Before I bring hired help on an expedition, I write down the pay, duties, and risk limits. A porter paid 2 gp per day earns 12 gp for six paid days - even if the party finds no treasure.
My agreement covers:
- The job: Who gives orders, what work is included, whether combat is required, and when service ends.
- The money: Wages, treasure shares, payment dates, and who covers food, gear, and travel.
- The limits: Which dangers the worker accepts, when they can refuse or withdraw, and how changed duties get new terms.
- The settlement: Who handles loot and what is owed after injury, death, early departure, or broken terms.
I keep one shared copy and review it before departure. My rule: paying for help does not mean buying obedience to every order. When the job changes, I agree on new terms before proceeding.
Step 1: Set Pay, Treasure Shares, and Expenses
TTRPG Hireling Pay: Wages vs. Treasure Shares
Once the role and service period are set, agree on compensation in the campaign’s currency. Specify when payment is due: upfront, daily, weekly, at a milestone, or on return. For flat fees, spell out what’s still owed if the expedition ends early. Bonus pay does not bind a hireling to a suicidal order.
Compare Wages, Fees, Shares, and Bonuses
Choose the simplest pay model that fits the job.
| Pay Type | Best Use | Advantages | Drawbacks | Bookkeeping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily wages | Short-term labor, such as porters or guards | Simple, predictable costs | The hireling has no stake in the outcome | High; track days |
| Per-expedition fee | One-off tasks or specific contracts | Fixed cost; easy to budget | The party loses money if the trip ends early | Low; one-time payment |
| Treasure shares | Long-term retainers or specialists | Ties the hireling’s pay to party success | Can cause disputes over item value | Medium; requires valuing loot |
| Hazard bonuses | High-risk tasks, such as scouting or trap-testing | Encourages acceptance of additional risks | Does not bind the hireling to a suicidal order | Low; paid per instance of risk |
Define Treasure Shares and Paid Expenses
Write each share as a percentage or fraction of a clearly defined treasure pool. Specify which deductions apply before calculating the share and how you’ll value unsold valuables. No treasure means no share payment - but wages are still owed.
Agree on who pays for food, equipment, travel, and replacements. Make clear whether those costs are separate from wages.
Calculate Pay for a Sample Expedition
Check the math with an example before play begins.
Hypothetical porter agreement: A 10-day expedition pays 2 gp per day, for estimated wages of 20 gp. The party pays 10 gp upfront and covers food and necessary gear. If the expedition ends after six paid days, earned wages total 12 gp, leaving 2 gp due.
Hypothetical retainer comparison: For the same planned 10 days, a retainer receives 2 gp per day plus 10% of treasure after agreed deductions, with 10 gp advanced. If the trip ends after six paid days and the final treasure pool is 100 gp, the retainer earns 12 gp in wages plus 10 gp in treasure, for 22 gp total, with 12 gp still due. If there is no treasure, the remaining payment is 2 gp.
Step 2: Define Duties and Authority
Replace “help with the expedition” with specific tasks, work locations, and schedules. Keep combat duties separate from support work. Then name who can give orders for each job.
List Assigned Tasks and Off-Limits Orders
Start with this duty matrix, then adjust each role before departure. Prohibited tasks fall outside the agreement. A party member’s order cannot add them to the job.
| Role | Normal tasks | Prohibited tasks | Who directs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porter | Carry agreed supplies; load and tend animals; set up camp | Scouting; opening trapped doors; offensive combat | Party member directs routes and load distribution |
| Torchbearer | Carry lighting; stay with the group; report movement | Entering unknown rooms first; handling treasure; front-line fighting | Assigned party member controls position |
| Guard | Stand camp watches; protect animals and supplies; sound alarms | Pursuit; abandoning the post; solo dungeon entry | Named watch leader sets posts and response orders |
| Guide | Navigate agreed territory; explain local customs; warn of known hazards | Guaranteeing safety; scouting unknown ruins; choosing fights | Party leader confirms major route changes |
| Specialist | Provide the named service: cooking, repairs, translation, mapping, or magical-item identification | Unrelated labor; dangerous work | Relevant party member verifies instructions |
| Combat retainer | Guard a named person or position; fight under stated conditions; withdraw when ordered | Suicide attacks; deliberate sacrifice; independent tactical decisions without permission | Named combat commander |
Set measurable limits for carrying capacity, watch length, and scouting distance where needed. Scouting means observing and reporting, not infiltrating or attacking. State whether cooking includes buying ingredients and whether translation covers speech, written text, or magical inscriptions. Assign each job to a named worker.
