Hirelings, Servants & Services

This includes servants, slaves, and hirelings (trained and untrained) as well as various services that may be obtained in settled areas.

Services- Fees and Tolls
Item	Cost	Weight
Road or gate toll	1 cp	n/a
Hirelings
Item	Cost	Weight
Hireling, Trained	3 sp per day	n/a
Hireling, Untrained	1 sp per day	n/a
Other Services
Item	Cost	Weight
Messenger	2 cp per mile	n/a
Spellcasting	Caster level × spell level × 10 gp3	n/a
Slaves
Item	Cost	Weight
Slave, common	75 gp	175 lbs.
Slave, hard labor	100 gp	200 lbs.
Slave, household	50 gp	130 lbs.
Slave, slip (halfling)	100 gp	39 lbs.
Slave, specialized	500 gp	160 lbs.
Transportation
Item	Cost	Weight
Coach Cab	3 cp per mile	n/a
Ship’s Passage	1 sp per mile	n/a

The Quintessential Aristocrat

Author Martin R. Thomas

Series Quintessential Series

Publisher Mongoose Publishing

In addition to these servants, there are literally hundreds of other types of servants that an aristocrat may wish to hire, such as messengers, laborer’s, maids, and porters and personal attendants.

Servants List
Servant	Cost per Month
Animal Handler	100 gp
Architect	200 gp
Captain of the House Guard	300 gp
Castellan	500 gp
Chamberlain	50 gp
Cook	5 gp
Engineer	500 gp
Excise Officer	50 gp
Gardener	25 gp
Groundskeeper	20 gp
Guardsman	10 gp
Stable Master	10 gp
Vintner	25 gp
Specialized Servants
Master of the Horse	500 gp
Dean of the Chapel	500 gp
Lord Steward	1,000 gp
Lord Chamberlain	350 gp
Lord Marshal	500 gp
Justiciar	500 gp
Chancellor	300 gp
Treasurer	200 gp
Butler	150 gp
Almoner	50 gp
Master of the Grounds	75 gp

Common Servants

Animal Handler: Animal handlers specialize in the care of a specific type of animal. Each handler can care for up to a dozen domestic common animals or six exotic (magical) beasts. For each different type of animal, the aristocrat must hire additional animal handlers. Most commonly the aristocrat will need at least two for his horses and dogs. Animal Handlers are also responsible for caring for any animals held in an exotic menagerie. They are usually experts with several ranks in Handle Animal and Ride.

Architect: Master architects must be employed by the aristocrat to design a manor house that will be the envy of all other members of the aristocracy. The architect must be paid on a monthly basis equal to the entire construction time of the manor and its grounds. Architects are most commonly experts with ranks in Knowledge (architecture & engineering) and Knowledge (arithmetic & geometry), but academically inclined aristocrats also make good architects.

Captain of the House Guard: The leader of the aristocrat’s personal detachment of bodyguards, the Captain reports directly to the Lord Marshal. The captain is typically a fighter with at least one level in the aristocrat class.

Castellan: The officer in charge of keeping the manor and its palace in good repair, the Castellan also ensures that the manor is adequately stocked for any eventuality. The Castellan is most often a low-level aristocrat with a few ranks in Knowledge (arithmetic & geometry) for determining how low supplies are becoming.

Chamberlain: As the name implies, the Chamberlain is the main servant of the aristocrat’s bedchamber, and is responsible for the lord of the manor’s wardrobe, which is often kept under lock and key due to the valuable furs and finery sewn onto the clothing. He also oversees the petty cash of the aristocrat and therefore has minor financial responsibility giving him some access to the Chancellor. His direct report is to the Lord Chamberlain. Chamberlains are usually low-level aristocrats with ranks in Diplomacy.

Cook: For every 50 persons living in the manor house, a cook must be part of the staff. Cooks are either commoners or experts with ranks in Profession (cook).

Engineer: Aside from building the actual structure, an engineer is essential for keeping the manor house in good working condition. One engineer is needed for every 100,000 gold pieces spent to build the manor house. Most often, engineers are experts with ranks in Knowledge (architecture & engineering) and Profession (engineer).

Excise Officer: The collector of taxes, an aristocrat will need to hire one excise officer for every 100 inhabitants that live on the manor’s property. Excise officers are usually aristocrats with ranks in Appraise, Intimidate and Knowledge (economics & business).

Gardener: This individual is responsible for the upkeep of the manor’s luxurious gardens, planting perennials and watering all of the plants, flowers, and trees to keep them from drying out and dying. The aristocrat will need one gardeners for every 1,000 gold pieces spent on a formal garden. Gardeners may be commoners but are more likely experts with ranks in Knowledge (agriculture) and Profession (gardener).

