Player Characters and Specialists (SNS)

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﻿Since player characters stand to benefit most from the inclusion of specialists into a campaign, they should be responsible for maintaining records on each of the specialists involved in their characters' lives. There are two ways to introduce specialists into your game.
==DM-Generated Specialists==
Some DMs like to have total control over the nonplayer characters in their game. These Dungeon Masters create each specialist and introduce him into the game just as they would any other NPC that the adventurers meet in the course of play.
The starting level for each specialist is up to the individual Dungeon Master, but should rarely be higher than that of the highest-level character in the party. Once the DM creates a character, he must decide whether to attach him to a particular character or the entire party. Perhaps one of the wizards has known this apothecary since his youth. Or maybe the adventuring group has just recently met (or is about to meet) an aspiring young engineer.
Note that specialists attached to a particular character should never initially be of higher level than that character. Ideally, all characters and specialists begin together at 1st level. New specialists that are introduced in already existing campaigns can be of any level.
Usually, when a DM generates a specialist, he includes several things about the specialist (knowledge, magical items, hidden agendas) that the party should not know about. Thus, the Dungeon Master needs to keep track of the NPC information.
==Player-Generated Specialists==
Dungeon Masters who do not require that much control over their game can simply allow their players to generate specialists for each of their characters. This decreases the DMs workload. However, Dungeon Masters are strongly encouraged to check their players' work when they're done.
Players should create 1st level specialists. At the DM's option, these specialists can be near the character's level. However, this can have a drastic impact upon an ongoing campaign. It is recommended that most advanced-level specialists enter a campaign at one-half the average experience level of the adventuring group.﻿
Players can generate any kind of specialist that they like, although they must come up with some a rationalization as to why the specialist keeps in touch with their
character and vice versa. Otherwise, there is no reason for any kind of special relationship and the specialist is then reduced to the level of a regular NPC. If this is the case, the players should have nothing to do with creating and presenting these specialists.
==Attached Specialists==
Once the player or Dungeon Master creates a specialist, he must attach it to a specific player or party. Attached specialists are NPCs who have a close relationship with a particular hero or group of heroes. This NPC takes a close interest in the welfare of the person or group, and they, in turn, look out for the NPC.
Once an NPC is attached to a player, that player (or gaming group) is responsible for keeping track of the NPC's records (equipment, important information, and experience). In addition, the character's player is also responsible for the NPC's level advancement (discussed later).
==The Number of Specialists==
A character can have a number of specialists attached to him. However, the maximum number of attached specialists is equal to the maximum number of henchman that character can have. This number is listed on Table 6: Charisma in the Player's Handbook.
The number of specialists a character can know personally is not reduced by the number of henchmen he may happen to have. Conversely, the number of specialists attached to a character does not influence the total number of henchmen that the character can possess. The two matters are entirely separate.
If a character wishes, he can let a relationship with a certain specialist lapse. He can then pick up a relationship with a different specialist through role-playing. The newly unattached specialist becomes a standard NPC; his fate no longer depends upon the adventurer. Alternately, one of the other heroes in the party can strike up a relationship with the specialist and take him as one of his own attached specialists.
A character does not have to attach himself to his maximum number of specialists. Instead, he can leave a couple of spaces open in case he meets a specialist in the future who will fulfill whatever particular needs he may develop. This specialist can be introduced by the DM as an NPC and then co-opted by the hero (at the DM's discretion), or the player can generate the specialist himself at a later date.
Note that if every player in a party creates the maximum number of specialists available to his character, the DM will have his hands full. The average Charisma of 10 or 11 permits up to four attached specialists. If the party consists of eight adventures, they could have up to 32 specialists attached to their group! DMs are strongly encouraged to limit the number of specialists created at the beginning of play.