The Unearthed Arcana series of articles have quickly become the thing I look forward to most from DDI each month. This month’s article, “Henchmen and Hirelings” was especially strong, returning one of the classic tropes of earlier editions to the game. Players may now hire a variety of minions to act as support staff or extra muscle on an adventure. However, despite the high quality of the article, I found some things that I thought could use improvement, which I intend to address in this article. In particular, four things stood out to me as problematic.
- It is not stated definitely if hirelings die at 0 hit points like other minions do, and if they do, then hirelings are extremely fragile relative to their cost. In addition, more high-minded players will dislike the idea of regularly leading hirelings to their death.
- Hirelings appear to be priced with the intent that the hirelings will make themselves useful immediately upon hire. If an adventure includes a significant travel component, the cost per day of hirelings becomes prohibitive.
- Many hireling types provide little incentive to purchase them at higher levels, and too great a benefit to high level heroes when purchased at very low level.
- Many hirelings appear to be priced poorly relative to each other.
These issues are addressed through the addition of new traits for hirelings, as well as by revising the statistics of the hirelings presented. Lastly, six new types of hirelings are presented for use in your game.
Hireling Houserules
Paying Hirelings: Use the table in “Henchmen and Hirelings” as normal, but instead of paying the hirelings each day, only pay the hirelings on days when the hirelings’ services are utilized or when they are required to follow their employer into life-threatening danger (such as when they enter a dungeon or remain nearby as their employers do). If a hireling remains employed for 30 days without such a situation occurring (or if it is dismissed before then), it is paid one day’s wages.
Additional Hireling Traits
Sturdy
When a hireling is reduced to 0 hit points, it is knocked unconscious but does not die or have to make death saving throws. It remains unconscious until the end of the encounter, until a character revives it with a DC 15 heal check, or until it receives any amount of healing (note hirelings lack healing surges and cannot benefit from abilities that allow them to spend one). A hireling that takes damage while unconscious dies.
Noncombatant
Attacks that include a hireling take a -2 against non-minion allies of the hireling. A creature that attacks a hireling grants combat advantage until the end of its next turn. A hireling that makes an attack loses this trait until the end of the encounter.
Unheroic
A hireling automatically flees if it encounters a creature 5 or more levels higher than it. It flees at its fastest movement speed until one round after it does not have line of sight to the creature.
Unskilled
A hireling cannot typically make skill checks except for endurance and when using athletics to jump, climb, swim or escape a grab. Its skill modifiers are equal to one-half the hirelings’ level.
Optional: Morale Rules
Hirelings prefer to work for employers who treat them well and whom they admire. Happy and loyal hirelings are less costly to their employers than disgruntled and bitter ones. The morale score of your hirelings represents this fact. Your hirelings collectively have a single morale score, ranging from +5 to -5. When hiring new hirelings who have not worked for you before, this score starts at 0. Subtract this number from a hireling’s level when determining how much a hireling costs to pay. Note that this is an abstraction; happy hirelings are not paid less and angry hirelings do not necessarily demand more pay (though they might). Rather, morale represents the many ways that the happiness of hirelings makes them easier or more difficult to manage. A list of possible modifiers to morale is listed below; the DM should feel free to add to this list as desired.
Action; Morale Modifier
Employer…
- Passes a milestone; +1 morale (per milestone)
- Performs a notable favor for a hireling; +1 morale
- Risks his or her life to save a hireling; +1 morale
- Employs more than 4 hirelings at once; -1 morale
- Hires a disagreeable or incompatible hireling; -1 morale
- Allows one or more hirelings to be knocked unconscious; -1 morale (per encounter)
- Allows a hireling to be slain; -1 morale (per hireling)
- Subjects hirelings to poor conditions (low food, no water, etc.); -1 morale (per day conditions remain poor)
- Cruelty to hireling; -1 morale and mistreated hireling leaves as soon as possible
Inspiring Hirelings
Once per milestone, a single character may attempt a diplomacy check against a hard DC with a level equal to the highest level hireling employed. On a success, morale increases by +1. If morale is -1 or less, the character may instead make an intimidate check against moderate DC.
Revised Hirelings
Only elements that were altered from the original hireling statistics are listed. For example, if cost is not listed, assume that it is the same as in the original “Henchmen and Hirelings” article.
Beast Handler
Traits
Beast Handler • Aura 5
All allied beasts in the aura gain a +1 power bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.
Standard Actions
Here Boy! • Encounter
Effect: Close Burst 5; One unmounted allied beast within the burst is pulled adjacent to the beast handler.
