Hirelings are, quite simply, people who are hired to complete a task, whether it be a short-term contract with a limited duration (several stevedores hired to unload a ship), or an ongoing period of service (servants in a manor or castle). Hirelings, except for soldiers, are generally not taken along on adventures – they remain behind at the PC's stronghold, or are contracted when the PCs are in a city and need their services.
Hirelings are divided into four groups: common hirelings, expert hirelings, sages, and soldiers. Each is described below.
Common hirelings are unskilled laborers – teamsters, stevedores, pack handlers, torchbearers, etc. They have manual labor jobs with low pay, but are quite numerous and easy to find in any population center. Unskilled hirelings are generally contracted for short-term service – a few hours to a couple days – though PCs can hire several porters, packbearers, and such to accompany them on an expedition. Unskilled laborers who are contracted into long-term service in the PC's manor, castle, or stronghold are considered to be servants (see below). Generally speaking, common hirelings have no ranks in the Profession skill.
Table 1 lists the most common unskilled hirelings and their daily rates.
Table 1: Unskill Hirelings
| Occupation | Daily Wage |
|---|---|
| Cook | 1 sp |
| Laborer | 1 sp |
| Maid | 1 sp |
| Porter | 1 sp |
| Runner | 1 cp* |
| Stevedore | 3 sp |
| Teamster | 5 sp |
| Torchbearer | 1 sp |
| Valet | 2 sp |
Cook: Someone who prepares meals.
Laborer: The backbone of any workforce, laborers do menial, generic tasks – digging ditches, cutting and hauling wood, streetsweeping, etc. They usually do not belong to a guild; they can be hired for individual tasks for less than a teamster, stevedore, or other guild-related laborer, but are less reliable.
Maid: A household servant who cleans.
Porter: Someone who is trained at loading, unloading, and handling pack animals, or who can carry large loads himself.
Runner: A messagebearer. Runners are usually young children; they charge their fee per message carried, and can charge up to a silver piece to carry a (small) package.
Stevedore: Someone who is trained at loading and unloading boats and ships of all sizes. Stevedores usually belong to a guild, though many cities have groups of "free" stevedores who get jobs when and as they can.
Teamster: A cart or wagon driver. Teamsters are trained in loading and unloading their vehicles and know how to handle most draft animals.
Torchbearer: Someone who carries torches, lamps, or other light sources.
Valet: A personal servant who is trained to carry out various duties according to his employer's wishes.
Expert hirelings have one or more ranks in a Profession or Craft skill. Their jobs are more specialized and require at least some knowledge and training in order to perform them properly (i.e., earn a living).
As with common hirelings, PCs can contract the services of an expert hireling for an individual task, or for an ongoing period of time (hire an armorer to work for the PC at his castle, e.g.). An expert hireling's wage is twice his Craft or Profession modifier in gold pieces per week (for example, someone with a +4 Profession score would charge 8 gp/week).
If the PC needs something special done, the hireling would negotiate or charge a price based on that task. Generally speaking, the price would be a fee plus expenses (materials and daily wages). The initial fee is a surcharge based on the item's total value and the crafter's expertise – more experienced crafters are in greater demand and can thus charge more for their services.
Generally speaking, the surcharge is 2% of the item's total value times the number of ranks the crafter has. If the item is magical, the fee is increased to 5% (this can exceed 100% of the item's total value). The daily fee is figured as the hireling's Craft ranks times the modifier listed on the table below. (This system uses ranks, not total modifier, since various materials and mastercraft items require minimum ranks, not total bonus; it also prevents a low-level NPC with a high bonus from being able to charge far more for his services.)
