D&D 5E Hireling Costs

[ExploderWizard]

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.

 

[miniaturehoarder]

It's clear the 5e hireling cost of 2 gp / day (60 gp / month) is extremely inflated compared to the BD&D costs.

So is Fullplate.

 

[Quickleaf]

So is Fullplate.

Ah, one-liners: the soul of the interwebs.

I wasn't suggesting using the BD&D pricing wholesale, rather that there's a cost ratio implied between various types of followers that could serve as inspiration and carry over to 5e independent of higher costs all around.

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?

That would make for a funny reverse scenario to drive the point home. What if a party of 14th-16th level NPCs tried to recruit the 6th level PCs as hirelings for an adventure "to hold off" or "lure out of its lair" an adult red dragon?

 

[foeblade1]

there is that much gold laying around in a normal d&D world. Employing a basic skilled higher ling for 2 gold a day is 700 gold a year. Now imagine a city of 1000 adults all making the same wage. where does the money come from. It doesn't grow on trees and it isn't all buried in the ground. Common folk make at most 1 silver per day if they have skill. half of that will go to food and lodging. Even that is too high. a middle age community doesn't pay itself in coin it trades labor and 1/3 of the labor belongs to the lord and 1/10 to the church. The rest belongs to the people to be used as they see fit. Thats how castles and walls and fortifications get build if the lord had to pay gold their wouldn't be any of those things.. Understanding that means we have to scale back from the RAW. Realistically then silver and copper are what most people will deal in for most of their lives some will be lucky and acquire gold but anything of greater value then silver will be the province of the wealthy. The rules as written place a too high a value on common folk and seem to be a gold sink. Toss those rules. If I build a castle or fortified tower people will come and work for free farm ranch or hunt the area in return i can claim 1/3 of their labor in exchange for the protection of the tower or castle in times of raids. Toss in free room and board for my personal servants skilled including a small sum of gold monthly and i will not have to pay for them or their loyalty. This concept of money is modern and doesn't translate well to a middle ages setting.

 

[pukunui]

Whoa! [MENTION=6910411]foeblade1[/MENTION] cast wall of text and it resurrected one of my old threads!

 

[Mephista]

Perhaps a bit appropriate given the other recent thread about dnd costs not making sense?

 

[Oofta]

Maybe he found a hireling to resurrect the thread at a discount price.

 

[eainmonster]

Well a skilled hireling costs 2gp a day which matches up with a comfortable lifestyle. This matches up to CR 1/8 guards and bandits. Then you double it for hazard pay.

Then adjust for XP.

Bandit/Guard 2gp/4gp a day
Scout 8gp/16gp a day
Veteran/Knight ~50gp/100gp a day

That looks about like what I'm doing with an NPC guide for the next campaign I'm planning. (Guide, of the PC's level, but stays out of combat.)