Swords & Wizardry House Rules: Revised Retainer Tables

RETAINERS

Hiring Retainers

Retainers are 0-level hirelings that may be hired for their base salary, food and lodging, plus a percentage of their employer’s share of monetary treasure. They typically are available for hire in most civilized locales, such as cities, towns, and fortresses.

The number of retainers that can be hired by a single employer is limited by the would-be employer’s charisma score; consult the Table 5 on page 8 of the rulebook for these limitations.

If potential retainers are available, the DM should determine the number present based on the locale and circumstances and then determine their type on an individual basis by rolling 2d6 for each individual and consulting the following chart:

Roll 2d6	Result
2-7	Combatant
8-9	Non-Combatant
10-12	Specialist

Once the general type of retainer—combatant, non-combatant, or specialist—is determined, consult the appropriate table below to randomly determine the potential retainer’s specific profession, qualifications, or skills.

If an adventurer then wishes to hire this particular individual, he should roll 2d6 and consult the following chart for the potential retainer’s response to his offer:

Roll 2d6	Result
2-6	declines offer
7-8	asks for greater compensation
9-12	accepts offer

If a potential retainer asks for greater compensation, his potential employer must increase the offer in some fashion, such as the ways listed below for attaining bonuses to the hiring roll.

The preceding chart assumes that the adventurer offers the standard terms of employment. He may increase his odds in the following ways:

• buying the potential retainer strong drink—beer, mead, liquor—at the outset of negotiations results in a +1 bonus to the hiring roll
• offering to increase the potential retainer’s daily salary—by at least double the usual amount—likewise results in a +1 bonus to the hiring roll
• offering to upgrade the potential retainer’s equipment in a significant manner, such as the purchase of better armor, results in a +1 bonus to the hiring roll
• offering to increase the potential retainer’s percentage of their employer’s treasure by 5% results in a +2 bonus to the hiring roll
• the preceding bonuses are not exclusive; they are offered by way of example and are cumulative of one another—i.e., more than one may apply to a single roll

Combatants

For each potential retainer who is a combatant, roll on the following table to determine his particular profession, qualifications, or skills:

#	Type	Hit Points	Equipment	Cost/Day
1.	Weapon Bearer	d3	short sword, leather armor	1 Silver Piece
2.	Shield Bearer	d3	short sword, leather armor, large shield	1 Silver Piece
3.	Archer	d3	short bow, 20 arrows, dagger, leather armor	2 Silver Pieces
4.	Spearman	d3	spear, leather armor	2 Silver Pieces
5.	Mercenary	d3+1	long sword, ring mail, shield	5 Silver Pieces
6.	Man-at-Arms	d3+1	long sword, lance, chain mail, shield, horse	1 Gold Piece

• combatants—those who will be directly involved combat—are entitled to a 10 percent share of their employer’s monetary treasure
• a weapon bearer may immediately hand his employer a weapon whenever necessary—e.g., if the employer is disarmed or his weapon is broken or disabled
• a shield bearer protects his employer, increasing his AC by one; however, the shield bearer does not gain the benefit of the shield to his own armor class when doing so

Non-Combatants

For each potential retainer who is a non-combatant, roll on the following table to determine his particular profession, qualifications, or skills:

#	Type	Hit Points	Equipment	Cost/Day
1.	Porter	d2	backpack, 2 large sacks, litter	1 Silver Piece
2.	Cook	d2	pots, utensils, foodstuffs, spices, tinder box	1 Silver Piece
3.	Guide	d2	knife, walking stick	2 Silver Pieces
4.	Torch Bearer	d2	tinder box, torches or lantern, leather armor	2 Silver Pieces

• non-combatants—those who generally will not be involved in combat—are entitled to a five percent share of their employer’s monetary treasure
• porters provide muscle for carrying equipment and treasure; each may carry up to 300 pounds subject to ordinary rules regarding encumbrance and movement
• cooks permit those who eat their meals to recover 1d2 hit points per night of rest even in the wilderness; their hot meals also increase the morale of other retainers
• guides are locals familiar with the terrain; parties traveling with a guide move five extra miles per day and only have a 1-in-6 chance of becoming lost regardless of terrain
• torchbearers may kindle a flame, light a torch or lantern, and keep them lit under difficult conditions; they are allowed a saving throw of 10 to do so in most cases

