How much to hire some bodyguards?

[Joe dirt]

Say a character has some money... how much would it be?

[Tanarii]

Are they just guarding your body while you trundle around town, or adventuring with you as meat shields?

I usually go with them asking for skilled hireling rates and Guard stats for the former, assuming it's not known there's a contract on your head and you're gonna get jumped by skilled assassins. And a minimum of a 1/2 share of the treasure & XP and Champion PC class (Sword and Shield) for the latter.

[Malifice]

Are they just guarding your body while you trundle around town, or adventuring with you as meat shields?

I usually go with them asking for skilled hireling rates and Guard stats for the former, assuming it's not known there's a contract on your head and you're gonna get jumped by skilled assassins. And a minimum of a 1/2 share of the treasure & XP and Champion PC class (Sword and Shield) for the latter.

Why not use the Champion NPC?

From Volos.

[Toadkiller]

Would agree, it is going to really depend on the job and the level of skill needed. There is a scene in Firefly that illustrates the danger of not paying ones hired help enough.

[Cespenar]

I had used the "skilled hireling" bit (2 gp/day) in a game myself. You may up the cost a bit depending on the skill of the NPC.

The books say exactly this about mercenaries as well.

[Tanarii]

Why not use the Champion NPC?

From Volos.
In my particular case, generally because they gain XP and levels and are with the PCs semi-long term. Also NPC stat blocks not very useful and PC builds are over an adventuring day as opposed to one fight. And when I started doing this, introducing what are effectively henchmen, primarily Champions and Berserkers, Volo's wasn't out.

But yeah, for hired bodyguards in general, any sufficiently powerful NPC stat block for the situation in question would work. Heck, in some cases you might be looking to hire a magical bodyguard, not just chumps with spears.