Guide
Cost: Standard x2 (note, the cost does NOT double when a guide leads you into dangerous territory as in the original “Henchmen and Hirelings” article).
Special: The first time the controlling hero or any of its allies make use of a guide’s trailblazer aura, the guide is paid for its skills being utilized. The controlling hero may then make use of this ability for the remainder of the journey without additional payment.
Traits
Trailblazer • Aura 5
Allies in the aura gain a +2 power bonus to Dungeoneering checks and Nature checks when the DC does not exceed that of a Hard DC of the guide's level.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Standard Actions
Wilderness Lore • Daily
Effect: The guide automatically succeeds at a single Dungeoneering check or Nature check so long as the DC does not exceed that of a Hard DC of the guide's level.
Linkboy
Traits
Torch • Aura 5
Squares in the aura are illuminated with bright light.
level 15: Lantern: aura 10.
level 25: Sunrod: aura 20.
Standard Actions
Illuminate • At-Will
Effect: Close Burst 1; creatures in the burst lose concealment until the end of the linkboy's next turn.
level 15: Close Burst 2; creatures in the burst also grant combat advantage.
level 25: Close Burst 2; creatures in the burst also lose full concealment.
Mercenary
Special: Mercenaries do not have the noncombatant trait as other hirelings do. In addition, if morale rules are used, do not include mercenaries when applying morale penalties for hirelings being knocked unconscious (it is part of their job).
Pilot
Traits
Evasive Maneuvers
A vehicle piloted by the hireling has an AC of 14 + the pilot’s level, and a Fortitude and Reflex defense equal to 12 + the pilot’s level, or its normal defenses, whichever is higher.
Seasoned Pilot
When used as a pilot, the hireling grants the vehicle a +2 bonus to its overland speed.
level 15: +3 bonus.
level 25: +4 bonus.
Triggered Actions
Brace for Impact • Encounter
Trigger: A vehicle piloted by the hireling crashes.
Effect (Free): The vehicle and any creatures pulling it take half damage from the crash. Creatures on board the vehicle take one-quarter damage. Whatever the vehicle crashes into takes normal damage from the crash.
Porter
Traits
Beneath Notice
The Hireling does not provoke opportunity attacks for moving out of the square that it starts its turn in.
Strong
As written in “Henchmen and Hirelings”
Standard Actions
“Fetch me my…” • At-Will
Effect: The hireling may retrieve a single item from its pack and hand it to an adjacent creature. The creature may in turn hand the hireling an item which it immediately stows.
Sage
Cost: standard x 2
Special: a sage may have multiple skills associated with sage knowledge. For each knowledge skill beyond the first, the sages cost increases by standard x1 (i.e. a sage that chooses Arcana, History, and Religion would have a cost of standard x4).
Traits
Sage Knowledge • Aura 5
Choose one knowledge skill for the sage: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, or Religion. Allies in the aura gain a +2 power bonus to skill checks involving the chosen skill when the DC does not exceed that of a Hard DC of the sage's level.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Standard Actions
Lore Use • Daily
Effect: The sage automatically succeeds at one skill check involving the skill selected for sage knowledge so long as the DC does not exceed a Hard DC of the sage’s level.
Scribe
It is suggested scribes be eliminated as a hireling type. While scribes were very important in ancient cultures, in a world where the ability to write is common, a scribe is not a meaningful or useful hireling.
Seasoned Crew Member
Cost: standard
Special: for each seasoned crew member purchased at normal cost, up to four additional seasoned crew members of equal or lower level may be hired at standard cost x 0.25 (thus, five seasoned crew members may be hired for a total cost of standard x 2).
Traits
Back to the Ship!
A seasoned crew member that encounters combat while not on board a vehicle flees if possible. It flees at its fastest movement speed until one round after it does not have line of sight to the creature.
Expert Crew
A vehicle crewed entirely by seasoned crew members begins an encounter with temporary hit points equal to the crew’s average level. For crews of 10 or more, multiply this number by x2 +1 for every 5 crew members above 10 (thus, x3 for a crew of 15, x4 for a crew of 20, etc.)
Jury-rigged
At the end of an extended rest, a vehicle crewed entirely by seasoned crew members regains enough hit points to bring it to half its full hit point value if it has been reduced below half.
Sea Legs
If a vehicle the seasoned crew member is on board crashes, the seasoned crew member falls prone instead of taking damage from the crash.
