Hirelings (Skilled)

You can recruit skilled hirelings to accompany you on your adventures. Skilled hirelings are hired to perform a service that requires proficiency with a weapon, tool, or skill, and can include mercenaries, artisans, scribes, and similar professionals. The DM determines which (if any) NPCs are available for hiring based on where and how you conduct your recruitment.

A skilled hireling can be any NPC that has a challenge rating of no more than 1/8 of your level (rounded down). You can be accompanied on your adventures by a number of hirelings up to your proficiency bonus, and the challenge ratings of all your hirelings combined cannot exceed half your proficiency bonus (rounded down).

Hireling Advancement

Rather than gaining levels and experience points, skilled hirelings instead add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to their attack rolls, damage rolls, spell attack rolls, and spell save DCs, as well as to any saving throws, skills and tools they are proficient in. Their hit point maximum equals the hit point number in their stat block or four times your level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, a skilled hireling can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points.

Combat

Some skilled hirelings (such as mercenaries) are hired to fight for you. However, they are rarely heroes or leaders in their own right, preferring to retreat when conditions are not in their favour.

You control your skilled hirelings in combat and they take their turn on your initiative count, immediately after your turn. If a skilled hireling is bloodied at the start of their turn, they must make a DC 10 'loyalty saving throw' (see sidebar). The DC for this saving throw increases by: +1 for every bloodied ally, +2 for every unconscious ally, and +3 for every dead ally that your skilled hireling can see. On a success, you control the hireling on their turn as normal, but on a failure the hireling must act in 'self preservation' (see sidebar) for the remainder of their turn. 

You can use your action or bonus action on your turn to command one skilled hireling granting them advantage on their ‘loyalty saving throw’. You can also use your reaction to direct one skilled hireling that is acting in 'self preservation' to move differently than they normally would, such as to avoid a hazard or follow a specific path.

Proficiencies

In addition to any weapons and armour listed in their stat block, all skilled hirelings are proficient with the following:

 •  Armour: Padded armour, hide armour, and ring mail armour.
 •  Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, greatclubs, light hammers, sickles, and slings, 

Additional weapon and armour proficiencies may be granted at the DMs discretion.

Adventuring Gear

All skilled hirelings wear traveler’s clothes and carry a backpack containing:
• a bedroll,
• a mess kit,
• 5 days of rations,
• a tinderbox,
• 5 torches,
• a waterskin.

Pay

Skilled hirelings require payment for their services. Their daily rate, in gold pieces, is equal to your proficiency bonus multiplied by their 'loyalty pay modifier' which is determined by their loyalty score (DMG 2014 pg. 93 / DMG 2024 pg. 89).

For example, a skilled hireling hired by a 5th-level character (+3 proficiency bonus) with a loyalty score of 8 (x2 loyalty pay modifier) would be paid 6 (3x2) gold pieces each day. A skilled hireling with a loyalty score of 0 will refuse to work for you and will leave at the earliest opportunity.

At the DM's discretion, your skilled hirelings may request additional pay for particularly demanding tasks.

Optional: Signing Bonus

When you first recruit a skilled hireling, you may also be asked to pay a one-time signing bonus based on their challenge rating and the expected duration of their employment. Example signing bonuses for a one month period are provided in the table below:

Challenge Rating	Signing Bonus
0	0 GP
1/8	10 GP
1/4	25 GP
1/2	50 GP
1	100 GP
2	200 GP

Hireling Mechanics Sidebar

Loyalty Ability Score and Modifier. A skilled hireling's loyalty score (DMG 2014 pg. 93 / DMG 2024 pg. 89) functions like one of the standard six abilities. Loyalty also has a modifier, derived from its score and ranging from -5 (for an ability score of 1) to +5 (for a score of 20). The table below notes the loyalty modifiers for the range of possible loyalty scores, from 1 to 20. This score is used whenever a skilled hireling makes a 'loyalty saving throw'.

Score	Modifier
1	-5
2-3	-4
4-5	-3
6-7	-2
8-9	-1
10-11	+0
12-13	+1
14-15	+2
16-17	+3
18-19	+4
20	+5

Self Preservation. Whilst acting in self preservation, skilled hirelings have only four action options they can take during their turn: Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Hide. They must also use their movement to move away from the nearest visible threat using the safest available path. While acting in self preservation a skilled hireling may use their reaction as normal.