Hirelings/Cohorts? Does any every hire them?

[ProfessorCirno]

Nope.

That's more because in most the games I play in we have a fairly wide variety of NPCs we meet and keep around with us, though :B

 

[Sorrowdusk]

Uhhh... sorta! I was playing a necromancer and needed a victim with 5 class levels for my Create Undead spell (yayzor for intelligent undead retaining class levels!). Unfortunately, it's ridiculously uncommon to just stumble into somebody with class levels. So rather, I casted Disguise Self and shopped around for a cohort that would be willing to fight CR 5 monsters. Once I found somebody, I payed WHATEVER he was asking, brought them out in the middle of nowhere, and butchered him. I looted his corpse for my money back, of course.

Good, good.

But it wouldnt it have been better to attract a cohort/follower/cultist that would be WILLING to become your intelligent undead servant?

But hey, whatever works.
Thats what it is to be a colorfully pragmatic free spirit.

You hire a 1st-level Fighter for several long adventures but he gains no XP? It must REALLY suck to be a hireling :-(
"I am the veteran of Battles of A and B, mercenary through and through!"
"So I guess you're a pretty good fighter then?"
"Uhhh... Yeah... Sure... Look, I'd like to get a share of the loot, would that be ok? Even 0.01% is fine!"
"Sure but we are fighting against an owlbear so I don't think..."
"It's fine! We-we-we sell it's TEETH and then I get my share of that loot! Whatever but just DON'T hire me!"
"Well... Ok..."

"Teeth? Why there aren't enough TEETH in that things pretty little head to pay a poor man to pick'is own nose. Least take the hide. Shoot...I was thinkin' ya was 'irin' me to fighta Bearsharktopus..."

 

[CWBush]

I've had them bought once in a game, and that was by a half-fiend halfling who was looking to liberate his people from human oppression. He had leadership as a feat and had already collected a sizable horde, but wanted specialists and extra grunts so hired a bunch.

They never had any in game involvement in things, it was purely for character development.