Daniel (@dungeondive) digs into three components of League of Dungeoneers that, in his view, solve persistent pain points in big-box dungeon crawlers: the Companions expansion, the hero standee set, and the bestiary.
The Companions are hireable mercenaries with stripped-down stat blocks — combat skill, range, dodge, energy, and a perk or two — designed to fill out a party without forcing you to manage four full character sheets. Daniel walks through named mercenaries (Three-Fingered Ali, Wagit Necksnapper, Brom the Mad, Captain Allen Black) and notes a house rule he’s planning: anchor each mercenary to a home settlement so the world feels persistent. Hire them where they live, or go on a quest to rescue them.
The hero standees cover all four races across every class, with charming alternates (the halfling barbarian holding an absurd Claymore is a highlight). The bestiary tour runs through seven factions — Undead, Bandits, Orcs and goblins, Dark Elves, Reptiles, Beasts, and Magic creatures — and praises the master alphabetical list and the per-monster cards that keep play out of the rulebook.
Would you build a persistent world around these mercenaries, or treat them as interchangeable hired help?