Specialists

For each potential retainer who is a specialist, roll on the following table to determine his particular profession, qualifications, or skills:

#	Type	Hit Points	Equipment	Cost/Day
1.	Bard	d2	dagger, musical instrument, leather armor	1 Gold Piece
2.	Surgeon	d2	surgeon’s tools, medical supplies, smock	2 Gold Pieces
3.	Holy Man	d2+1	sacrificial dagger, holy symbol, robes	3 Gold Pieces
4.	Hedge Wizard	d2+1	staff, spell components, robes	3 Gold Pieces

• a bard is a musician and poet; adventurers who travel with a bard receive a five percent experience bonus for all activities the bard witnesses, if the he survives to tell the tale
• a surgeon may treat the physically injured once after each combat; the injured person saves and if successful regains d2+1 hit points; a surgeon may treat someone who otherwise would be dead
• a holy man is an itinerant priest or prophet unaffiliated with an organized church or cult; see the table below for sample holy men and their abilities
• a hedge wizard is a self-taught or poorly educated freelance magic-user; see the table below for further details on hedge wizards and their abilities

Holy Men

The following are eight examples of holy men; others exist. Holy men will not accept long-term employment. Most often they either do not care about the money at all—accepting employment because their god instructed them to do so—or have a charitable purpose in mind.

Each of the example holy men below have three abilities: (1) an innate characteristic; (2) an ability that they may use once per day; and (3) an ability that they may use more than once per day based on a d6 mechanic. However, they generally may try to use this last ability only once in a given situation or combat.

#	Type	Description and Abilities
1.	Dervish	A dervish communes with his god via ecstatic religious rites. – he has a bonus of 2 to his AC due to his agility – once a day, he can make another ecstatic (+1 bonus/1d6 rounds) – on a 1–2 on a d6, he can cause a target to dance for 1d4 rounds
2.	Elementalist	An elementalist invokes the jinn, ifrit, or other desert spirits. – any fire he kindles is smokeless and burns ten times longer than usual – once a day, he can assume gaseous form for 1d6 rounds – on a 1–2 on a d6, he may summon a minor spirit for a round
3.	Exorcist	An exorcist protects against and banishes demons and other extraplanar beings. – he has a +4 bonus to all saves against these beings – once a day, he can cast a protective circle against them in a 20-foot radius – on a 1–2 on a d6, he can banish a demon to its place of origin
4.	Hermit	A hermit is a recluse who wears a coarse hair shirt and has taken a vow of silence. – he may walk over any solid substance without incurring injury or damage – once a day, he can silence a 10-foot radius for 1d6 rounds – on a 1–2 on a d6, he can seal a target’s mouth for 1d4 rounds
5.	Sadhu	A sadhu renounces worldly things and travels nearly naked but for his holy spear. – he has a +3 bonus to attacks/damage with it – once a day, he can allow an additional save against disease – on a 1–2 on a d6, he can negate an effect suffered by another
6.	Snake Handler	A snake handler interacts with venomous snakes to prove his divine favor. – his pet snake may attack any foe that engages him in melee (1d2 damage) – once a day, he can grant an additional save against venom – on 1–2 on a d6, he can charm 1d4 snakes or 1 giant snake
7.	Wonder-Worker	A wonder-worker performs miracles to demonstrate the power of his god. – he has a +2 bonus to all saving throws and non-combat rolls – once a day, he can heal another for 2d4+2 hit points by touch – on a roll of 1–2 on a d6, he may multiply or purify food/drink
8.	Yogi	A yogi pursues the divine through contemplation, meditation, and reflection. – he is immune to mind-affecting spells and effects – once a day, he can levitate for 1d4 turns (see spell description) – on a 1–2 on a d6, he may grant 8 hours’ rest for 1 of meditation

Hedge Wizards

All hedge wizards have a staff. Whenever attacked in melee, they may imbue their staff with magical energy and try to parry by rolling 1–2 on a d6. The staff is non-magical though and no one else wielding it will have the ability to parry with it.

