Players may have some idea of jobs their characters want to look for, or GMs may have jobs for characters to apply for. Regardless of who comes up with the description, the GM assigns prerequisites, job roll, monthly pay, and wealth level. The next few sections explain these things.

Description
This includes the job's title, and tells exactly what kind of work the job entails. The GM should give hours, risks, guild or union affiliations, etc, and point to the occupational template (p258) for the job, if any.

Prerequisites
A job's prerequisites are the skills - if any - needed to do the job. Most jobs specify a minimum required level in each prerequisite skill. This might be absolute ("Administration at 12+") or relative ("Administration at IQ+2 or better"); the former is likely if the employer requires testing, the latter if the employer awards jobs on the basis of experience. In either case, candidates must have at least one point in the skill - default skill will not suffice! Some jobs also require specific advantages, or forbid certain disadvantages.

Job Roll
At the end of every month in which a character works, he must roll against one of the prerequisite skills for his job. This is called a job roll.

For jobs with multiple prerequisite skills, the GM should specify whether the worker uses his best prerequisite, his worst prerequisite, or one specific skill at all times. This roll might be at a bonus for an easy job, at a penalty for a difficult one.

For jobs without prerequisites, the GM should specify either a flat success roll (e.g., "All characters roll vs. 12.") or an attribute roll (e.g., "Roll ST.")

Most jobs offer a fixed wage or salary. On anything but a critical success or critical failure, the worker collects the monthly pay for the job (see below). On a critical success, he gets a 10% permanent raise.

Other occupations are more variable; for instance, freelance jobs and work on commission. For these jobs, the worker earns the monthly pay if he makes his job roll exactly. For greater success, increase that month's income by 10% times the margin of success; a critical success triples the month's income! On a failure, decrease that month's income by 10% times the margin of failure.

For any kind of job, a critical failure is always bad. At best, the worker will earn no pay for the month. He might also face demotion (at least a 10% reduction in monthly pay), lost savings (due to damages, fines, etc.), loss of job, on-the-job injury (due to an accident - or possibly a fight, if the job is a violent one), or arrest (especially at a criminal 'job'). The GM should be creative!

Monthly Pay
Each month on the job, a worker earns his monthly pay - modified for his job roll, as described above. Time spent adventuring is usually not 'on the job', although the GM might wish to make exceptions for vacations, work done while traveling, etc.

The GM may set any pay he likes. The first table suggests a fair monthly pay for someone of Average wealth working at a 'typical' job for his tech level.

Actual pay at each TL varies within a range bracketed by the typical monthly pay of the previous TL and that of the next TL; e.g., from $2,100 to $3,600 at TL8. Unless the economy is under some sort of stress or outside control, jobs near the high end of this range will be difficult (significant penalty to the job roll), dangerous (severe consequences on a critically failed job roll), or highly trained (many or high-level skill prerequisites).

Wealth Level
The monthly pay numbers above are for workers of Average wealth. Assume that those of lower Wealth normally have jobs that pay less than this, while those of higher Wealth usually have jobs that pay more. Multiply the average pay and pay range for jobs suitable to a given wealth level by the starting wealth multiplier for that wealth level.

Example: "Comfortable" wealth doubles starting wealth; therefore, Comfortable jobs pay twice as much. At TL8, this means that monthly income for those of Comfortable wealth is typically $5,200, but can range from $4,200 to $7,200.

The more a job pays, the higher the Status it can support. The second table sums this up.

If a PC lands a job associated with a higher wealth level than his own (which isn't easy -- see Finding a Job), the GM should let him earn the usual pay for that job. Most employers cannot get away with paying poorer workers less! However, if the PC's savings reach the starting wealth of the next-highest wealth level, he must pay the points to buy up his Wealth (see Adding and Improving Social Traits, p291). This continues until his personal wealth level equals that of his job.

Likewise, a wealthy PC may work at a job below his wealth level. He gets the usual pay for that job; he does not receive extra pay simply because he is wealthy! Such people often have Independent Income as well as a job in order to meet the cost of living for their (usually high) Status.

Hirelings
A 'hireling' is any NPC in the adventurers' employ. The GM controls hirelings; the players can give any orders they like, but the GM decides how they are followed!

A hireling provides an excellent way to add muscle or special talents to a party without introducing more PCs. A party may have any number of hirelings, but the GM should keep the number of important 'personality' hirelings down to two or three at a time. The GM can manage any number of generic swordsmen - but keeping up with an important hireling, whose personality and character sheet are as detailed as any PC's, is challenging.

Creating Hirelings
The GM sets the hireling's abilities. If there is an occupational template (see Character Templates, p258) for the hireling's profession, the GM can save time by copying statistics from that template. (If the template is for heroic PCs as opposed to average members of a profession, apply a -1 or -2 to all attributes and skills.)

The GM keeps the hireling's record sheet; the players may not see it. Unimportant hirelings need only a card or a note; important hirelings require a full character sheet.

Finding a Hireling
The PCs can't pull a hireling out of thin air. When they need to employ someone, they must search for a suitable person -- just as in real life. They might not always get what they want.

