Adventurers can pay non-player characters to assist them or act on their behalf in a variety of circumstances. Most such hirelings have fairly ordinary skills, while others are masters of a craft or art, and a few are experts with specialized professions.

Some of the most basic types of hirelings appear on the Services table. Other common hirelings include any of the wide variety of people who inhabit a typical town or city, when the adventurers pay them to perform a specific task. For example, a magic-user might pay a carpenter to construct an elaborate chest (and its miniature replica) for use in a spell. A fighter might commission a blacksmith to forge a unique sword.

Other hirelings provide more expert or dangerous services. Mercenary soldiers paid to help the adventurers take on a hobgoblin encampment are hirelings, as are sages hired to research ancient or esoteric lore. If a high-level adventurer establishes a stronghold of some kind, he or she might hire a whole staff of servants and agents to run the place, from a castellan or steward to menial laborers to keep the stables clean. These hirelings often enjoy a long-­term contract that includes a place to live within the stronghold as part of the offered compensation.

Skilled hirelings include anyone hired to perform a service that involves a level of expertise: a mercenary, artisan, scribe, and so on. The pay shown is a minimum; some expert hirelings require more pay. Untrained hirelings are hired for menial work that requires no particular skill and can include laborers, porters, maids, and similar workers.

SPELL CASTING FOR HIRE

People who are able to cast spells don’t fall into the category of ordinary hirelings. It might be possible to find someone willing to cast a spell in exchange for coin or favors, but it is rarely easy. As a rule, the higher the level of the desired spell, the harder it is to find someone who can cast it and the more it costs.

Typically, only clerics will cast spells for hire.

Hiring someone to cast a relatively common spell of 1st level, such as cure light wounds, is easy enough in a city or town, and might cost 100 gold pieces if the caster is friendly or helpful. Finding someone able and willing to cast a higher-level spell might involve traveling to a large city, perhaps one with a prominent temple. Once found, the spell caster might ask for a service instead of payment—the kind of service that only adventurers can provide, such as retrieving a rare item from a dangerous locale or traversing a monster-infested wilderness to deliver something important to a distant settlement.

Spell Casting Base Cost. This represents the base fee for a member of the cleric's congregation without risk or travel and timing within 1 month. Cost will be multiplied if any of those factors are divergent. Unless there is great need that affects the interests of their deity or parishioners, clerics will not normally cast spells for a fee at all.