Hedge wizards have a spellbook, which is unreadable gibberish to others, including those who can read magic. The book contains two spells—randomly determined by rolling on the chart below. Hedge wizards may cast both spells once per day.

All of the spells below permit a saving throw when cast on an unwilling recipient, unless the spell description indicates otherwise. If the description does not state a specific range, treat it as effective within visual range so long as it’s reasonable.

Hedge wizards may read any magical text by rolling a 1 on a d6; if they fail, then they cannot read that text and cannot try again. If they use a magical scroll, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the spell is miscast in some manner or fails to operate.

#	Spell	Spell Description
1.	Acid Rain	He can summon a rainstorm for 1d4 rounds in a 200-foot radius; range of 200 feet; does 1 point of damage to all within it each round.
2.	Blood Bond	He can create a link between himself and another creature such that damage to one does an identical amount to the other for 1d6 rounds
3.	Bug	He can infest a single target with bugs for 1d6 rounds; he must save each round until he successfully saves or be preoccupied by the bugs
4.	Combust	He can cause an object or creature to spontaneously combust; range 100 feet; 1d4 damage first round and 1 damage for the next two.
5.	Docility	He can render 1d4 animals quiet and docile but not charmed; domesticated animals do not get a saving throw, but wild animals do.
6.	Enervate	He can reduce a humanoid’s strength by 3d6 for 1d6 rounds; if reduced to 0 or below, the humanoid is immobilized and helpless.
7.	Identify Object	He can identify an enchanted object’s magical properties by handling it for 1d4 rounds; he is permitted a saving throw against ill effects.
8.	Ironskin	He can make a target’s skin damage-resistant for 1d6 rounds; the target suffers two less damage per die while this spell is in effect.
9.	Magic Manacles	He can conjure a pair of manacles that bind the hands or feet of a target for 1d4 turns; these bonds cannot be broken except by magic.
10.	Photon Bullets	He fires 1d4 orbs of light the size of sling bullets from his fingers; multiple creatures may be targeted; each orb does 1 point of damage.
11.	Play Possum	He can allow a target to pass for dead for 2d6 rounds; the target appears to be a corpse and the fact that he is alive is undetectable.
12.	Portal Password	He can assign a password to a doorway or other portal that lasts 1d4 days; to pass, one must say the password or save with a -2 penalty.
13.	Reverse Gravity	He can reverse gravity in a 30-foot radius for 1d4 rounds; range of 50 feet; rate of ascent within the radius is 10 feet per round.
14.	Servitude	He can force a single target to serve him for 1d4 days; the target is aware of his servitude but cannot resist; the wizard can only have one servant at a time.
15.	Shadowstep	He can step into and move among the shadows for 2d6 rounds; he is incorporeal and imperceptible as anything other than a shadow.
16.	Shrink	He can shrink an object or person for 2d6 rounds; range 150 feet; roll 1d10 to determine the percentage reduction in size (1 = 10% etc.).
17.	Spellbind	He can target a spell-caster; next time the target casts a spell, he must save to finish casting or else keeps casting each round till he saves.
18.	Spore Cloud	He creates a thick cloud of spores in a 200-foot radius for 2d6 rounds; range 200 feet; all in it must save to attack or pursue another.
19.	Translocate Object	He can teleport an inanimate object from one location to another 2d10 x 10 feet in distance; the object may weigh up to 35 pounds.
20.	Transport Circle	He draws two circles within 2,000 feet of one another; people can teleport between them; each time, roll 1d10; the circle ceases to work on a 1.

Terms of Employment

Most retainers hire on for a single adventuring session and then go their own way. An employer may try to re-hire a previous retainer using the ordinary rules outlined above.

If a retainer is killed in service, his employer is obligated to pay his salary, if not already paid, and his share of treasure to the retainer’s next of kin. If reasonably possible, a deceased retainer’s personal possessions also should be returned.

Advancement

Combatants usually become first-level fighters after completing an adventure; they should reroll their hit points (but cannot have less than their current total). As first-level fighters, their daily salary increases to 2 GP/day and they now receive 20 percent of their employer’s monetary treasure.

Non-combatants and specialists generally do not advance in level. However, a DM may at his discretion assign a returning non-combatant increased or additional abilities or hit points.