Spy
Cost: standard x2
Traits
Espionage
The controlling hero gains a +2 power bonus to Streetwise when the DC does not exceed a Hard DC of the spy’s level.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Free Actions
Shadow Target • Daily
Effect: The spy follows a target named by the controlling hero for a specified period up to 8 hours of time, then returns and reports what was observed. If the target named (or any nearby allies) has a passive perception that exceeds a Hard DC of the spy’s level, the spy is noticed and eluded (and may be killed or captured, at the DM’s discretion).
Valet
Cost: standard x2
Traits
Etiquette • Aura 3
When dressed in suitable controlling, the controlling hero and all allies gain a +2 power bonus to diplomacy while in the aura so long as the DC does not exceed a Hard DC of the valet’s level.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Free Actions
Salvage Faux Pas • Daily
Effect: During a skill challenge, when the controlling hero or an ally gains a failure by failing a bluff, diplomacy, or intimidate check and the DC did not exceed a Hard DC of the valet’s level, the valet removes the failure.
New Hirelings
Alchemist
Cost: standard x3
Traits
Minor Enchanter
During an extended rest, an alchemist can create a single consumable item of its level or lower, if components equal to the market value of the item are provided.
Standard Actions
Black Powder Bomb • At-Will
Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature or two adjacent creatures); level +3 vs. Reflex
Hit: one-half level + 3 fire damage.
Smoke Bomb • At-Will
Effect: Burst 1 within 5; the burst becomes a cloud of smoke until the end of the alchemists next turn. The cloud blocks line of sight, squares within it are totally obscured, and creatures entirely within it are blinded until they exit.
Burglar
Cost: standard x2
Traits
Trap Sense • Aura 5
Allies in the aura gain a +2 power bonus to thievery checks, and to skill checks and passive perception when used to notice traps and hazards. These bonuses may not be applied if the DC of a check exceeds a Hard DC of the burglar’s level.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Standard Actions
Delay Trap • At-Will
Effect: One adjacent trap is deactivated until the end of the burglar’s next turn, so long as the DC of the thievery check to do so does not exceed a Hard DC of the burglar’s level.
Pick Lock • Encounter
Effect: One adjacent lock is disabled so long as the DC of the thievery check to do so does not exceed a Hard DC of the burglar’s level.
Cook
Cost: standard
Traits
Hearty Meal
Allies who eat a meal prepared by the cook during an extended or short rest may gain additional hit points equal to 3 + one-half the cook’s level when they next use their second wind.
level 15: 6 + one-half level.
level 25: 9 + one-half level..
Standard Actions
Toss Bait • Encounter
Attack: Ranged 5 (one beast); level +3 vs. Will
Hit: Slide the target 2 squares to a square within 5 squares of the cook. The target cannot make attacks of opportunity until the end of the cook’s next turn.
level 15: slide the target 3 squares.
level 25: slide the target 5 squares.
Healer
Cost: standard x2
Traits
Healing Arts • Aura 5
Allies in the aura gain a +2 power bonus to Heal checks and to Endurance checks to resist disease when the DC does not exceed that of a Hard DC of the healer's level.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Pacifist
A healer lacks the melee attack and ranged attack hirelings normally possess.
Standard Actions
Bind Wounds • At-Will
Effect: Close Burst 1; A dying ally in the burst becomes stable.
Fervent Prayer • Encounter
Effect: Close Burst 1; A dying ally in the burst expends its second wind or an unconscious minion ally becomes conscious.
Triggered Actions
Pacifist’s Rebuke • At-Will
Trigger: The healer is attacked
Effect (opportunity action): Close Burst 20 (triggering enemy); one-half level + 3 radiant damage.
Magician
Cost: standard x3
Traits
Ritual Assistant • Aura 5
Allies in the aura gain a +2 power bonus to skill checks made to perform rituals of the magician’s level or lower.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Standard Actions
Lightning Snap • At-Will
Attack: Ranged 20 (one creature); level +3 vs. Reflex
Hit: level +3 lightning damage.
Parlor Tricks • Encounter
Effect: the magician uses either prestidigitation or ghost sounds as the wizard powers of the same name.
Performer
Cost: standard x2
Traits
Countersong • Aura 5
Allies in the aura gain a +2 power bonus to saves made against charm and fear effects.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Stirring Performance
Allies of the performer’s level or less who view the performer’s performance during a short or extended rest gain a +2 power bonus to the next initiative check made before a rest.
level 15: +3 power bonus.
level 25: +4 power bonus.
Standard Actions
Fascinate • Encounter
Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); level +3 vs. Will
Hit: The target is slowed, grants combat advantage, and cannot make immediate or opportunity actions until the end of the performer’s next turn.
