You are allowed to recruit two henchmen this time around. While you still don't get full control over them, their menus for setting their behavior are deeper, and you can manipulate their inventory directly as well as telling them what class to level in. Character romances also make their return in Hordes of the Underdark, and while short and sometimes abrupt they are well written, as are the interactions between your henchmen. You are given more choice in how to approach character interactions as well, instead of only having only one dialog option be "right" every time you get to woo a character.