Set Permissions and Name the Supervisor
Record separate permission for entering hostile areas, opening suspected trapped doors, retrieving treasure, handling magical items, fighting independently, and making decisions for the party. A supervisor’s approval cannot override the worker’s agreed limits.
Settle who controls the hireling during combat, which defensive actions require no further order, and when the worker should retreat instead of fight.
Name one supervisor and one backup. If instructions conflict, the worker may pause and ask the supervisor - unless waiting would cause harm.
Be just as clear about property. Permission to carry recovered treasure grants custody, not ownership. It gives no right to use, sell, divide, or claim the treasure. Record when items must be reported and turned over. If an order also changes the risk, apply the refusal rules in the next step.
Step 3: Set Risk Limits and Refusal Rights
Use the agreed duties and pay to set a firm risk limit for each role.
Match Risk Levels to Expected Duties
Rate danger by role, not by the party as a whole. A porter, guide, and combat retainer have different duties - and different risk limits.
| Work | Risk level | Expected behavior | Pay adjustment | Refusal point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Routine travel and carrying supplies | Ordinary | Follow standard orders | Base wage | None (standard duty) |
| Crossing trapped passages or swamps | Hazardous | Move cautiously, make skill checks | Hazard bonus; higher treasure share | Lack of safety gear or supplies |
| Combat support or drawing attacks | Severe | Guard against attacks under high stress | Combat bonus | Orders likely to cause death |
| Self-sacrifice orders | Unacceptable | Refuse, withdraw, or resign | N/A | Immediate refusal |
Sending an untrained porter into combat is a change of role, not just another carrying task. If duties or danger change, get renewed consent and update pay before work continues. When a scene exceeds the agreed risk limit, the worker may refuse or withdraw.
Set Rules for Refusal, Withdrawal, and Resignation
Allow workers to refuse orders that go beyond the signed terms. That includes orders that exceed the agreed risk level, demand clear self-sacrifice, or require work while agreed pay, rations, or gear are withheld.
Fleeing immediate danger is not the same as resigning once safe. Treat neither as disloyalty.
Resolve Disputed Orders During Play
Pause before anyone carries out a disputed order. Compare the order with the agreement rather than pushing the action forward. If the situation has changed or the order no longer fits the terms, renegotiate.
Conclusion: Record and Review the Agreement
Keep a shared copy of the agreement in the session notes, and review it before departure. Update it whenever the terms change. If a dispute comes up, use that copy to check what everyone agreed to.
Settle Early Endings and Breached Terms
Agree on how early departure, refusal of dangerous orders, and breached terms affect unpaid wages, treasure shares, and return travel costs. State who owes what and when payment is due.
Put the final terms in one place before play starts.
Copy This Hireling and Retainer Agreement
Employer: ___; Hireling or retainer: ___; Authorized supervisor: ___; Service period/objective: ___; Rate or fee: ___; Treasure fraction and calculation basis: ___; Payment dates: ___; Upkeep and replacement costs: ___; Duties and permissions: ___; Combat obligations: ___; Risk limits and refusal rights: ___; Loot handling: ___; Injury, rescue, death, and burial terms: ___; Withdrawal and notice: ___; Early-ending settlement: ___; Missed-payment or breach consequences: ___.
FAQs
How do I set fair hireling pay in my campaign?
During session zero, agree on fixed wages or a share of treasure, with pay based on the risk and difficulty of assigned duties. Spell out what that pay covers - routine porter work, combat, or both - and when it’s due: upfront, after the job, or at agreed milestones.
Set clear terms for when hirelings can refuse dangerous orders outside the agreement and leave service without punishment. Revisit pay later if the division of wealth feels uneven.
How should I handle hireling morale checks alongside agreed risk limits?
Before the expedition, agree on when hirelings can refuse orders or leave service, such as when the danger goes beyond their agreed duties. Use favor or reputation scores to track loyalty and trust, which can affect how willing hirelings are to face danger.
When the stakes are high, trigger morale checks based on those agreed risk thresholds. That way, consequences follow from the party’s choices and agreements instead of feeling like arbitrary punishments.
What do I owe a retainer who dies before loot is divided?
Set the terms at session zero: agree on whether retainers receive a full share, a reduced share, or a fixed wage, regardless of whether they survive.
If the agreement doesn’t cover death, the usual practice is to pay their estate what they earned before dying. That typically means their agreed-upon wages or a prorated share of the loot secured during their service.