For example: Herne finds several adamantine ingots and wishes to make a mastercraft (+1) greatsword from them. Since he doesn't have the skill to do it himself, he seeks out a master weaponsmith (someone with at least 15 ranks in Craft [weaponsmithing]). The person he finds is an old dwarf with 17 ranks and a +25 modifier. The sword's total price is 1,500 gp (50 for the sword, x10 for adamantine, and x3 for mastercraft) and takes 22 days (base 15, x1.5 for mastercraft); the dwarf charges 510 gp (34% of 1500) + 170 gp per day, for a total of 4,250 gp. Herne is lucky he's already provided the adamantine, or he would be paying another 500 gp!
| Ranks | Daily Fee |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | x1 |
| 6-10 | x2 |
| 11-15 | x5 |
| 16-20 | x10 |
| 20+ | x20 |
Sages are generally either experts (the NPC class) or bards, clerics, or wizards with levels in Loremaster. For purposes of this guide, the former are called "expert sages" and the latter are called "Loremaster sages", as their knowledge pools vary widely, and Loremasters are generally more informed on esoteric topics, since spellcasting ability is a requirement of the class. A third type, called "nonstandard sages", are simply members of PC classes who have one or more Knowledge skills and may possess a fair bit of knowledge on the topic, but aren't active sages. Bards, clerics (religion), druids (nature), and wizards are the most likely classes to be nonstandard sages.
To create a random sage, follow these steps:
Type: Generally Expert or Loremaster. Lower-level sages can be simply those with lots of knowledge, but sages of Accomplished or Master rank will always be experts or Loremasters.
Race: DM's choice, but this often has a bearing on what Knowledge skills the sage will have. For example, an elf is not very likely to know much about dwarven architecture, but he will probably be a good source of information on magic.
Int Score: 10+1d6 for nonstandard sages, 10+2d4 for expert sages, or 12+2d4 for Loremaster sages. These can be assigned instead of rolled randomly. Other ability scores are of little importance, though the DM can generate them as he sees fit.
Areas of Knowledge: Sages of all types can have a combination of Knowledge skills and specializations equal to their Int bonus +1 – these are minor and major fields of study, respectively. The actual number of minor and major fields a given sage will have varies:
Table 2: Sages
| Sage | Minor Fields | Major Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Nonstandard | 1-2 | 0-1 |
| Expert | 1-3 | 1-2 |
| Loremaster | 2-4 | 1-3 |
The number of fields is limited by the sheer wealth of knowledge that is available – a greater number of fields of study becomes too broad to handle.
A sage can choose any combination of minor and major fields that adds up to the total (for example, a sage with Int 15 can have three fields total), but the number of major fields cannot exceed the number of minor fields. Loremasters will always have ranks in Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (the planes), and will often specialize in subsets of one or both of those.
The number of ranks in a Knowledge skill for a minor field (skills for which the sage is not specialized) is level+0-3 (1d4-1); major field skills are always maximum ranks. These skills can be assigned instead of rolled randomly, if the DM wishes, to more closely reflect the minor and major fields of study.
Level: There are four "ranks" of sages, based on character level: Novice (5-9), Journeyman (10-14), Accomplished (15-19), and Master (20+). To randomly determine a sage's level, roll 2d4+4 for nonstandard sages, 3d6+2 for expert sages, or 3d6+5 for Loremaster sages. A sage's character level will never be below 5th – anyone below that has not gathered enough knowledge to go into business for himself. Experts of lower level often apprentice to established sages, or spend their time wandering the world or doing their own research, gathering the knowledge they require.
Master sages should be specifically created by the DM, not randomly rolled.
Fees: A good rule of thumb is that a sage charges 25 gp per rank he has in a given Knowledge skill, multiplied by his level of knowledge: x1 (Novice), x2 (Journeyman), x3 (Accomplished), x4 (Master). These prices go up even further for questions in their specialties – x1.5 to x2 is a good range. Specifically created sages can charge more or less, as the DM sees fit.
Note that this is the standard fee simply for answering a question that requires no thought – the sage will charge this much or more each day if he has to research the information himself. Researching the answer to a question takes 1 day per 2 points of the DC over 8. DCs under 10 take half a day of research. Each day of research costs 100 gp – this covers materials, access fees, and miscellaneous expenses incurred. Half a day of research costs 50 gp.
