Henchmen
If you go to AreaGangland or the surrounding locations, you will find various NPCs who will allow you to hire them. When you hire them, they will attack with you, carry things for you, and perform other tasks.
---++Hiring Henchmen
If you examine a hireable NPC (see CommandExamine), you will see that *hire* is a verb you can use.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/hench_hire.gif" alt="hench_hire.gif" width="435" height="47" />
When you hire an NPC, they will tell you their price and you'll be given a chance to accept or decline the offer. If you accept, you'll be able to communicate with them and direct them.
- Note:* the number of henchmen you may employ at one time is limited by your Cool.
---++Working with Henchmen
Once you have hired a hencemen, you may direct it to do various things by talking to it or giving it various items. You automatically allow gifts, medical, and sex from your henchmen, and vice versa (see CommandAllow).
The most basic command is *help*, to tell you what commands are available.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/hench_help.gif" alt="hench_help.gif" width="641" height="85" />
As you can see, there are a number of commands that you can tell them to do, either using regular *say*, or with *page*. This allows you to issue commands even if you aren't in the same room, which is particularly handy for a couple of the commands.
---+++Commanding Henchmen
- come*
If your henchmen is in another room for some reason (perhaps because you told him to *wait* or *patrol*), you can page him to come to your location. They will also automatically *follow* you.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_come.gif" alt="henchmen_come.gif" width="460" height="74" />
- follow <anyone>*
This tells your henchmen to follow you or someone else, just as the normal *follow* commmand (see CommandFollow). You cannot have your henchmen follow themselves, though -- if you want your henchmen to stop following, use *wait*.
_Note:_ They currently will not follow you when you are climbing up or down. However, they will come to you once you resurface to a place they can get to without climbing.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_follow.gif" alt="henchmen_follow.gif" width="662" height="284" />
- gimme <item>*
When you want your henchmen to give you an item they're carrying, use this command. For more information, see <a href="#equipping">Equipping Henchmen</a> below.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_gimme.gif" alt="henchmen_gimme.gif" width="406" height="74" />
- inv*
Use this command when you want to know what your henchmen is carrying. For more information, see <a href="#equipping">Equipping Henchmen</a> below.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_inv.gif" alt="henchmen_inv.gif" width="718" height="61" />
- patrol <any known room>*
- skills*
This command allows you to see what skills a henchmen is good at. They aren't always combat-oriented skills, and some henchmen are better at things thing others. See HenchmenImproving for more information.
_Note:_ Unlike most other commands, you can use this command before you hire someone. This lets you see what you're investing in.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_skills.gif" alt="henchmen_skills.gif" width="518" height="48" />
- wait*
Use this command to have your henchmen stop moving (such as following you, patroling, or coming to you). They'll stay in whichever room they were in when you issued the command.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_wait.gif" alt="henchmen_wait.gif" width="313" height="48" />
- wield <item>*
<a name="equipping"></a> ---+++Equipping Henchmen
You can give items to your henchmen using the standard *give* command (see CommandGive). You can use this to give your henchmen something to use, or just to have your henchmen bear some of your load. Your henchmen are as vulnerable to being weighed down and slowed down as you are, though.
If you give your henchmen a weapon, they will automatically wield the most expensive weapon they possess. (You can change that with the *wield* command, listed above). If you hand them something else that causes them to stow that weapon, they will bring it out after dealing with the other item.
If you give your henchmen armor, they will automatically try to put it on.
If your henchmen are hungry or thisrty, you can give them something to eat or drink and they will use it.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_give.gif" alt="henchmen_give.gif" width="407" height="116" />
---+++Checking on your Henchmen
From time to time, you may want to see how your crew are doing. If they are in the same room, you can use *diagnose* (see CommandDiagnose) or *tac* (see CommandTac) to view their condition, as well looking at them to see what equipment they're currently wearing or holding.
However, you may also want to know where your henchmen are, or just a quick view of their condition as a single command. For this, use the command *crew*.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_crew.gif" alt="henchmen_crew.gif" width="628" height="82" />
This command allows you to see the location, life, and status of each of your henchmen at once.
---++Maintaining Henchmen
- Paying Your Henchmen*
Once every game week (roughly once per real day), each of your henchmen will charge you a fee to continue working for you.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_pay.gif" alt="henchmen_pay.gif" width="383" height="32" />
This is an automatic payment. If you do not want to pay this, you can *fire* your henchmen (see below). If you do not have the money to pay, your henchmen will quit.
- Increasing Your Henchmens' Abilities*
Your henchmen gain IP just like you do. You can train them by going to areas that will provide challenging activity for them, just as you do for yourself.
You will also train your henchmen using the *teach* command (see CommandTeach). _Note:_ Just like with <b>teach</b>ing players, teaching your henchmen costs 5 of your daily IP.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/henchmen_teach.gif" alt="henchmen_teach.gif" width="647" height="132" />
- Keeping Your Henchmen Alive*
_Henchmen do not have clones!_ This is important -- if your henchmen die, your investment is gone. If you have a defibilator or other means to resusitate someone, you may attempt to do so; however, even if that succeeds, there may be some skill loss.
---++Firing Henchmen
When you are done with a henchmen, you can fire them. This will, of course, take them off of your payroll and they will no longer accept commands from you. Once you fire them, they will leave and go their separate way. Should you find them again, you can re<b>hire</b> them, provided they are still available.
_Note:_ They will not return any items currently in their possession. If you want those items back, you need to take them before firing them.
<img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/hench_fire.gif" alt="hench_fire.gif" width="375" height="59" />
-- Main.ChaJ - 08 Jul 2005