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HIRELINGES AND HENCHMEN

What are Hirelings?
Hirelings are NPCs who are experts in certain fields who hire out to perform task in their area(s) of skill. The hireling is essentially a contract worker who is on a fixed salary to perform work. As they work under an agreed-upon contract to include type of work, working conditions, rate of pay, and the like.  They will typically demand additional money if the work conditions change, or if there is now potetnial in doing the work that was not originally specified in the agreement.  They will usually not offer their services on a permanent basis, but might be willing to contract longer terms of employment beyond piece work for the PCs.

Examples of hirelings include the following:

Expert Hirelings are specialists in their fields who are recognized as some of the best that exist, and their fees often reflect that fact. Examples of Expert Hirelings might be sages, weaponsmiths or armorers who work with rare metals or magical weapon fabrication, NPC magic users who enchant magical devices, and similar indiviuals working in more esoteric studies or crafts. Some expert hirelings may demand special ingrediaents or matierials in addition to payment of silver, gold or jewels.  They recognize that adventurers are potenital source of hard-to-acquire materials, thus part of the contract may be to obtain items that exist in dangerous locations.

Hirelings will typically expect prompt payment of monies owed or they will discontinue their services and look for other paying work after contractual obligations are fulfilled.  Much as with modern contractors, it is customary to pay from 10%-60% (1d6 x 10%) prior to commencement of specific or detailed work that requires supplies to be purchased for completion.  The DM may decide how payment is required for hirelings.  Hirelings are subject to Morale Checks, therefore addition monies, favorable changes in working conditions, or other actions that benefit the hireling can influence them.

What are Henchmen?
Henchmen are different from hirelings in that they wish to serve the Player Chracter and adventure with them.  The PC must pay a stipend for upkeep to the henchmen and give him a one-half share of treasures, but in return the PC gets a loyal follower who will join in his adventures and fight for him.  The henchmen is to the PC much as Robin is to Batman, Kato to the Green Hornet, or Bucky is to Captain America.  The henchman can be influenced by adventure circumstances, bonus treasures, treatment by his PC leader, and other Morale factors.  Henchmen who actively participate in an adventure receive a one-half share of Experience Points earned by the Party.
Hirelings can be from a wide range of PC adventuring classes, and they do not have to be the same class as the Player Character.

Why do you want either one?
Both hirelings and henchmen augment the Party with additional skills and additional combat power.

But, don't Henchmen slow your advancement in the game?
They should not significantly slow PC advancement.  More people in the party will typically mean "more gold pieces recovered".  Some players are concerned that Henchmen get a half-share of experience points (XP) earned.  But what does this mean? 

XP is earned by the PCs of the Party. If four PCs earn 8,000 XP in a game, then an XP share is 2,000 XP for each PC.  If each PC has a henchman, then each earns 1,000 XP.  Wait a sec!  Total that up -- 4 PCs with 2,000 XP each for 8,000 XP, and 4 henchmen with 1,000 XP each for 4,000 XP.  That is 12,000 XP!  You have just discovered a key fact about AD&D 1E:

PCs CREATE EXPERIENCE POINTS!