Empire of Bane
Hirelings
A hireling is a minor character that accompanies a player on their adventures. Hirelings aid adventurers by performing small tasks and by providing specialized skills that might otherwise be lacking in an adventuring party.
Hireling
Medium natural humanoid
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a hireling; Initiative –
AC 14 + level; Other Defenses 12 + level
Speed 6
Traits
Durable
When reduced to 0 hit points, a hireling falls unconscious but does not make death saving throws. It remains unconscious until the end of the encounter or until it receives healing. If the hireling takes any damage while unconscious, it dies.
Hireling Traits
A hireling does not roll initiative, instead taking its turn immediately after the controlling character. Except where noted, a hireling cannot make skill checks except for endurance checks and athletics checks to escape a grab, jump, or swim. Except for powers granted by their occupation, hirelings cannot make attack rolls. Hirelings have no healing surges.
Gaining Hirelings
A hireling can be hired by expending wealth tokens during a sabbatical rest. The wealth token expended represents equipping and paying the hireling, as well as providing for minor expenses such as room and board at taverns, tolls, etc. The hireling continues to follow the player character until it is dismissed or dies. Stronger adventurers attract more able servants and the level of the hireling is always equal to the level of the player.
At the DM’s discretion, a hireling may be able to be recruited during an adventure, usually with a Streetwise check against a hard DC of the character’s level.
Occupations
When you employ a hireling, you do so to gain a particular service or benefit. These benefits are tied to the hirelings occupation. Choose one occupation and add its traits to the hirelings statistic block. When a hireling’s traits mention a skill check, use the bonus on the hireling skill bonus by level table. While less capable than the most skilled of adventurers, hirelings are often quite proficient in their area of specialty.
| Level | Bonus | Level | Bonus | Level | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +9 | 11 | +17 | 21 | +25 |
| 2 | +10 | 12 | +18 | 22 | +26 |
| 3 | +11 | 13 | +19 | 23 | +27 |
| 4 | +11 | 14 | +19 | 24 | +27 |
| 5 | +12 | 15 | +20 | 25 | +28 |
| 6 | +13 | 16 | +21 | 26 | +29 |
| 7 | +13 | 17 | +21 | 27 | +29 |
| 8 | +14 | 18 | +22 | 28 | +30 |
| 9 | +15 | 19 | +23 | 29 | +31 |
| 10 | +16 | 20 | +24 | 30 | +32 |
Beast Handler
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Beast Trainer
The beast handler may make skill checks to train a beast using the hireling skill bonus of its level
Rub Down
A beast handler that attends to a beast during a short rest grants that beast temporary hit points equal to twice the hireling’s level until the beast’s next short rest
Powers
Clever Trick
Encounter (Standard Action)
Effect: Close Burst 5 (one allied beast in the burst); the target may take a move action. If the target makes any athletic checks during the move, it may use the hireling skill bonus of the beast handler’s level if it is higher than its own bonus.
Burglar
Cost: 2 Tokens
Traits
Burglary Skills
The hireling may make perception checks to notice traps and thievery checks to disarm traps and pick locks, using the hireling skill bonus of its level.
Cook
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Hearty Meal
Allies who eat a meal prepared by the hireling during an extended rest may, once per day, gain additional hit points equal to the hireling’s level +3 when they use their second wind.
Powers
Toss Bait
Encounter (Standard Action)
Attack: Range 5 (one beast); Hireling’s level +3 vs. Will
Hit: slide the target 2 squares. The target is immobilized and cannot make opportunity attacks until the end of the hireling’s next turn.
Healer
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Beneath Notice
A healer does not provoke attacks of opportunity for leaving the square they start their turn in
Healing Arts
The hireling may make heal checks using the hireling skill bonus of its level to treat diseases and injuries.
Powers
Bind Wounds
At-Will (Standard Action)
Effect: One adjacent dying ally stabilizes
Fervent Prayer
Encounter (Standard Action)
Effect: An adjacent dying ally expends its second wind
Magician
Cost: 2 Tokens
Traits
Detect Magic
The magician may make arcana checks to detect magic using the hireling skill bonus of its level.
Ritualist
The magician may learn rituals of its level or lower and uses the hireling skill bonus of its level to make any requisite skill checks. It has one ritual token.
Mercenary
Cost: 2 Tokens
Powers
Melee Weapon
At-Will [Weapon] (Standard Action)
Attack: Melee 1 (one minion); The hireling’s level +5 vs. AC
Hit: 1 damage.
Battle Fervor
Daily (Free Action)
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, the hirelings melee weapon attack targets one creature instead of one minion and deals one half the hirelings level +3 damage on a hit.
Last Stand
Encounter (Free Action)
Trigger: The hireling is reduced to 0 hit points.
Effect: The damage from the triggering attack is reduced to 0. Until the end of the encounter, the hireling is considered bloodied.
Performer
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Song of Rest
Allies who listen to the hireling perform during a short rest gains 2 additional hit points with every healing surge spent at the end of the rest.
Level 15: 4 additional hit points
Level 25: 6 additional hit points
Powers
Fascinate
Encounter [Charm] (Standard Action)
Attack: Range 5; Hireling’s level +3 vs. Will
Hit: the target is dazed until the end of the hirelings next turn.
Pilot
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Piloting Skill
A pilot may make skills to pilot a vehicle using the hireling skill bonus of its level.
Seasoned Pilot
When used as a pilot, the hireling grants the vehicle a +1 power bonus to speed
Level 15: +2 bonus
Level 25: +3 bonus
Powers
Brace for Impact!
Encounter (Free action)
Trigger: The vehicle the hireling pilots crashes
Effect: 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
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Beneath Notice
A porter does not provoke attacks of opportunity for leaving the square they start their turn in
Forced March
The hireling may participate in group endurance checks, with a bonus equal to the hireling skill bonus of its level.
Strong
The hireling’s normal load is 100 pounds plus 10 pounds per level. The hirelings heavy load is twice its normal load, and its maximum drag load is four times its normal load.
Level 1-5: Base speed 6, travel 8 hours a day
Level 6-10: Base speed 7, travel 10 hours a day
Level 11-30: Base speed 8, travel 12 hours a day
Powers
Expert Retrieval
At-Will (Standard Action)
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: 2 Tokens
Traits
Knowledge Skill
Choose one skill for the sage: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, or Religion. The hireling may make knowledge checks in the selected skill using the hireling skill bonus of its level
Spy
Cost: 2 Tokens
Traits
Espionage Skill
The hireling may make perception, stealth, and streetwise checks in urban environments using the hireling skill bonus of its level
Underdark Guide
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Dungeoneering Skill
The hireling may make dungeoneering checks to aid in traversing subterranean terrain using the hireling skill bonus of its level
Wilderness Guide
Cost: 1 Token
Traits
Nature Skill
The hireling may make nature checks to aid in traversing above-ground terrain using the hireling skill bonus of its level.
Valet
Cost: 1 Token
Powers
Salvage Faux Pas
Encounter (Free Action)
Trigger: An ally fails a bluff, diplomacy, or intimidate check
Effect: The hireling rolls using the hireling skill bonus of its level and replaces the ally’s results if better
by:
Luke_Davis
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