Adventurers often require extra assistance when journeying into the unknown, whether a doughty fighter to guard the rear or an extra pair of hands to hold a torch against the dark. Such characters are classified as retainers—NPCs hired to accompany characters on their adventures.

Limit per PC: Each retainer is in the employ of a specific PC, acting under their orders. The maximum number of retainers that will work for a PC at any one time is 4 + the character’s Charisma Modifier.

Potential retainers may be located by frequenting inns and pubs or by paying to post notices of help wanted.

Frequenting inns and pubs: Spending a night buying rounds and greasing palms in drinking establishments costs 50gp. Per attempt, there is a 3-in-6 chance of successfully locating applicants (see Applicants).

Posting notices of help wanted: Spending a day posting notices in public places costs 25gp. Per attempt, there is a 2-in-6 chance of successfully locating applicants (see Applicants). They apply at the specified location 1d4 days later.

Repeated searches: Each method of locating applicants may only be tried periodically, depending on the size of settlement: in hamlets and villages, each method may be used once a month; in small towns, once a week; in large towns, twice a week; in cities, once a day.

When a search for potential retainers succeeds, roll on the Applicants by Settlement Size table.

Everyday folk (without a Class) willing to join an adventuring party. Often used as torch-bearers or porters.

Stats: See Townsfolk Stats, below.

Starting equipment: None.

Medium Mortal—Sentient—Any Alignment

Level 1 AC 10 HP 1d4 (2) Saves D12 R13 H14 B15 S16 Att Weapon (–1) Speed 40 Morale 6 XP 10

Independent, Level 1 adventurers of a specific Class.

Kindred: Most (4-in-6) applicants are of the dominant Kindred in the settlement (i.e. generally humans). For other applicants, the Referee may optionally roll on the Adventurer Kindred table.

Class: Roll 1d20 on the Adventurer Class by Kindred table.

Stats: When an adventurer is successfully hired, their basic game statistics (e.g. Hit Points, Armour Class, Speed) should be established. Retainers who serve PCs for a longer duration may be fleshed out as full characters, using the standard character creation procedure (Creating a Character).

Starting equipment: Basic adventuring gear, weapons, and armour appropriate to Class.

Once an applicant has been located, the hiring PC must explain what the job entails and offer a certain wage. Townsfolk expect a daily rate of pay, while adventurers ask for a share of any treasure recovered.

Fractional shares of treasure are calculated by dividing the treasure by the total number of shares. For example, a party consisting of 5 PCs (full shares) plus one retainer (paid a half share) discover 2,750gp of treasure. The total is divided by 5.5 (five full shares plus one half share): 500gp. Thus, each PC gains 500gp and the retainer gains 250gp.

The applicant’s reaction to the offer is determined by rolling on the Hiring Reactions table, modified as follows.

Charisma: The hiring PC’s Charisma Modifier is applied to the Hiring Reactions roll.

Reputation: A penalty of –1 or –2 may be applied, if the hiring PC has a bad reputation in the local area.

Generosity: Above or below standard wages incur a modifier to the roll, as listed in the Typical Wages table.

Bonus payments: Offering to buy equipment for the applicant or give them a sum of money up front may increase the generosity modifier by 1 (up to a maximum +2 generosity bonus).

A retainer’s Loyalty rating reflects their willingness to stick by PCs in the face of danger. Loyalty is initially equal to 7 + the hiring character’s Charisma Modifier, but it may be adjusted as follows.

Bonuses: Saving a retainer from danger or granting generous treasure rewards may increase Loyalty.

Penalties: Ill-treatment of a retainer or lack of treasure may decrease Loyalty.

Circumstances arise that test a retainer’s loyalty to their employer. For example, an enemy may try to bribe a retainer to betray their employer, or a retainer may be tempted to flee from a situation of great peril.

Rolling a Loyalty check: In such situations, the Referee should roll 2d6. If the roll is lower than or equal to the retainer’s Loyalty, the check succeeds and the retainer remains true to the hiring PC.

Optionally, the Referee may also make Loyalty checks following unsuccessful adventures. If such a check fails, the retainer decides to leave the PC’s employ and seek their fortune elsewhere.

As non-adventurers without a Class, townsfolk do not earn Experience Points and do not gain Levels. The Referee may sometimes “promote” long-serving townsfolk to a suitable adventuring Class.

Adventurers earn Experience Points and advance in Level in the same way as Player Characters (see Advancement), but all XP a retainer earns is halved. This is because retainers generally follow instructions from PCs, rather than being directly involved in decision making.

Gaining Levels: When a retainer advances in Level and reaches equal or greater Level than the hiring PC, they typically leave employment to go on adventures of their own.

While retainers are individuals with their own personalities, desires, and goals, it can be cumbersome to role-play them in detail. This is especially acute when a party contains multiple retainers. A common approach is for the player of the hiring character to describe retainers’ actions, essentially running them as secondary Player Characters. The Referee may occasionally interject, if they wish to add role-playing elements or feel the described actions do not fit the retainer’s personality.

If a Player Character perishes during an adventure, a retainer may optionally be promoted to a full PC. This can provide instant replacements even during the course of an adventure.