* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Cost of Experienced Hirelings? Started at 06-13-05 03:06 PM by Dugald the Lexicographer Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=446509 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : Dugald the Lexicographer Date : 06-13-05 03:06 PM Thread Title : Cost of Experienced Hirelings? How do y'all handle the situation when PCs decide they need some hired muscle to aid in their adventures? If they run into town, in search of the Fighters' Guild, and try to hire some sellswords ... how much do they cost? DMG has lists of wages for hirelings, including soldiers. But even if you can pin those down to a particular type (like Light Footman = 1st level fighter), the wages seem ... paltry (Light Footman = 1 GP per month). What's to stop an adventuring party from hiring tons of soldiers to assist in their next raid? And what do you do when they're looking for more experienced help? What would it cost to hire a 4th level fighter? A 4th level ranger? I find I quickly lose the ability to give them reasonable sounding answers. Any guidelines you've used in your games? Help would be much appreciated! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : weasel fierce Date : 06-13-05 06:24 PM What edition are you playing, and is it D&D or AD&D ? Charisma puts restrictions on numbers of retainers in classic D&D. FOr AD&D, they could just be hirelings, but keep in mind, a GP a month for sentry duty, marching around and maybe one battle if a war is on (with corresponding loot and plunder) is pretty good. 1 GP per month for fighting carrion crawlers and undead fiends... not quite so. As for high level characters, how much would the players expect to receive for the same job (and the same share of the treasure) ? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : Dugald the Lexicographer Date : 06-13-05 06:38 PM AD&D 2E. 1 GP per month for fighting carrion crawlers and undead fiends... not quite so. Exactly my point! So is there any reference for hiring Adventurers, instead of Soldiers? I haven't been able to find any, or devise any rule of thumb that seemed reasonable. In my current campaign, the PCs hired two Sellswords (Fighters) and a Ranger. They expected to be traveling overland for 2 weeks, there and back. I charged them the following Medda - Fighter 2 : 20 GP Janus - Fighter 4 : 200 GP Jaedin - Ranger 4 : 500 GP I figured the extra abilities of the Ranger would make him more valuable than a straight Fighter of the same level. But all of this was knee jerk, since I hadn't expected the PCs to try to hire help! My rough thinking was to increase by a factor of 10 their cost per level. Level 1 = 1 GP / week Level 2 = 10 GP / week Level 3 = 100 GP / week But beyond that ... who is going to pay 1000 GP for a 4th level Fighter? Just didn't feel right. I don't want to make it too easy to hire kick-ass hirelings, or the PCs won't be the heros. (Of course, if the Fighters' Guild just doesn't have anyone for hire who's better than 3rd, that takes care of it. But still ...) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : weasel fierce Date : 06-13-05 06:42 PM I usually make it a negotiating thing in my games, but I'd say, anyone but a level 1 hopefull kid, would want at least some sort of share of any treasures obtained. A rule of thumb could be that a NPC of equal level would demand equal share. For lower levels, compare to the party level and calculate shares that way. For raw monetary value, I'd set it high, as AD&D generally assumes that even 3rd level people are rather rare (I guess not if you play Forgotten Realms ;) ), your figures sounds pretty good though. As for rangers the likes, such I would keep as henchmen and retainers, not simple hirelings. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : Dugald the Lexicographer Date : 06-13-05 06:55 PM Yes, I neglected to mention they were also promised an equal share of any treasure found. As for rangers the likes, such I would keep as henchmen and retainers, not simple hirelings. Yeah but ... what if the party wants to hire a guide, or a scout, to help them find their way through unfamiliar territory. Doesn't that sound like a reasonable request? And wouldn't a Ranger be a likely candidate to fill that need? It just seems too obvious for them to NOT be available for hire. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : weasel fierce Date : 06-13-05 08:08 PM Depends on how common rangers are in your campaign, and what role they fill. In my campaign world, rangers are more the "last line of defense against the wilderness", than mere scouts and guides, which seems to fit better with AD&D1st edition rangers. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:17 AM.