Players start Kenshi with a set number of player characters to customize depending on their selected Game Start. Across the world of Kenshi, there are many characters who can become player characters after certain interactions. After recruiting any number of these characters, players can control each squad member as well as all of them at once.
The maximum number of characters you can control is 30. This can be increased with mods fairly easily. Once players have reached 30 characters total, dialogue options will no longer appear for recruitable characters. Instead, they may notice drifters hanging around and even protecting your town without a word. Note that having more characters is more computationally demanding and can affect game performance.
Most characters that can join the player must also be "Recruitable". Which means that they must have 25 or lower in Strength, Dexterity, Melee Attack, Melee Defence, Martial arts, and Dodge or lower than 75 cumulative total in those stats, if any of them are above 25. They also must not be a Diplomat, Law Enforcer, Military, or Trader class character. Though there are a few exceptions to these rules, due to dialog loopholes.
Hiring Characters
Most Recruits join the Player Faction through dialogue options found in towns. Recruits for Hire can be found patrolling town or hanging out in a bar. These recruits have a set fee for joining and become Player Characters immediately after receiving that money. This fee is generally between 3,000 to 7,500 cats.
Characters for Hire can be randomized Generic Recruits or Unique Recruits. Most randomized recruits start with very low stats, rag clothing, a simple weapon, and hunger. Unique recruits often have a few elevated stats (10-15) depending on their specialty (i.e. Medic) but are still relatively weak.
Rescuing Characters
Slavery is prevalent across the world of Kenshi. Some Slaves are happy to serve their masters, but most are very appreciative to be freed by the Player. After freeing Slaves and Prisoners, they will become allied to the Player. They will appear green on the Map and will follow around the character who freed them. If they are kept safe for a while, they can potentially become Player Characters. Otherwise, they will run off into the wilderness to join back up with their faction.
In some locations such as Tengu's Vault and the Dust King Tower, Unique Recruits are being kept prisoner. They will join the Player Faction after being freed.
Purchasing Characters
Slaves and Animal Player Characters can be purchased from their owners. After Slaves are purchased from their Slaver Boss, they will be Allies. If they are kept safe for a while, they can potentially become Player Characters. The Unique Recruit Ray is an exception to this. After purchasing Ray from his master, he is automatically a Player Character despite still wearing Hive Prisoner Shackles.
Animals purchased from Nomads, Farm Shops, or Holy Farms are automatically Animal Player Characters and do count towards your character limit. More information on purchasable animals can be found on Guide to Animals.
Saving a Character's life
You can recruit a character by triggering a "You saved my life!"(FCS name) dialog.
Conditions:
LT_MY_LIFESAVER tag on your character;
DC_TARGET_LAST_SEEN_X_HOURS_AGO > 24
saved character can have any DC_PERSONALITY_TAG except PT_TRAITOROUS;
saved character must have DC_IS_RECRUITALBE tag or (PT_BRAVE DC_PERSONALITY_TAG and "Npc TOUGH Merc Basic 1" dialogue package)
If saved character has DC_IS_RECRUITALBE tag it must have PT_HONOURABLE DC_PERSONALITY_TAG or one of these dialogue packages:
civilian normal
civilian tough
Fresh Ronin
Wandering citizen
wandering trader (civilian combo)
or All leaders are alive = 0 (Tengu, Longen, Esata, Phoenix, Bugmaster)
note: Due to these conditions it is possible to recruit characters with very high skill and attribute levels, such as named anti-slaver jonins (~80 stats in almost all skills and attributes(not counting racial bonuses which can boost up to 90+)).(1.0.51)
List of Playable Characters (Wip)
This is a comprehensive list of every character that can possibly be recruited in vanilla, race, their method of recruitment, and price if applicable.
| Character | Race | Recruitment Method | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventurer | Greenlander | Game Start | N/A | Cannibal Hunters Game Start |
| Adventurer with skill | Greenlander | Game Start | N/A | Cannibal Hunters Game Start |
| Agnu | Soldierbot | Dialog, Rescue | N/A | |
| Baker | Random | Rescue (Cannibal) | N/A | |
| Band of Bones | Shek | Rescue | N/A | Ignores Recruitable requirements. Only if honourable or maniacal Personality. |
| Bar Fisherman | Random | Rescue, Purchase from Slavery | N/A | |
| Bar fly | Random | Rescue, Purchase from Slavery | N/A | |
| Bar Thug (Traitorous) | Greenlander | Rescue, Purchase from Slavery | N/A | |
| Bar Thug (Crazy) | Greenlander | Rescue, Purchase from Slavery | N/A | |
| Bar Thug (Drunken) | Greenlander | Rescue, Purchase from Slavery | N/A | |
| Bard | Greenlander | Dialog, Rescue, Purchase from Slavery | 3,000 | |
| Barman | Random | Rescue (Cannibal) | N/A | |
| Beep | Hive Worker Drone | Dialog | Free | |
| Berserker | Shek | Rescue | N/A | Ignores Recruitable requirements. Only if honourable or maniacal Personality. |
| Big Fang | Scorchlander | Rescue, Purchase from Slavery | ||
| Big Gray | Greenlander | Rescue | Depends on stats. |