Chance of Success: Just as every sage varies in fields of study and amount of knowledge he has, so too does every sage have a varying chance of answering questions. Master sages, obviously, have a greater wealth of knowledge to call upon – their own and others' – than a novice, but they also charge far more. Generally speaking, a sage can answer any question with a DC equal to or less than his ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill, or his Int score, whichever is higher, without having to make a roll. Anything over the base DC (noted on the table below) requires a roll.
Finding the Right Sage
Most PCs will try to find the cheapest sage they can, but as with any service, cheaper is not always better. The table below notes the minimum level at which a sage can answer a question at the given DC. There is a limit to every sage's knowledge, however, beyond which the information is too obscure for him to find – this is noted as the Max DC. A novice sage, for instance, would have no chance of knowing (or finding out) the name of the leader of a small cult that existed for a brief period 1,000 years ago (DC 35-40).
Consulting a higher- or lower-level sage decreases or increases the DC by 3 per rank, respectively – consulting a master sage about the above question would be DC 12, while asking a novice sage would be DC 21.
Table 3: Sage Research DCs
| Base DC | Source | Max DC |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Novice | 25 |
| 20 | Journeyman | 30 |
| 25 | Expert | 35 |
| 30+ | Master | — |
Base DC: The DC of information the PC is seeking.
Source: The lowest level sage the PCs can consult without increasing the DC.
Max DC: The highest DC for a Knowledge check for which someone can consult a sage of a given level. This is the base DC, not the one modified for the sage's level (see above).
Soldiers
Soldiers are mercenaries, levies, or military forces who fight for their master. They are listed by unit type.
Table 4-1: Unit Types
| Unit Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Archer, longbowman | 4 gp |
| Cavalry, light | 3 gp |
| Cavalry, medium | 4 gp |
| Cavalry, heavy | 6 gp |
| Crossbowman | 2 gp |
| Infantry, light | 1 gp |
| Infantry, medium | 2 gp |
| Infantry, heavy | 3 gp |
| Pikeman | 3 gp |
| Slinger | 1 gp |
Archer (longbow): Archer units in an army or mercenary company are always longbowmen – shortbows don't have the range to be used from the ground in mass combat. They are always foot soldiers and held back from the line of battle, but can fight as light infantry if necessary, with long- or short swords, maces, or hand axes.
Artillerist: Artillerists are specialized soldiers who operate siege engines (ballistae, catapults, etc.). While anyone with the proper training can operate one of these things, an artillerist brings extra knowledge to the team, which grants a +2 initiative and attack bonus, as he can get the crew to move more quickly and efficiently, and aim the weapon more accurately. Obviously, if the artillerist dies or is incapacitated, the bonuses are lost.
Cavalry: Cavalry are, simply put, mounted infantry. Like infantry (see below), they are divided into three categories: light, medium, and heavy. Under this system, rider and mount are considered one unit, so a few things are slightly different – the hit points are the rider's plus half the mount's; speed is the mount's speed; the Armor Class is stated as two numbers: the first is the mount's AC, plus half the rider's armor bonus, which is used for general attacks against the unit; the second is the rider's AC, which is used for attacks against him directly; the attacks include a +1 bonus for attacking from horseback against a smaller target (since cavalry is most often employed against infantry). Unhorsed cavalry are treated as infantry of the same class (use the statblock for infantry).
Light cavalry are always used as skirmishing units; they are generally well-trained in archery, and often hail from a nomadic tribe. As such, they are harder to control than other units – they are less likely to break and run than irregulars, but are just as prone not to follow orders. They ride either specially-trained light riding horses (nomads only) or light warhorses (standard units), wear leather armor (or no armor at all), and use shortbows and scimitars or sabers.
Medium cavalry are the most common type seen in armies. They ride light warhorses (generally with leather barding) and employ lances or spears as part of a charge to break the enemy lines, then draw their melee weapons to engage in close combat. The riders themselves wear chainmail and light shields, and use longswords, maces, or axes as melee weapons.
