable in AD&D 1e | HD 1, AC 7, #Att 1, Dmg/Att 1-3, Mv 15, Int Animal (1), Align N, Size S, Notes: Foxes have superb vision, hearing and noses. Their pelts are worth three to five gp. |
| 2001-4000 | 2 | “Wolf” stats (2 HD) (MM1 p. 101) | HD 2+2, AC 7, #Att 1, Dmg/Att 2-5, Mv 18, Int Semi- (2-4), Align N, Size S |
| 4001-8000 | 3 | “Wolf, Dire” stats (3 HD) (MM1 p. 101) | HD 3+3, AC 6, #Att 1, Dmg/Att 2-8, Mv 18, Int Semi- (2-4), Align N, Size M |
| 8001+ | 4 | “Worg” stats (4 HD) (MM1 p. 101) | HD 4+4, AC 6, #Att 1, Dmg/Att 2-8, Mv 18, Int Low (5-7), Align N, Size L |
“Worg” seems a good place to stop for now. The mix of editions is messy but the resultant progression of monster statistics is perfect.
Background
I play a gnome illusionist/thief called Gargan-Tosh in Trevor’s fortnightly online AD&D campaign called Elves are the Bad Guys.
In a recent game, I had to cover great distance at top speed in order to attempt a rescue of a companion held by enemy forces. I used Tosh’s ability to communicate with burrowing mammals to negotiate a ride on a large fox. Tosh later fled certain death on the back of this fox.
It was pretty cool so I asked whether he could be made a henchman for Tosh. Trev suggested I see what the DMG has to say.
Literature survey and rationale
I wasn’t privy to the fox’s stats but I’m told they were a beefed-up version of the AD&D 2e “Mammal, Small (fox)” which is paraphrased here. I can’t find a 1e version.
Henchmen have class and level:
- PHB1e p. 39: Henchmen are always of a character race and character class, but are never player characters.
- DMG1e p. 21 [Large exposition on humanocentricity of AD&D and monster PC implications, possibilities and mostly discouragement…] So you are virtually on your own with regard to monsters as player characters.
Wasn’t there something about monster progression in OD&D?
- OD&D “Men and Magic” p. 9: Other Character Types: There is no reason that players cannot be allowed to play as virtually anything, provided they begin relatively weak and work up to the top, i.e., a player wishing to be a Dragon would have to begin as let us say, a “young” one and progress upwards in the usual manner, steps being predetermined by the campaign referee.
Similarly:
- DMG1e p. 21 … If it is also pointed out that he or she must begin at the lowest possible value, and only time and the accumulation and retention of great masses of wealth will allow any increase in level (age), the idea should be properly squelched.
Looking for something akin to dragon ages - but for a fox - that we can progress through, we find the different classes of wolf in the Monster Manual with simple arithmetic progression on key statistics. Perfect.
Current stats and level for Tosh’s henchfox
A case for 2nd level:
DMG1e p. 34 suggests “only characters of 1st level of experience will be attracted to service with a player character” and "… over 6th level, there is a 10% chance that the character found will be 2nd level".
Tosh is an Illusionist-4/Thief-5 with about enough total XP to scrape in as a 6th level thief if he was single class. But let’s say level 5.
Perhaps we’re talking about “Exceptional Henchmen”:
- DMG 1e p. 36: From time to time player characters will manage to capture or otherwise have in their power characters of higher than 2nd level. This in itself is of no consequence, but what if the player character then makes an offer of henchman status to the other character!
The fox wasn’t so much attracted as a follower but already contracted for help. A 2 HD fox would explain its “beefed up” state.
I imagine an invisibility spell per day would be very compelling remuneration for a henchfox while not adventuring.
Other animals
A similar progression could be adapted for other small mammals in the MM2e for which there are no higher hit-die alternatives.
--
Dallas
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 20 Jan 2023 | Initial version, no feedback |
| 21 Jan 2023 | Reorganisation and de-anonymising DM → Trevor |
| 10 Feb 2023 | Fix typo and a bit more explanation |
| 16 Apr 2024 | Better organisation |