PC salary per level

[Laserlight]

The players will be the management of a mercenary company, hiring from a stable of PCs based on "what seems suited for the mission" and "what character each player wants to play"--that way we can have an all-stealth party, or send a group to the Duke's Ball without including the twitchy warlock and the uncouth barbarian. Some PCs will be at higher or lower levels than the average, and the company has to pay them, so the question arises: how much does The Company have to pay each PC based on their level?
As I recall, the PHB says it's 2sp per day for an unskilled hireling, and historically, a normal mercenary soldier (rear ranks of a pike unit, for example) would earn base pay about the same as an unskilled laborer. (He'd get bonuses, though--double pay for combat days, an extra month's pay for assaulting a city, etc). And a PC is tougher than Joe Pikeman, so he ought to get paid more. How much more?
Assume that supply/demand is balanced out over the classes, so a druid gets the same pay as a cleric or fighter or warlock of equal level.

[JeenLeen]

I thought I read mercenaries as skilled labor in the PHB, but I could be mistaken.

Do the employees get to keep any loot they obtain during the mission?
If yes, you can pay them relatively little (assuming the job has opportunities.) At least, for relatively non-risky jobs.
If no, then maybe 100 per level? Gold matters less in 5e, so it's hard to really tell what's a good incentive.

You might find some advice here useful: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?499091-Adventuring-Guild

[Laserlight]

Historically, basic soldiers were paid unskilled labor rates (or worse!) as their base rate. Not that it really matters whether that base is 2sp or 2gp per day; I'm looking for the ratio between levels.

And I don't really want to say "X gold per level" because I suspect it's not linear-- four L5s are not power equal to one L20.

[Tanarii]

First of all, soldiers and mercs are paid as 'skilled' laborer, not unskilled. 1 gp a day.


So, level squared per day in gp, just to sit on the mercenary rolls, sounds about the minimum. Double for a day with a battle.

That's 750 gp per month for 'garrison' duty for a level 5 character, vs 3000 gp / month for a level 10 character. With a bonus 25gp and 100 gp paid out respectively for battles.

Still (lots!) safer than actually adventuring for the PCs, and correspondingly less rewarding. And a bargain for anyone hiring the merc company in terms of massive combat power gained compared to a non-leveled soldier. (If you want to account for basic soldiers likely being 2HD 'monsters' in 5e, subtract a level from your calculation.)

[JeenLeen]

Also, I think the hiring tables are assuming relatively low-level, if even PC classed, mercenaries. If you are hiring actual Fighters, Wizards, and Clerics, not just a guy with longsword proficiency or a hedge mage with a couple spells, then it'd make sense they'd be paid more. I was thinking of prices in part by thinking about, as a level 1 PC, what would it take for me to accept a job if the money was the only motivation.

Thus, I think the idea of a standing rate (maybe 1 gp per day per level) to be 'on-call' makes sense, with more for actual jobs. The folk can live at a decent standard of living that way when off-duty (or on-duty as just maintaining the mercenary quarters), but they still have a motivation to risk their life on missions.

Are the jobs these folk are taking actual adventures (like equivalent to what a party of real PCs would do as level 1, 5, etc.) or just jobs that are relatively safe (guard duty, threats substantially weaker than you)?
I'm assuming actual adventures. In my conception--and correct me if mistaken--this idea is something like the players are level 10 PCs, and they are hiring some level 1-8 PCs to send out on tasks that are important but not important enough for the actual PCs to handle.

[R.Shackleford]

I would make them a weekly salary worker, and any loot they do find must be processed and accounted for. They get a percentage finder fee for any loot they find but it is not theirs until processing and handling.

8 GP a week, paid in 2 week increments. When not on assignment, the person must be in the office and be able to explain their time. Make up a time sheet, they get experience (and money) for making up a time sheet every so often :p. Hey, people complain when the game isn't realistic...

Every two weeks each member...

