Giving "pets" and random companions to a party

[Nettlekid]

I'm DMing a newbie party of six, and they love NPC interactions. I've tried to have a variety of NPCs prepared for the town they're in and people they meet along the way (that is to say, small to medium backstories and if possible some hidden agenda for that NPC) and the party's taken a real shine to them. Notable minor characters are a trio of Barbarians who arm wrestle a lot, a peppy Monk, a Bard who shows up at every tavern, and a bloated Sahuagin they found stuck in a cave. Now, they've asked me if they can invite some of these along, and I see no reason to deny it. As of now they're going to part ways with the Barbarians soon, they have a way of contacting the Sahuagin whenever they want it to show up, and the Monk and Bard are along for the ride for the foreseeable future.

I guess the question I want to ask is: What negative repercussions might this result in? Having more party members might slow down combat a little, but then again if they're under my control I can more than often have them either pass or do something quick and generally helpful but largely ineffective (take out a mook, grab a dropped weapon for a PC ally) and do what the PCs would like them to do. I can use them as sources of IC knowledge if the PCs (being newbies and not having the Monster Manual memorized, etc) want to know and I see fit for them to know. I want to make sure they aren't DMPCs, and the story definitely won't be focused around "their special quest" or whatever.

Also, how many would be too many? Like they have these two with them already. I'm planning on a Mimic encounter in not too long, and if they manage to talk it down/feed it then they could feasibly befriend it, and a Mimic would be a useful companion. I'm also very tempted to toss in a Zodar that they encounter and who just starts following them whether they like it or not (because their PCs are more important (in a universal sense) than the players might think they are) which could be amusing, but is it overkill if they've already got these other tagalongs?

So, general opinions about NPC/monster pets/allies that a party might invite on their journey, and how big a role those allies should have compared to the main party?

[Sir Chuckles]

They should have little to no role, unless they're specifically hired to be something bigger. If the bard is along for the ride, only have him fight if it's in self defense. Maybe the party occasionally witnesses the Bard fence a mook or toss a dagger to the greatsword wielder who's getting grappled. Keep things small like that, but not wholly inconsequential.

Try not to have them know too much. Aid Another is a thing, and a such better use of a DMPC than "Let's all just ask Fred!"

[Mithril Leaf]

I'm DMing a newbie party of six, and they love NPC interactions. I've tried to have a variety of NPCs prepared for the town they're in and people they meet along the way (that is to say, small to medium backstories and if possible some hidden agenda for that NPC) and the party's taken a real shine to them. Notable minor characters are a trio of Barbarians who arm wrestle a lot, a peppy Monk, a Bard who shows up at every tavern, and a bloated Sahuagin they found stuck in a cave. Now, they've asked me if they can invite some of these along, and I see no reason to deny it. As of now they're going to part ways with the Barbarians soon, they have a way of contacting the Sahuagin whenever they want it to show up, and the Monk and Bard are along for the ride for the foreseeable future.

I guess the question I want to ask is: What negative repercussions might this result in? Having more party members might slow down combat a little, but then again if they're under my control I can more than often have them either pass or do something quick and generally helpful but largely ineffective (take out a mook, grab a dropped weapon for a PC ally) and do what the PCs would like them to do. I can use them as sources of IC knowledge if the PCs (being newbies and not having the Monster Manual memorized, etc) want to know and I see fit for them to know. I want to make sure they aren't DMPCs, and the story definitely won't be focused around "their special quest" or whatever.

Also, how many would be too many? Like they have these two with them already. I'm planning on a Mimic encounter in not too long, and if they manage to talk it down/feed it then they could feasibly befriend it, and a Mimic would be a useful companion. I'm also very tempted to toss in a Zodar that they encounter and who just starts following them whether they like it or not (because their PCs are more important (in a universal sense) than the players might think they are) which could be amusing, but is it overkill if they've already got these other tagalongs?

So, general opinions about NPC/monster pets/allies that a party might invite on their journey, and how big a role those allies should have compared to the main party?

Let me preface this by saying I am not a good role model DM.

