Hirelings (DMG)

There are three types of hirelings: common, experts, and soldiers. Common hirelings form the vast majority of any population, particularly in an agricultural community.
Common hirelings are farmers, millers, innkeepers, porters, and the like. While some of these professions require special knowledge, they don't, as a rule, require highly specialized training. These are the men and women whose work forms the base upon which civilized life is built.
Expert hirelings are those whose training is specialized. This group includes craftsmen, sages, spies, assassins, alchemists, animal trainers, and the like. Since not everyone is trained in these skills, few experts are available for hire, and these few earn more than the common hireling. Indeed, truly exotic experts (such as spies) are very rare and extremely expensive.
The skills and abilities of expert hirelings can be determined by using the optional proficiency system given in the Player's Handbook. These define the limits of an expert's ability and, in general, the time needed to exercise many crafts.
==Medieval Occupations==
Common and expert hirelings are listed on Table 60. This table, organized alphabetically, lists and describes common medieval occupations. Explanations are provided for the more obscure or unusual professions below. This list provides colorful titles and unusual occupations to make your ordinary hirelings more interesting.
 Table 60: NPC Professions
Apothecary 	A chemist, druggist, or pharmacist
Architect 	
Armorer 	
Arrowsmith 	A maker of arrowheads
Assassin 	A killer for hire
Astrologer 	A reader of stars and fates
Baker 	
Barber 	A surgeon, bloodletter, dentist, and haircutter
Barrister 	A lawyer or one who pleads the case of another before a noble's court
Beggar 	
Bellfounder 	A caster of bells
Blacksmith 	
Bloomer 	A man who work an iron smelting forge
Bladesmith 	A smith who specializes in sword blades
bookbinder 	A maker of books
Bowyer 	A maker of bows
Brazier 	A smith who works in brass, sometimes a traveling workman
Brewer 	A maker of ales, bitters, stouts, and beer
Bricklayer 	A laborer who builds walls and buildings
Butcher 	
Carpenter 	
Carrier 	One who hauls messages or small goods
Carter 	A teamster, a hauler of goods
Cartwright 	A builder of wagons and carts
Carver 	A sculptor in wood
Chandler 	A maker of candles
Chapman 	A traveling peddler who normally frequents small villages
Churl 	A freedom farmer of some wealth
Clerk 	A scribe who generally handles business accounts
Clockmaker 	
Cobbler 	A mender of old shoes
Collier 	A burner of charcoal for smelting
Coppersmith 	A copper worker
Cook 	
Cooper 	A barrelmaker
Cordwainer 	A shoemaker
Cutler 	A maker of knives and silverware
Dragoman 	An official interpreter or guide
Draper 	A cloth merchant
Dyer 	One who dyes clothing
Embroiderer 	A needleworker who decorates fabric with intricate designs of thread
Enameler 	A jeweler specializing in enamel work.
Engraver 	A jeweler specializing in decorative engraving
Farrier 	A maker of horseshoes
Fisherman 	
Fishmonger 	A fish dealer
Fletcher 	An arrowmaker
Forester 	An official responsible for the lord's woodlands
Fuller 	A felt-maker
Furrier 	A tailor of fur garments
Gardener 	
Gem-cutter 	A jeweler specializing in gemstones
Gilder 	A craftsman of gilt gold and silver
Girdler 	A maker of belts and girdles
Glassblower 	A maker of items made of glass
Glazier 	One who cuts and sets glass
Glover 	A maker of gloves
Goldbeater 	A maker of gold foil
Goldsmith 	A jeweler who works with gold
Grocer 	A wholesaler, particularly of everyday items
Groom 	A man who tends horses
Haberdasher 	A merchant of small notions, thread, and needles
Harpmaker 	
Hatter 	One who makes hats
Herald 	A courtier skilled in etiquette and heraldry
Herbalist 	A practitioner of herbal cures
Hewer 	One who digs coal or other minerals
Horner 	A worker of horn
Hosier 	A maker of hose and garters
Hosteler 	An innkeeper
Interpreter 	A translator
Ironmonger 	A dealer, not maker, of ironwork
Joiner 	A cabinet or furniture-maker
Knife-grinder 	A sharpener of knives
Laundress 	
Laborer 	
Latoner 	A brass-worker
Leech 	A nonclerical doctor
Limeburner 	A maker of lime for mortar
Limner 	A painter
Linkboy 	A lantern- or torch-bearer
Locksmith 	
Lutemaker 	
Marbler 	A cutter and carver of marble
Mason 	A worker in building stone, brick, and plaster
Mercer 	A cloth dealer
Messenger 	
Miller 	One who operates a grain mill
Miner 	
Minstrel 	
Minter 	A maker of coins
Nailsmith 	A smith specializing in nails
Navigator 	One skilled in the arts of direction-finding and navigation
Organmaker 	
Painter 	
Parchment-maker	
Paviour 	A mason specialized in paving streets
Pewterer 	One who works pewter
Plasterer 	A specialist in plastering
Ploughman 	A worker of the field
Porter 	A hauler of goods
Potter 	A maker of metal or, alternatively, clay pots
Poulterer 	A dealer of chickens or other forms of poultry
Pursemaker 	
Quarrier 	One who digs and cuts stone
Saddler 	A maker of saddles
Sage 	A scholar
Sailor 	
Saucemaker 	A cook who specializes in preparing sauces
Scribe 	A secretary or one who can write
Scrivener 	A copyist
Seamstress 	One whose occupation is sewing
Shearman 	A man who trims the loose wool from the cloth to finish it
Sheather 	A maker of scabbards and knife sheaths
Shepherd 	
Shipwright 	A builder of ships and boats
Skinner 	A butcher who prepares hides for tanning
Soapmaker 	
Spurrier 	A maker of spurs
Spy 	
Swineherd 	A keeper of pigs
Tailor 	
Tanner 	A leather-maker
Teamster 	A hauler of goods by wagon or cart
Tilemaker 	
Tinker 	A traveling craftsman who repairs tin pots and similar items
Tinner 	A tin miner
Trapper 	
Vintner 	A maker of wines
Waller 	A mason who sets stones and brick for walls
Waterleader 	A water hauler
Weaver 	One who makes fabric
Wheelwright 	One who makes and repairs wheels
Wiredrawer 	A maker of wire
Woodturner 	A lathe-worker
The list above is by no means complete. Medieval occupations were highly specialized. A man might spend all his life working as a miner of iron and be considered to have a very different occupation from a miner of tin. Research in a local library will probably yield more such distinctions and even more occupations.