Groundskeeper: Different from the gardener, the groundskeeper takes care of all of the other non-garden and non-vineyard property on the manor, maintaining the pathways, fountains, ornamental ponds, and other structures. One groundskeeper is needed for every 2,000 gold pieces spent on this type of finery on the manor’s property. Groundskeepers are usually commoners.

Guardsman: These are sentinels specially trained to be watchful and ever vigilant of their surroundings. They are more disciplined with better equipment and training than ordinary troops. Most are warriors with high ranks in Spot and Listen.

Stable Master: The stable master is responsible for the care of all mounts in the stables outside of the manor house. He is usually an expert with ranks in Handle Animal and Ride and reports to the Master of the Horse.

Vintner: This individual maintains the wine grapes on the aristocrat’s lands and is also responsible for the yearly crushing which results in the annual wine making on the property. Vintners are usually experts with ranks in Profession (vintner) and Knowledge (nature).

Specialized Servants

Almoner: Another financial official, the almoner is responsible for the distributing of alms to the poor who live on or near the grounds of the manor. Wealthy aristocrats are expected to help take care of the poor and destitute, although many selfish members of the aristocracy find ways to recoup this generosity later by imposing harsher taxes on the rest of the population. The Almoner is usually a low-level aristocrat with ranks in Diplomacy.

Butler: This position originally was used only as a wine waiter, but over time it has become an important member of the aristocrat’s personal staff, responsible for all aspects of the grand table including the silver and gold dishes and utensils and the cutlery. Butlers are often combination aristocrat/experts with ranks in Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) and Profession (butler).

Chancellor: The aristocrat’s chief secretary, the Chancellor is responsible for recording and managing the official correspondence from the manor, and therefore also has responsibility for dealing with foreign dignitaries. A cleric or other academically inclined character usually holds the Chancellor position, with ranks in Knowledge (economics & business), Appraise and Forgery.

Dean of the Chapel: This official is responsible for all of the clergy and other church officials who live on the property of the manor, as well as both the private and public chapels. The Dean of the Chapel is an aristocrat with ranks in Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (local) and Diplomacy.

Justiciar: This is the chief legal officer of the manor and is responsible for dispensing justice in the absence of the lord of the manor, such as when the aristocrat is away adventuring. He reports directly to the lord of the manor, and is usually a multi-classed aristocrat/expert with ranks in Knowledge (law) and Profession (lawyer/ barrister).

Lord Chamberlain: A higher office with a different function than a regular Chamberlain, this official is responsible for directing all of the public ceremonies that take place at the manor house and on its grounds. The Lord Chamberlain reports to the Lord Steward. The Lord Chamberlain is an aristocrat with several ranks in Diplomacy, Knowledge (ceremonies) and Knowledge (symbolism).

Lord Marshal: The chief military officer of an aristocratic household, the Lord Marshal is also usually the personal bodyguard of the aristocrat and as such is also responsible for all of the aristocrat’s more personal servants such as his grooms. As the chief military officer, the Captain of the House Guard and all of the other guardsmen and the Castellan report to the Lord Marshal. Lord Marshals are usually multi-classed aristocrat/ fighters or aristocrat/warriors with ranks in Knowledge (military tactics), Diplomacy and Intimidate.

Lord Steward: The Lord Steward is the head of all domestic arrangements at the court such as ensuring regular supplies of firewood and building materials, seeing to housing arrangements, purchasing equipment and supplies, and attending to all of the behind-the scenes activity that produces the daily spectacle of court life. The chamberlains, cooks, and all other nonspecialized servants all report to the Lord Steward. He is usually the aristocrat’s eldest advisor. These servants are usually aristocrats with ranks in Appraise, Diplomacy and Knowledge (economics & business).

Master of the Grounds: Responsible for all of the maintenance and upkeep for the grounds of the manor, the Master of the Grounds ensures that the gardens are green and lush, the ornamental ponds are clear of debris, and that the vineyards are free of vermin and insects. His staff includes gardeners, groundskeepers and vintners. The Master of the Grounds is often a multi-classed aristocrat/expert with ranks in Knowledge (agriculture), Knowledge (nature), Profession (gardener) and Profession (rat catcher). A special few might have one or two levels of druid.

Master of the Horse: A seemingly low title, the Master of the Horse is in fact one of the chief officers of the court, responsible for all of the stables, transportation and hunting. All of the animal handlers and stable masters on the manor report to the Master of the Horse. These servants are most often aristocrats with several ranks in Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Ride and Survival.

Treasurer: The Treasurer is the guardian of the manor’s treasures and for the revenues drawn from taxes as well as funds collected from fines, gifts, tolls and bribes. The excise officers report to the treasurer, who in turn reports to the Chancellor. The Treasurer is an aristocrat with ranks in Appraise, Forgery, Knowledge (arithmetic & geometry) and Knowledge (economics & business).