Metagame Structure and the Lethality Buffer

Metagame:

The overall structure of this game can be divided into four basic blocks:

1. Revaydra -> The Break

2. The Break -> The City of Chaîneaux

3. The Bathhouse

4. Deep Carbon Observatory

While, hypothetically, you could just ignore everything I mention in the game I think you will all realize that every plot hook I explicitly nudge towards you is something I would like you to explore.

The two major stories that you will definitely encounter are Boswitch Bathhouse (from Goblinpunch) and the follow-up: Deep Carbon Observatory (by Patrick from Falsemachine). (other modules are littered throughout the first two sections, but are technically optional).

Deep Carbon Observatory is a decently (or maybe highly) challenging adventure, and has a very good chance of being incredibly lethal in a number of different ways.

Because of this, I want you all to know how the first two parts of this hexcrawl are meant to facilitate the second two. 

Collecting resources (weapons, items, tools, money) is all very useful, but another resource you will be able to collect during your first two adventures is people. Recruits, those who are grateful, and really anyone you think might be plucky enough for adventure. Not only do these hirelings/NPCs likely have small skills or uses that might be useful for the bathhouse (translation skills, lockpicking), they are also a lethality buffer.

Yes. I expect some people do die; with hirelings, you may have more meat to grind before you get down to the PCs that you actually are piloting, or more replacements for your PCs if your originals end up biting the bullet.

In any case, even if they are a lethality buffer, I am sure you will become frustrated and desperate when the useful and/or NPCs you like begin to die off, so the lethality should still have some teeth.

Rules used for followers will be from the "hirelings" section of GLOG (found in Lair of the Lamb PDF). They will also be listed here for expedience:

• Cost: followers will (usually) expect some form of compensation, though this will depend on the nature of the follower. Normal henchmen cost 5s/day (or 1/2 share of loot), mercenaries cost 50s/day (or 1 share of loot). For these, cost is whichever is higher. 
• Henchmen will not take risks or fight for you but they do have 10 inventory slots and will gladly hold stuff. Mercenaries are the same but they will take fair risks and engage in combat. 
• Hirelings that fight will instead give their adjacent PC "master" a flat bonus to attack and damage. lvl 1 fighter: +2/+2, non fighter lvl 1 or 0: +1/+1. May increase with level. Hirelings may also have special skills to use.
• Further hirelings attacking beyond the first only increase attack by +1 (always use most powerful hireling to calculate bonus).
• If you would take lethal damage, base 50% chance that a hireling will die in your place. (changes based on loyalty, high leveled hirelings may have more "lives")
• Default loyalty (or morale) is 5. Good things can kick it up by 1 or 2 points. Bad things can kick it down by 1, 1d4, or 1d6 points. Certain followers may be easier to keep loyal (think someone who idolizes you as a hero). 
• Loyalty checks are required whenever you ask a hireling to do something dangerous outside their job description and may also be required to save you from death. Whether or not they do it, asking a hireling to do something of this nature automatically drops their loyalty by 1.
• At 0 loyalty, they will attempt to flee at the earliest opportunity

In any case, while you will all have more opportunities to collect followers. Every PC starts off with (probably) 2 lvl 1 barbarians from your tribe. +1/+1, extra sturdy and can take two lethal hits potentially. Basically no cost. You'll need to take care of them, but they didn't come along with you because of a paycheck. Probably extra loyal; they are family, after all.

Large enough groups will use pieces of "settlement" rules (mono barbarian campaign) and rules from large groups of peasants (all peasant campaign).

Most hirelings will be basic carriers or mercenaries (or unique NPCs), but other types of hirelings can be gained such as blacksmiths, tanners, priests, carpenters, etc... The AD&D DMG for example has a list of hireling categories but the point is that hiring people of different functions besides combat and carrying treasure is an option.

The Ticking Clock:

The time pressure built into the game (~30 days) is interesting and fun in concept but I have no earthly clue how long it would take for you guys to actually navigate the hexcrawl once you start. 

I don’t particularly want you guys to just skip past everything on the way to the bath house; the more the PCs explore and engage with adventures along the way, the happier I am (and the more interesting this will all be).

The “advantage” of a time limit would be that the PCs are forced to really consider how much time they spend on each adventure, interacting with NPCs, and gathering resources. No time pressure would encourage boring behaviors. 

Additionally, while I would appreciate consideration of how character’s think and would act, the most important variable is what the players wish to do. If you go into a dungeon because you think it will be fun, then we can easily integrate that into character psychology or motive. 

Interactivity already will be variable based on luck, clues, and whether the players even have an interest in that particular adventure; no need to put in a (ambiguously fun) time pressure or hamstring players with character specific motivations.

So, while ~30 days is the tentative time limit I have written in, the honest answer is that as long as the PCs act “as if” they have to keep a schedule, then things will probably work out. I might keep both a “rigorous” and “loose” track of time based on actual in game time spent as well as the types of decisions you make: more time saving ideas, more time saved regardless of how long it actually might take. Risk is correlated with reward; easy enough to remember.