The following rules are taken from Phenster’s article “Regular Entourage” (L’avant garde #65, July 1984) and my addendum “Available Hires, Number and Level.” I present the rules as examples of how DMs might handle hirelings and henchmen in their own games. As they are more a model than an extension to Holmes, I put the ensemble in the [C] Campaign category.

The Pandemonium Society differentiates hirelings and henchmen in a way that, while not unusual, may require definition for the uninitiated:

• A hireling is an NPC of any adventuring class or a 0-level human employed to accompany an adventurer on an expedition. The employer pays an upfront fee, provides all weapons, armor, and equipment, and pays room and board. A hireling receives a half share of treasure and earns half XP.
• A henchman is a loyal follower, often a former hireling. A henchman pays his or her own expenses and receives a full share of treasure. Like hirelings, henchmen earn half XP.

Hirelings

In this section, we determine the number of NPCs seeking employment, their class and level, and a standard fee structure. We also outline the negotiation process. For more explanation on number and level of hirelings, see “Available Hires, Number and Level.”

Hireling Frequency by Class [C]

The DM determines the frequency (common, uncommon, or rare) of each class of hireling. In a basic example, fighters are common; clerics, magic-users, thieves, and all halflings are uncommon; dwarves and elves rare; men-at-arms are twice as common as fighters. Frequency may be adjusted according to current conditions in the campaign that impact local demographics, such as a war, monstrous incursion, or recent large hauls of treasure coming out of the dungeon.

Number of Hirelings Available [C]

Divide the result of a d12 by 2 for common types, 4 for uncommon, and 11 for rare, dropping the fraction. Roll twice for men-at-arms as common. You may use other divisors as desired, consulting the d12 table of results in “Available Hires, Number and Level.”

Number of Hirelings Available by Class Frequency
d12	Common (÷ 2)	Uncommon (÷ 4)	Rare (÷ 11)
1	0	0	0
2	1	0	0
3	1	0	0
4	2	1	0
5	2	1	0
6	3	1	0
7	3	1	0
8	4	2	0
9	4	2	0
10	5	2	0
11	5	2	1
12	6	3	1
Common: fighters, men-at-arms (roll twice) Uncommon: clerics, magic-users, thieves, halflings Rare: dwarves, elves

Hireling Level [C]

Adventurers may employ hirelings of their own level or lower. We assume 2nd- and higher-level NPCs seeking employment are less frequent. Roll a dice in size equal to or greater than the employer’s level and divide by the results of a d3. Round up. If the final result is above the PC’s level, re-roll the first dice only.

Example: Hirelings by Class, Number, and Level

On a typical evening at the Nine of Pentacles, one or more 7th-level PCs desire to employ NPCs for an upcoming adventure. If the PCs are looking for a particular class, the DM need only roll for that class. Otherwise, roll a d12 for each class and divide by the number corresponding to the class’s frequency, dropping fractions. Tonight, the following numbers of hirelings by class are present:

Class	d12 Result	Frequency Divisor	Number Present
Fighters	7	2	3
Clerics	2	4	0
Magic-Users	11	4	2
Thieves	4	4	1
Halflings	6	4	1
Dwarves	3	11	0
Elves	9	11	0

To determine the experience levels of classed NPCs, the DM rolls a d8 (7th-level PCs) for each NPC and divides the result by a d3, rounding up.

Number	Class	d8 Results	d3 Resuts	NPC Level
3	Fighters	2, 8* 4, 6	3, 1, 3	1, 8* 4, 2
2	Magic-Users	5, 2	3, 2	2, 1
1	Theif	6	2	3
1	Halfling	8	2	4

Whether an observer is able to discern the experience level of adventurer types is up to the DM to decide for the campaign setting. A couple instances in the Postlethwaite Collection indicate that player characters in the Great Halls campaign had this capability. Hazard was not secretive about a monster’s hit dice, either.

Standard Hireling Fees [C]

The standard fee for a 0-level man-at-arms is 50 g.p. For 1st-level humans and halflings of all classes, the standard fee is 100 g.p., dwarves and elves 200 g.p.

The standard fee to retain human and halfling classes of 2nd and higher levels is equal to 10% of the experience points necessary for the hireling’s level in g.p. Double the fee for dwarves and elves. (For XP requirements, see “Level Advancement.”)

The hireling fee is paid upon employment. In addition, the employer pays for all weapons, armor, and adventuring equipment, plus food and lodging. In addition, hirelings receive a half-share of treasure.

Nomenclature of Fees by Armor Type [C]

Phenster describes the following terms to identify hireling fees by armor types (“Regular Entourage”). These are, in Pandemonium Society games, used by players as well as characters in-game, an example of the game group’s culture seeping into the setting culture.

