This feat allows an experienced combatant to lead a small squad of hirelings or retainers as a strike force which works together in battle, known principally as a Lance or Squad.
A Lance (or more generally a Squad) is led by a Lancer, who is a veteran of many battles, and and up and coming leader. A Lancer (or Squad Leader) may be represented by any martial class, such as a fighter, a paladin, a barbarian, or ranger (or another class at your DM's discretion).
The following are requirements to become a Lancer and lead a Lance:
1. The Lancer must have at least 10 levels in one martial class (such as Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, or Ranger).
2. The Lancer must not have a negative charisma modifier (minimum charisma score of 11)
3. The Lancer must be played by a PC, and must have the ability to equip and train their force of retainers, which will have a cost in both gp and time measured at the DM's discretion.
The following are Features and Limitations of a Lance/Squad
1. COST: The Cost of equipping any retainers, hirelings, or squad members must be paid for from the PC Lancer themselves, who provides the majority of their equipment, as well as mounts and/or vehicles for the squad if any.
(Cost example 1A): For example, if a PC Lancer intends to hire 4 retainers (let's say each are represented by statblocked NPCs: 1 is a knight (CR 3) with a warhorse(1/2), and 3 are scouts (1/2 each) with riding horses; Total challenge rating of ), the Lancer would need to pay for the following, at minimum: The warhorse is 400gp, and the riding horses are 75gp each, and their bit and bridgle, saddles, saddlebags, and feed must be paid by the PC. The knight wears plate armor, costing 1500gp, and wields a greatsword and a heavy crossbow with 20 bolts in a case, which costs 102 gp for their weapons. The scouts are equipped each with leather armor (30gp total), wield longbows (156gp total including quivers and 20 arrows for each) and shortswords (30 gp total). And all of these costs, in gp or relevant currency, would be added up together to represent the Starting Costs of equipping retainers.
(Cost example 1B) These costs may be adjusted up or down at the DM's discretion (for example: if the Lancer instead hired 3 level 3 retainers, the DM might exempt the cost of their starting equipment OR starting gold, from the calculations).
2. HIRELING PAY: The retainers/squad members of the lance must be paid as skilled hirelings. This pay rate is, at minimum, a total of 2gp per day (or 20gp per 10 days) for the services of the Lance's NPC members. A DM may, at their discretion, modify these wages based on the experience and equipment of the retainers in question. Failure to pay wages for the retainers will result in a chance that they will desert the lance or squad, and no longer be available to fight for the Lancer. If the Lancer is able to catch back up to the deserter in question, they might be able to convince the deserter to come back, but at a much higher DC set by the DM. Recommended: It is likely roughly twice as difficult in CR to win back a deserter, as it is to prevent a retainer from deserting. So if the DC was 10 for desertion and the retainer rolled under this, then the DC for the Lancer to win them back around would be a DC 20 (and could add every day as a +1 to the DC).
3. DESERTION: The failure to pay the appropriate wages results in the following rolls. Failure to pay daily wages within 1d4 days will result in a possibility of desertion, represented by the DM rolling a d20. The roll is as follows: roll 1d20 -the number of days the retainers have not been paid. The DC for such a Charisma roll starts at 13, and the player can use, at the DM's discretion, their charisma modifier (or persuasion/intimidation if applicable) and subtract that number from the DC.
(Desertion Example 3) For example: A Level 12 Paladin who has a Charisma score of 16 (+3), and they have failed to pay their retainers for 3 days. Each unpaid retainer would make a desertion roll (charisma) within 3 (1d4) days of not being paid, represented by 1d20-3. This roll is then opposed by the PC's DC, which in this case, would be 10 (13-3), or 6 (13-7), if the Paladin was proficient in either Persuasion or Intimidation, and was able to convince or threaten their retainers into staying. This means that any roll lower than 10, or alternatively 6, would result in the desertion of each retainer which rolled under the DC.
4. RETAINER TYPE: At the DM's discretion, the retainers may be represented Either as NPC characters (such as Scouts, Veterans, or Knights, or other NPC humanoid stats, depending), OR as leveled NPC characters in a martial class. If the former, the limitations of their equipment and ability scores and additional skills is agreed upon between the Player and DM, and is represented by their Challenge Rating (CR) If the latter, The ability scores of each retainer can be, as agreed upon by the Lancer Player and the DM, be either standard array, point buy, or rolled/manual, and the appropriate racial and level modifiers added.
5. LIMIT OF NUMBER OF RETAINERS: The number of retainers a Lancer may employ is limited, based upon their starting class's level (multiclass levels do not count unless they are also in a martial class). This number = the martial class level /divided by 3, rounded down.
6. LIMIT OF LEVEL OR CR: The level of retainers is also limited. These retainers are NPC characters, and do not level up at the same rate as PC characters, nor do they share in EXP pool (unless otherwise stated by the DM, at their discretion). Their maximum level = the Lancer's martial class level divided by/ 4, rounded down. Alternatively, if the NPC retainers are simply given the stats of existing npc blocks, the level of the retainers is represented by their Challenge Rating or CR.
(Limits of Numbers or Level/CR Example) If a the Lancer is at level 14 in the Fighter class (or a combined total of 14 levels in martial classes), they are allowed up to 4 retainers, at a maximum of level 3 (or Challenge Rating maximum of 3), and this will not change until the Lancer reaches 15th or 16th level in the same Fighter class (where they will have up to 5 retainers at level 15, and a maximum level or CR of each retainer as level/CR 4 once they reach level 16)
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