But how big is too big when you consider followers, henchmen and hirelings?
So take for example my ideal group size of 6 PCs. Now imagine that the wizard has 1 apprentice, the cleric has 2 under-clerics, the ranger has two tigers, the thief has 3 henchmen and each of the two fighters has 3 henchmen. Now the group size has grown to 6 PCs, 12 henchmen, and 2 tigers for a total of 18 NPCs and 2 animals (20 beings). That's more than 3x the size of the original (and manageable!) party of six!
![Shocked 8O](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
Keep in mind - with higher CHA scores, each PC can have 10 to 15 henchmen!
Now granted, not all the henchmen need appear at the same time. A fighter may have 2 henchmen for awhile, then they leave and 3 more come to replace them, etc. But there's no rule saying they can't all show up at once. Even an average sized party of 6 can quadruple or even quintuple their numbers depending on various factors, resulting in 24 - 30 characters going on an adventure.
![Shocked 8O](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
And what about normal followers? In 2E, fighters can gain 15 1st-level rangers (umm...what about that rule forbidding more than 3 rangers?
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
![Shocked 8O](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
By 9th level or so, the PCs can be commanding a literal army - many of them leveled (i.e. above 0th level) NPCs. Adding followers and henchmen and animals and what not. Hell, the cleric by himself can command an army of up to 200 personal cleric followers!
![Shocked 8O](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Shocked 8O](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
So how do you handle all that firepower? What's to stop the fighter from bringing along his 20 archers to lay down suppressing fire and 30 1st-level infantry to kill most of the enemy before the PCs engage, or the wizard having his apprentices soften the competition with volley after volley of fireballs?