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Retainers

  1. Hiring Retainers

  2. Morale Checks

  3. Basic Retainers

  4. Expanded Retainer List

An adventuring party is often more than just the sum of the player characters. A support network of NPCs is often necessary to really allow an expedition into the unknown to reach its full potential. Once the expedition reaches its destination, who is going to excavate the area around the Pharaoh’s tomb so that the entrance can be discovered? Afterwards, who is going to carry all that treasure back? Are the pack animals efficiently utilized? Who is guarding the camp? And what is to be done with all that treasure after it has been recovered? Surely the player characters are not a traveling gold caravan? Where do the player characters live? Surely not in a hovel if they have become successful treasure seekers. If so, who looks after their household when they are away? These support characters are called Retainers.

The Retainers are listed in tables on pages above, the tables contain the following characteristics:

  • The Daily Wage. The cost of hiring one person of that type for a single day.

  • The Monthly Wage. The cost of hiring a worker long-term, although the worker retains his own residence and is expected to work no more than one third of any particular day. If no long-term contract is worked out, or the length of employment is unknown at the start, then the Daily Wage must be paid, even if the length of employment lasts longer than a single month.

  • The Monthly Live-In Wage is for those retainers who live on their employers’ property and have room and board included in their wages.

  • The Space Requirements detail how much living space the retainer requires for living space on the property. If there is a “+” number, the second number is the work space that they require in addition to their living space.

  • Treasure Share. Most retainers will absolutely not subject themselves to danger. Those that are willing to place themselves in dangerous situations will receive a share of treasure gathered (and Experience Points) as noted. Note that these shares are only for those actions that the retainer takes a direct part in.

Each live-in Retainer also requires one square of living space on the property. Some Retainers may also require an additional work space for their practice.

It is common for retainers to negotiate for their families to receive death benefits should they die while in service. Any full-time retainer who does not receive shares is due a death benefit payable to his family (or the local magistrate should no family be known) equal to one hundred times his daily wage (or twelve times their monthly wage if no daily wage is given). The family of the retainer who would normally receive shares can expect a death benefit equal to half of the usual share that the retainer would normally receive. In either case, the death benefit received is paid out in silver rather than Experience Points. Should a retainer die in service, there is a 50% chance that the recently deceased retainer has a family that will try to collect the death benefit.