The recruiter may attempt an IQ roll once per week to find a hireling of the desired type. The GM may permit him to substitute an appropriate skill for IQ: Administration (for formal, corporate-style hiring), Current Affairs (if seeking prominent 'world experts'), Propaganda (for aggressive recruiting), Streetwise (if seeking criminals), etc. The party may attempt only one roll per hireling per week. Modify this roll as follows:

City Size: The bigger the town or city, the better the odds:

Population Modifier
Less than 100 -3
100-999 -2
1,000-4,999 -1
5,000-9,999 0
10,000-49,999 +1
50,000-99,999 +2
100,000+ +3

Advertising: +1 if the advertising budget is 50% the monthly pay of the job, +2 if 500%, +3 if 5,000%, and so on. This money covers the expense of business lunches, handbills, newspaper ads, 'recruiting parties', etc.

Money Offered: +1 if the pay is 20% higher than normal for the job, +2 if 50% higher, and +3 if 100% higher or more.

Risk: -2 to find a hireling for a job that involves obvious risk of combat, unless seeking a guard, mercenary, or other 'combatant' hireling. The GM decides which potential hirelings are 'combatant'.

Legality: -5 to find a hireling for an illegal job - and any critical failure on the roll results in legal complications. The GM may waive this -5 when the employer uses Streetwise skill for the search, but the critical failure result is the same!

On a success, the PCs find a candidate. The GM describes the potential hireling to the players, and can even take his part for an 'interview.' The players must then decide whether or not they actually want to hire that person. If they decide not to, they must start their search over again.

A failure might mean that a hireling simply is not available - especially in a small town. It is up to the GM whether to allow repeated attempts.

Of course, the GM is free to 'load' the roll, if he feels the PCs absolutely should have (or should not have) a hireling of a specific type! For instance, if an adventure calls for a particular hireling, the GM can ensure that the hireling will appear. He may do this overtly (the NPC approaches the party in a bar and asks for a job) or covertly (the players say that they are looking for hirelings; the GM pretends to roll, but gives them a preplanned NPC.)

Loyalty of Hirelings
A hireling might not always act in his employer's best interests. The GM should use the hireling's 'loyalty rating' as a guide. Unless this is preset for a reason, generate it by making a reaction roll (see Reaction Rolls, p494) for 'loyalty' when the PCs first encounter the hireling. The GM can even use this during the initial meeting or interview, to see whether the hireling lies about himself. Note that a very loyal potential hireling might exaggerate his abilities out of desire to join the party!

Finding a Job
A PC seeking a job that requires an employer (that is, one at which he is not self-employed) may roll against IQ once per week to see if he finds work. The Laziness disadvantage gives -5 here! Apply the following modifiers:

City Size: The more people in the town or city, the better his chances (see table).

Population Modifier
Less than 100 -3
100-999 -2
1,000-4,999 -1
5,000-9,999 0
10,000-49,999 +1
50,000-99,999 +2
100,000+ +3

Overqualification: If his skill exceeds the minimum level required by the job, he is more likely to find work: +1 if his skill is one level higher, +2 if two or more levels higher. The GM may give further bonuses if the job hunter has additional abilities that would logically help him do the job (or impress a potential employer).

Advertising: He can advertise that he is looking for work: +1 if his budget is 5% the monthly pay of the job sought, +2 if 50%, +3 if 500%, and so on. This money might be for bribes, 'business clothing' for interviews, handbills, placement fees, etc., depending on the job and the setting.

Scarcity: Higher-paying jobs are harder to find. Subtract twice the typical Status level of the job sought from the roll; e.g., a 'Filthy Rich' job typically accompanies Status 4, so it would give -8. Negative Status gives a bonus! For instance, roll at +2 to find a 'Struggling' job (Status -1).

Multiple Jobs: A seeker who is qualified for more than one job can look for more than one job at a time, at a cumulative -1 to all rolls per job after the first.

Slaves
In a game world where slavery is legal, the PCs may buy slaves as either workers or an investment -- or they might be enslaved themselves! Anywhere slavery is legal, slaves make up a large part of the job market, and there is a 50% chance that any hireling found is actually a slave.

The price of a slave is generally equal to the amount the slave could earn in five years, if free and working at the typical pay rate for the best job he qualifies for. The GM may adjust this price for any number of reasons: extra skills, good or bad attitude towards slavery, physical appearance, health, etc. Slave traders rarely give a real bargain!

Loyalty of Slaves
Determine a slave's loyalty per Loyalty of Hirelings (above). However, slaves are less predictable than hirelings. After determining the slave's initial loyalty, roll 2d on the following table to determine a loyalty modifier:

2-7: No modifier.
8: He was enslaved for some crime, and resents it: -1 to loyalty.
9: As above, but -2 to loyalty.
10: His previous master was very cruel. If he is treated with kindness during the first week, apply +2 to loyalty; otherwise, no change.
11: He has a fanatic hatred of slavery. If treated well, he may like his masters as people, but will still escape as soon as possible. If treated badly (or even 'average' for a slave), his loyalty drops to 6.
12: He has the Slave Mentality disadvantage, and considers himself truly the property of his owner. His loyalty is automatically 20. You need never check loyalty; he will not demur, even if given orders that condemn him to death.

Make loyalty checks for slaves as for any other hirelings. Modify loyalty by +1 or +2 if they are in a situation where they have nowhere to run!

Legal Complications
When slave-holding PCs enter an area where slavery is illegal, they must either dispose of their slaves or pass them off as free servants. Possible anti-slavery attitudes include: legal to own slaves, but not to buy or sell them locally; legal for non-citizens to own slaves while passing through, but illegal for permanent residents to own them; or illegal to own slaves at all.

A creative GM may impose other laws and customs regarding slavery. For instance, it might be legal to enslave members of some social groups or races, but not others. There might be ways for a slave to earn his freedom - some societies might even permit slaves to own property and buy their freedom.