Staff Costs

Now is a good time to figure out how much your staff will cost you on a monthly basis. Total up the staff required by your various components and consult the Staff section in Chapter 2.

Most strongholds require at least a few staff members, and many others have added dozens if not hundreds of soldiers and artisans. Table 2–11: Typical Staff Members describes the types of hirelings you’ll most likely need, along with their primary skills and skill modifiers (and key abilities), typical class (staff members are 1st level unless otherwise noted), and monthly wage. A typical staff member has a 12 or 13 in the key abilities for his skills (included in the skill modifiers listed).

You will undoubtedly find the need to hire staff members that aren’t described on this table. Use this information as a guide when determining appropriate numbers for any hireling not listed here. The DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide has more information on hirelings.

Many of the components have staff members as prerequisites. The smithy, for example, requires one smith. If you have a character with Craft (weaponsmithing), you can satisfy this prerequisite yourself. If you anticipate hiring a smith later, it’s okay to build the smithy now, even if you can’t fire it up until then.

In general, strongholds don’t have upkeep costs because D&D is about adventure, not balancing the castle’s monthly checkbook. One exception does exist to the no upkeep rule: staff wages. Add up the costs of your stronghold’s staff, and that’s the amount you have to pay each month to keep the stronghold running.

Table 2–11: Typical Staff Members

Hireling	Primary Skills and Modifiers (Key Ability)	Class	Monthly Wage
Acolyte	Knowledge (religion) +7	Clr or Adp	30 gp
Alchemist	Alchemy +7 (Int)	Exp	30 gp
Animal tender/groom	Handle Animal +5 (Cha)	Com	4.5 gp
Apprentice spellcaster	Spellcraft +5 (Int)	Clr, Drd, Sor, or Wiz	30 gp
Architect/ engineer	Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +7 (Int)	Exp	15 gp
Artisan	Craft (any) +7 (Int)	Exp	18 gp
Bartender/ Innkeeper	Profession (bartender or innkeeper) +5 (Wis)	Com	6 gp
Butler	Diplomacy +7 (Cha), Profession (butler) +7 (Wis)	Exp	15 gp
Cavalry	Ride +7 (Dex)	War	12 gp
Clerk	Profession (clerk) +7 (Wis)	Exp	12 gp
Cook	Profession (cook) +5 (Wis)	Com	3 gp
Entertainer/ Performer	Perform +7	Exp	12 gp
Guard	Spot +5 (Wis)*	War	6 gp
Laborer	n/a	Com	3 gp
Laborer	n/a	Com	3 gp
Librarian	Profession (librarian) +7 (Wis), Knowledge (any one) +5 (Int)	Exp	12 gp
Maid	Profession (maid) +5 (Wis)	Com	3 gp
Mason/ craftsperson	Craft (any) +7 (Int)	Exp	9 gp
Officer, military	Diplomacy +5 (Cha)*	War**	18 gp
Sage	Knowledge (any) +7 (Int)	Exp	60 gp+
Scribe	Profession (scribe) +7 (Int)	Exp	9 gp
Servant	n/a	Com	3 gp
Soldier	n/a	War	6 gp
Smith	Craft (varies) +7 (Int)	Exp	12 gp
Torturer/ Inquisitor	Intimidate +7 (Cha), Heal +5 (Wis)	Exp	9 gp
Valet/Lackey	n/a	Com	6 gp
Any PC class	n/a	varies	30 gp

*Cross-class skill.

**Level 2.

Equipping Staff

You only have to buy equipment for your military staff, using Chapter 7 of the Player’s Handbook to equip your soldiers however you like. You can use the following equipment clusters to arm your troops quickly.

Archer: leather armor, longbow, 20 arrows, dagger; 88 gp per person.

Archer, horse: light warhorse, studded leather armor, shortbow, 20 arrows, short sword; 216 gp per person.

Cavalry, light: light warhorse with studded leather barding, scale mail armor, large wooden shield, heavy lance, light flail; 315 gp per person.

Cavalry, heavy: heavy warhorse with chainmail barding, banded mail, large wooden shield, heavy lance, longsword; 1,292 gp per person.

Infantry, light: scale mail armor, large wooden shield, longsword; 72 gp per person.

Infantry, heavy: splint mail armor, large wooden shield, longsword; 222 gp per person.

Guard: chainmail, guisarme, heavy pick; 167 gp per person.

Officer: breastplate, large steel shield, longsword, dagger; 237 gp per person.

Skirmisher: studded leather armor, buckler, shortbow, 20 arrows, scimitar; 86 gp per person.