Chain: standard fee (for example, as given in Standard Hireling Fees [C]).
Plate: double standard fee, +1 bonus to negotiation rolls.
Double plate: four times standard fee, +2 bonus to negotiation rolls.
Leather: half standard fee, −1 penalty to negotiation rolls.
Jack: less than half standard fee, −2 penalty to negotiation rolls.
Shield: a 20% (or more) bonus in addition to the offered fee, garners an additional bonus on the first negotiation roll or prompts further negotiation rolls.
Wooden shield: any bonus less than 20% of offered fee.
Straw shield: any future remuneration offered, −1 penalty to negotiation rolls.

Negotiation [C]

Once an offer is made, the DM rolls 2d6 on the following table, adding bonuses or penalties for exceptional offers and the employer’s Charisma and reputation.

Negotiation Table
2	Offended (−1 further checks)
3-5	Refuses
6-8	Haggles
9-11	Accepts
12	Pleased (+1 loyalty)

On a haggle result (6-8), the recruiting PC can end the negotiation, excusing the candidate, or increase the offer, thereby earning another roll on the table. The negotiation continues until the candidate accepts or refuses the offer or the employer abandons the negotiation. If the candidate is offended (a 2 result), the PC suffers a −1 penalty on negotiation rolls in the town for one month. If the candidate is pleased (12), add a +1 bonus to the hireling’s initial loyalty score.

Morale

“Hazard mostly just decides for the monsters and NPCs when their going gets tough. But when he isn’t sure, he uses the Hostile/Friendly table from the rulebook to see if the monsters will cut their losses and run.”—Phenster, “Advanced Combat,” L’avant garde #51 (December 1982)

Morale is an NPCs confidence in leadership and team mates and his or her enthusiasm for the endeavor. Morale is measured on a 2 (stalwart) to 12 (coward) scale and checked by a 2d6 roll: equal to or greater than the morale score succeeds.

In “Advanced Combat,” Phenster specifies hireling morale as 7. (See Morale [E].) The Pandemonium Society seems not to have made any adjustments to a hireling’s morale score. When to check morale is left to the DM’s discretion. The only guidance Phenster gives on the topic is, concerning monsters, “whenever the monsters could have a second thought about going on with the fight,” (“Advanced Combat”) and for hirelings, “when things are looking grim” (“Regular Entourage”). I see no need, in the Holmes context, for a more specific rule.

Loyalty

While morale concerns the hireling’s relation to the party and its goals, loyalty measures one’s devotion to the employer. A loyalty check succeeds on a d20 roll equal to or less than the loyalty score.

Initial Loyalty Score [C]

Initial hireling loyalty is determined by a 3d6 roll, adding any bonuses from the employer’s Charisma score and the results of the negotiation. Hireling loyalty scores are not shared with players.

Loyalty Check [C]

Check hireling loyalty after each adventure and whenever the hireling faces extraordinary danger or a moral dilemma concerning the employer. To succeed, roll the hireling’s loyalty score or less on a d20, applying the following bonuses and penalties.

Condition	Adjustment
No treasure gained	+1
Good treatment	−1
Bad treatment	+1
Same alignment	−1
Opposite alignment	+1

Phenster neglects the case in which a henchman faces an extraordinary situation (see below). I add that a roll of 20 on the loyalty check always fails; a 1 always succeeds.

Also note, Phenster seems to apply modifiers to the hireling’s loyalty score. I turn the modifiers around (pluses become minuses and vice-versa) and apply them to the dice roll.

On a failed check, the hireling’s loyalty score decreases by 1 point. A successful check means the loyalty score increases by 1.

Broken Loyalty [C]

When the score drops below 11, the hireling’s loyalty is “broken” and the hireling quits the PC.

As Phenster notes, it is possible, in the case of a low initial loyalty, for a hireling to quit service after a single adventure.

Henchmen

“A henchman is a trusted lieutenant to the PC. His loyalty is no longer in question, and he doesn’t have to check morale anymore.”—Phenster, “Regular Entourage”

Henchmen [C]

When loyalty reaches 20, the hireling becomes a henchman. Henchmen do not check loyalty, unless the PC makes an extreme demand, nor do henchmen have to check morale. The player controls a henchman like a second PC. Henchmen get a full share of treasure, and they pay their own expenses. Henchmen, however, receive only half XP.

Experience Point Distribution

Lossless Half Experience [C]

Hirelings and henchmen earn half experience points. Divide the total XP by two times the number of PCs plus one for each hireling and henchman. PCs each receive two parts; hirelings and henchmen one.