Heavy cavalry, like heavy infantry, are the shock troops of an army; very few armies have more than one unit of heavy cavalry. Often, the sight of a couple hundred men in plate mail riding massive warhorses is enough to cause an enemy army to break and run; even if they stand their ground, they are usually ground to a bloody pulp beneath the massive weight and crushing power of the charge. Heavy cavalry ride heavy warhorses with chain barding; they wear breastplate armor and heavy shields, and use lances, along with longswords, battle axes, or heavy maces.
Crossbowman (light or heavy): A unit of crossbowmen can use either light or heavy weapons. Because crossbows have a flat trajectory, they are less effective as indirect fire weapons; crossbowmen are usually set up on hilltops or nearer the action, where they can get clear shots at enemy units.
Light crossbowman can operate either as foot soldiers or light cavalry; the latter typically operate as a skirmishing unit. Heavy crossbowman are always foot soldiers; either type can fight as light infantry. A unit of crossbowmen on foot typically has a screening force of infantry with heavy or tower shields to protect them from charging enemies.
Footmen: This entry covers a wide range of foot soldiers. For purposes of this book, footmen are divided into light, medium, and heavy infantry, and pikemen (pikes, spears, etc.).
Light infantry are generally fast, lightly-armored units used for skirmish actions, or as saboteurs, scouts, or sappers. Many humanoid armies employ light infantry, and some human armies make great use of them (the Spartans were among the best light infantry in the world); irregulars are always considered light infantry. They are typically equipped with short- or longswords (or sometimes spears), studded leather or hide armor, and light shields; some also have ranged weapons – javelins or shortspears – that they throw before engaging in close combat.
Medium infantry are commonly found on the battlefield. They typically wear chain shirts and wield longswords and medium shields (though some units use tower shields and spears); they are usually trained to fight in close unit formation (tower shield units are always trained).
Heavy infantry are not quite as common as medium infantry, but are commonly used by those who can't afford (or can't use) cavalry. They serve as the shock troops of an army, the central unit around which the others form, and always operate in close formation. They wear heavy armor (breastplate or half-plate) and use heavy shields with warhammers, longswords, or battle axes.
Pikemen are equivalent to light or medium infantry; they are generally used to anchor the ends of an army to prevent flanking cavalry charges, though they can be placed before a normal infantry unit to receive a charge, then step aside to let the footmen ahead. Many irregular units use polearms (most polearms evolved from attaching farming implements to the ends of spears or poles). They are equipped with leather armor (or rarely chain shirts), a polearm (commonly a longspear or halberd), and a short sword as a backup weapon for close combat.
Officers: Officers are the leadership of any unit. Without them, a unit is nothing more than a disorganized rabble – a mob. A lieutenant is the lower rank of officer; they can command smaller units on their own, or serve as aides to captains (the higher rank).
A lieutenant is a fighter of 2nd-4th level who can command up to 20 men per level, either directly or through his sergeants. He can have one extra sergeant in addition to those require to command, who serves as an aide. Any unit of 50 men or more must have a lieutenant.
A captain is a fighter of 4th-8th level who can command up to 30 men per level, either through his sergeants or his lieutenants, but not on his own. He can have 1 extra lieutenant or 2 extra sergeants in addition to those required to command; these serve as aides. Any unit of 100 men or more must have a captain.
Sergeant: Sergeants are squad or platoon leaders. They command up to 20 men each, enabling a lieutenant (see above) to extend the range of his command by passing along orders. When recruiting units, sergeants are assumed to be included in the unit makeup (there must be a sergeant for every 20 men minimum, and there can be as many as one per 10 men). Sergeants generally have the same equipment as the men they command, just better quality (masterwork armor and primary weapon). The examples below are for medium cavalry and infantry sergeants.
Slinger: Slingers are very rare outside of irregular units, as the sling is considered a peasant's weapon, not fit for a "real soldier". They are always lightly armored and generally flee before engaging in close combat. If forced to do so, however, they carry simple weapons (usually spears, daggers, or light maces) as backup.
