ExploderWizard
Hero
I look to older editions to handle this stuff. In the old rules the PCs could hire pretty much as many guards, and mercenary fighters as they wanted. These types of NPCs would work for a standard wage, be willing to serve as guards or to fight in open battle against opposing troops. They would NOT go crawling around in dungeons and risk getting dissolved by horrible monsters & traps for a crappy wage. An equal share of loot found was about the minimum needed to convince them to join the party if they would at all.
Retainers or henchmen were another matter. These were special characters and the total number available to a PC depended on CHA score as did the loyalty of those NPCs. These were actually adventurer types of a lower level that would go dungeon delving with the party. These retainers could gain levels just like PCs.
For 5E I would say that a typical guard or bandit would be equal to a B/X 0 level man at arms and would serve for wages but not expose themselves to the dangers of a dungeon unless the compensation was WAY more than they were worth if at all. Think about it from their perspective. Not being adventurer types, it would be like asking 1st level PCs to accompany a party of 7th-8th level adventurers into a dungeon that is challenging to the higher level characters. Who do you think will die first?
For a 6th level dungeon crawl, I would want to hire tougher experienced NPCs even if they cost more, and treat them very well.
Retainers or henchmen were another matter. These were special characters and the total number available to a PC depended on CHA score as did the loyalty of those NPCs. These were actually adventurer types of a lower level that would go dungeon delving with the party. These retainers could gain levels just like PCs.
For 5E I would say that a typical guard or bandit would be equal to a B/X 0 level man at arms and would serve for wages but not expose themselves to the dangers of a dungeon unless the compensation was WAY more than they were worth if at all. Think about it from their perspective. Not being adventurer types, it would be like asking 1st level PCs to accompany a party of 7th-8th level adventurers into a dungeon that is challenging to the higher level characters. Who do you think will die first?
For a 6th level dungeon crawl, I would want to hire tougher experienced NPCs even if they cost more, and treat them very well.