Players Hiring a Lower Level NPC

[Balkoth]

My players are currently level 9 in a demon infested/corrupted forest. They've expressed interest in trying to hire a low level elven tracker from a nearby elven city (which is about the only safe place in the forest currently), like a level 4-5 ranger with good Survival skill or something.

What would seem appropriate for this? The low level NPC is going to get clobbered and more or less instantly die if some of the demons target him, so that would probably be seen as a drawback to taking on the job. How much would he want to charge for his services?

[Balkoth]

So...no one has any input? That seems to be a first for this forum...

[Theconiel]

I'd suggest, given that the NPC is much lower level than the party, treat the NPC as 1/4 person when dividing up loot.

[CrystalSeas]

Balkoth wrote:

How much would he want to charge for his services?

Does she have any dependents? Husband, children, widowed father who depends on her for support?

"Life Insurance" might be worth two or three years of living expenses.

Is he depressed? Feels like life isn't worth living? You might get him for a boozy weekend's worth of gold.

[GM Rednal]

For a Trained Hireling, 1-3 GP per-day is appropriate (and, indeed, official). Given the class levels and actual skill use, probably 3 GP. Double it if you expect him to be close to the foes instead of just ghosting out and staying safe.

[The Black Bard]

Note, the 1-3 gp for a Trained Hireling "represents a minimum wage for an adequately skilled worker, and an expert hireling usually requires significantly higher pay. The listed price is a day's wages".

This is all basically assuming a level 1 npc classed character, perhaps level 2. Level 5 is a character on the verge of being able to take a prestige class. While a long way off from legendary level 11 (as defined in game by the spell Legend Lore) they are very capable people. Heck, at that level you have survived the first chapter of an adventure path!

A level 4-5 will definitely fall under "significantly higher pay".
It may be the edition prior, but 3.5 had a bit in one of its splatbooks that basically put a hired person with PC class levels in a potentially dangerous location (dungeon or forest as opposed to around town)on a simple formula of level squared per day. So a level 5 would cost you 25gp per day.

This feels completely reasonable. Perhaps a discount of 5gp if she isn't expected to fight any monsters (just like I would double this if it were an escort expected to solo fight the monsters with no help from the ones hiring). And then any other terms that might make sense, like a portion of pay up front to leave with loved ones if its a long journey, etc etc.

[Cevah]

In 3.X, hirelings went for 100 gp per level per month. That is about 3 gp per level per day. Now, this is for hirelings in a safe environment. Dangerous environment might double that, and also have a bonus or other up front advance, along with agreements to return the body & belongings. Deliberately going into danger might go for triple.

/cevah

[Ring_of_Gyges]

If the PCs are bringing NPCs into fights with CR 9-13 demons who's AoE spells might one shot the NPC there are going to be alignment issues.

That said, about 1000gp for an adventure seems about right for 5th level to me.