16 GP
-2 GP: Union Fees (Process and Handling)
-1 GP: Thieves Guild Donation
-2 GP: Local Government Tax
-1 GP: Charity Donation (especially if the church and state aren't separate)
===

10 GP each two week period.

The first payment is hard to get and may be delayed up to two or three weeks, because reasons.

There is a 20% chance each pay period that your paperwork got mishandled. That means it takes a week extra to get paid.

If you are a Bard or other lover of the wenches (even if you are female, cause magic!), there is a 10% chance you have child support of 1 GP/week (2 GP/pay period).

[JeenLeen]

I would make them a weekly salary worker, and any loot they do find must be processed and accounted for. They get a percentage finder fee for any loot they find but it is not theirs until processing and handling.

8 GP a week, paid in 2 week increments. When not on assignment, the person must be in the office and be able to explain their time. Make up a time sheet, they get experience (and money) for making up a time sheet every so often :p. Hey, people complain when the game isn't realistic...

Every two weeks each member...

16 GP
-2 GP: Union Fees (Process and Handling)
-1 GP: Thieves Guild Donation
-2 GP: Local Government Tax
-1 GP: Charity Donation (especially if the church and state aren't separate)
===

10 GP each two week period.

The first payment is hard to get and may be delayed up to two or three weeks, because reasons.

There is a 20% chance each pay period that your paperwork got mishandled. That means it takes a week extra to get paid.

If you are a Bard or other lover of the wenches (even if you are female, cause magic!), there is a 10% chance you have child support of 1 GP/week (2 GP/pay period).

Some joking (?) aside, I think the idea of pre-held taxes is a decent idea, especially for an adventurer's guild. "Local Government Tax/Charity Donation" could in part be "gifts" to alleviate the tempers of any nobles that are ticked off by your employees' actions. Paying a protection fee to the local Thieves' Guild also sounds like a good idea. (Could also enable connections for a good fence, to sell stuff like jewels and art objects one finds on a mission, especially if such missions might involve local nobles.)

On a serious note of processing and handling, stating that all magic items must be scanned for curses is a decent idea.
Though I think that any magical loot should belong to the finder (after scanning, assuming not cursed), since otherwise there's such an incentive to hide it.

[DKing9114]

So the PCs are playing the managers/investors/owners of the mercenary company, as well as playing the actually mercenaries? Sounds kind of cool.

Use the rules for downtime to represent payment while the mercs are on retainer: the PHB states that PCs with gainful employment maintain a comfortable standard of living (at a price of 2 gp) but do not make money. Have the mercenary company keep their people at a modest level, giving them all one net gp per day. You might throw in a few additional expenses every several weeks, or allow the players to pick up a few extra items at the start of the game, but have the deducted from their pay over the next few months. As for increasing due to level, maybe bump it up to 3 net gp per day at level 3, then at level 5 offer the mercenaries a promotion with better pay (between 5 and 10), better accommodations, and more lucrative jobs, but with increased responsibilities (PC must bail the new guy out of jail for a tavern brawl he started) and consequences (if he tries to intimidate the guard into letting him go, word gets back to his bosses). Offer promotions every 3-5 levels, which should match up with decent milestones in their class features-whatever seems appropriate in each scenario. Eventually, mercenary characters in the teens could be promoted to management level, only going out on truly impressive tasks.

As for when individual mercenaries are actually engaged, offer them a percentage of the payment for completing the job. As the managers, the players will try to barter, cajole, and threaten their clients into the highest payment they can manage; then, offer the mercenaries some amount based on how the organization is set up (remind the players that they will have to accept this on both sides of the table: having 5 players handle negotiations for 10 characters could either get extremely ugly or give you a good chance to take a break and get yourself a drink while they sort things out). If the management functions mainly as a go between, perhaps they keep 30% or 50% as a finders fee; if they directly employ the mercenaries, they hold onto 70%, but some of that money goes towards supplying their forces. I think it's something the players would need to work out, with you reminding them that any character they play will need to accept this arrangement.