My party has about 8 pets a few slaves and like 12 recruited crew members from the teens number of sessions we've had so far. It's pretty wacky that they keep recruiting, but I keep them inconsequential and everything is working out fine so far. They're probably going to end up with a real army by the end of it all, but c'este la vie. They have fun with it.

[Nettlekid]

They should have little to no role, unless they're specifically hired to be something bigger. If the bard is along for the ride, only have him fight if it's in self defense. Maybe the party occasionally witnesses the Bard fence a mook or toss a dagger to the greatsword wielder who's getting grappled. Keep things small like that, but not wholly inconsequential.

Try not to have them know too much. Aid Another is a thing, and a such better use of a DMPC than "Let's all just ask Fred!"

Like I said, these are not DMPCs, these are NPCs. They are not player characters in the story. My thoughts about them will be that if the party were to say "Do these things!" then I'll have the NPCs do them so the party doesn't have to worry about those things being done, but for the most part I'll have them be very supportive if anything. You say have the Bard fight in self-defense, but I would go one step less and say just have the Bard use Inspire Courage and Cure Light Wounds on the party's behalf, or have the Monk try to trip or do nonlethal damage. Keep in mind, I did say Monk and Bard, two of the most frequently laughed at classes. And be assured they aren't optimized, they're quite normal out-of-the-book types. I wouldn't introduce an NPC who would subsume a party character's role (this group has a Telepath, Factotum, Crusader, Sha'ir, Druid, and Swashbuckler, so a lot of roles have a spot filled but they're all loathe to actually spend daily resources like PP and spell slots or even the easily-refreshed Inspiration Points) but then have things like the Bard's Bardic Knowledge fill in when they want to know something and I don't want to roleplay out ANOTHER "going to the library" scene.


Let me preface this by saying I am not a good role model DM.

My party has about 8 pets a few slaves and like 12 recruited crew members from the teens number of sessions we've had so far. It's pretty wacky that they keep recruiting, but I keep them inconsequential and everything is working out fine so far. They're probably going to end up with a real army by the end of it all, but c'este la vie. They have fun with it.

So how does that work? Do you roll initiative for each pet/crew member when battle starts and give them each a turn largely controlled by you, or do you leave them out of battle as non-combatants, or what?

[Lightlawbliss]

Another way to handle it: have the bard and monk "guard the baggage train".

[Segev]

I'm told - though I never played in games of this style - that it was common for mid-level and higher parties to have effective war camps and merchant caravans that followed them. Hirelings of all sorts set up and maintained camp, guarded their loot against other thieving parties (with the threat and promise that the Big Bad Adventuring Party in the dungeon will come after anybody who succeeds in taking their stuff, in order to bolster the generally lower-level strength of the guards against "serious" threats), and maintained places of safety.

Adventuring parties were thus whole enterprises, to some degree, much like modern archaeological excavation teams.

All those NPCs provided a "base camp," as well as some basic services and loot-management.

[Sylthia]

I usually try to have a player play the NPCs. Otherwise you are just playing with yourself for the most part.

NPCs are fine in the party, but try to keep it to one or two maximum, any more than that and it bogs down combat. As suggested above, you could also have them stay behind when possible.

[sleepyphoenixx]

If the players want companions they can hire some. You can also play animal companions and familiars as NPCs if you like that style.
I wouldn't just give them to the party however. If they want them they'll have to go to the effort to obtain them (via feats, class features or gold).

[Mootsmcboots]

The only downside I could see is the players just turning to these companions for info at every turn.

But, they seem to be having fun with it, enjoying it as it's gone on. Isn't that the point?

As long as you are as well.

Edit: Why are people so against this? Oh no! Colourful, interesting characters in my game world? Better make those players Earn that. That's dumb.

[KorbeltheReader]

I'm a big fan of NPCs as rewards. In D&D as in real life, an entourage connotes power and is a form of wealth. One or two npcs to pad combat can make a small party's combats less "swingy," while a colorful npc can also provide rp opportunities and/or comic relief. Plus the players seem to enjoy collecting them just as much as gold or magic items.

Encourage them to only take one or two along for combat. The others become a staple of the eventual settlement your PCs will create, because for some reason PCs are really drawn to building projects once they get some extra scratch.