OKAY, throw your outlandish charachter ideas at me

Prince or General

A general or prince who starts with maxfollowers +5 or something weird. I found a template background called popular that gives you maxfollowers +1 but you're penalized in five ways.

Also, you'd start with persuasion Master (but no points in persuasion) so you can get anybody regardless of T.A./M.A. or alignment. Some characters (like Magnus) won't join if you don't fit their criteria unless you're the Master, but that quest comes so late in the game as to be nearly pointless for getting picky low-level followers.

You need CH 20 to get characters who hate someone in your party, so don't penalize that skill.

So what would be the negatives? I like the idea or crippled arm/ crippled leg (blind in an eye?) that can't be healed. The point of followers would be for them to fight for you anyway.

BLAST: I just found this thread http://terra-arcanum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13882 and it seems even if you increase maxfollowers, the game won't let you have more than 7. I'll have to confirm this for myself. I had 9 in the last game (dog, Jormund, and another were free). I forget what my # was at CH20 & exp ps - 6? If Dante and Thorvald are free than I suppose I could have 10. Of course there doesn't seem to be a limit on robots. I recently realized that Lady Druella has trophy wife powers: your charisma and beauty increase.