The most important ingredient of any adventure or campaign are NPCs, especially the detailed ones that bring a setting to life.
"Friends, Foes & Followers" (FF&F) is a series of detailed NPCs created primarily for use in the Hârn setting, currently published by Columbia Games and Kelestia.com.
The (to date) six collections comprise a ZIP file containing a series of PDF files, the first collection contains a series introduction and an index of the character sheets. The second, third and fourth compilations are solely composed of character sheets.
The character sheets are two page documents detailing one NPC, the first page has the NPCs portrait and character stats generated using the current (3rd) edition of the HârnMaster rules. The second page has the NPCs background and suggestions for plots involving that character. Space is also provided on both pages for GM notes.
The NPC files are indexed using an alphanumeric code that allows the GM to identify race and profession (e.g., 27C means that the character is a Human Brigand.)
The most recent collections (Parts, five and six) are slightly different, in that individual NPCs are designed to be used as part of pre-generated groups.
All are available as freeware downloads from Lythia.com.
HÂRNWORLD: FRIENDS, FOES & FOLLOWERS, COMMENTS.
It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into the creation of this collection. The appearance of the various documents is professional and follows the standard format established by Columbia Games in its official Hârn products.
While some of the artwork shows signs of where it was "cut'n'pasted" into the document, this does not affect the high standard of the artwork which was contributed by Richard Luschek and Juha Makkonen.
The author's stated intention is to create interesting NPCs that could also be used as pre-generated player characters. It is my view that while they have succeeded in the first goal it was not until the most recent collections came out that the second goal was fully achieved. This is a consequence of the difference in 'player culture' between Hârn and DnD, as Hârn tends to emphasize immersive roleplaying at the expense of fast action.
There are only two problems I would regard as being major, the first is that only the first collection has any kind of explanatory documentation, this could result in some confusion if any of the later collections are downloaded without the first. Such a readme file would be especially helpful in the case of the latest collections which introduce NPC organizations to the series.
The second issue is that stats have only been prepared for the HârnMaster roleplaying system, however instructions on how to convert the stats to DnD 3rdED can be obtained from Lythia.com.
Best use of this collection would probably be in conjunction with 'Hârn Encounters' (See my review), a set of adventure hooks which can be found at Lythia.com as many of the NPCs fit well into the scenarios provided. For example, one Hârn Encounters scenario sees the players receiving a cryptic warning from a dying man. One of the characters in FF&F is a ratcatcher whose background would make him a perfect fit for the part of the dying man.
HÂRNWORLD: FRIENDS, FOES & FOLLOWERS, VERDICT.
In conclusion, I would wholeheartedly recommend this product to any GM running a fantasy based campaign.
