If some of the choices for companions do not always suit your taste or if for some reason you have lost the option to recruit them, there is always the choice of Hireling.
Hirelings are similar in a way to companions as you can have them join you, level them up, and choose what gear they use as they fight alongside you.
These are characters who can fill in a companion slot for you if you need an extra hand to fight alongside you if you have the coin to hire them.
How To Recruit Hirelings?
You may recruit Hirelings at your campsite, which requires that Withers is present as he is the NPC that you need to see to get Hirelings.
Speak with Withers and continue the dialogue until he mentions Hirelings and after that, there will always be an option to hire them at the cost of 100 Gold.
Selecting the option to recruit a Hireling will open the menu, giving you a selection of the Hirelings that are available for hire. (They will be at Level 1 and will gain additional experience to match yours)
List of Hirelings
Below is a list of all the Hirelings that you may recruit in Baldur’s Gate 3 as well as their fixed race, class, and main stat.
Hireling | Class | Race | Main Stat |
Eldra Luthrinn | Barbarian | Gold Dwarf | STR |
| Brinna Brightsong | Bard | Lightfoot Halfling | CHA |
Zenith Feur’sel | Cleric | High Elf | WIS |
| Danton | Druid | Mephistopheles Tiefling | WIS |
Varanna Sunblossom | Fighter | Wood Half-Elf | STR |
| Sina’zith | Monk | Githyanki | DEX |
Kerz | Paladin | Hal-Orc | STR |
| Ver’yll Wnkiir | Ranger | Lolth-Sworn Drow | DEX |
Maddala Deadeye | Rogue | Human | DEX |
| Jacelyn | Sorcerer | High Half-Elf | CHA |
Kree Derryck | Warlock | Duergar | CHA |
| Sir Fuzzalump | Wizard | Rock Gnome | INT |
Hirelings Behavior
All Hirelings have their own back story, but their souls have been set aside for some time only to be hired and will all speak with a similar tone. (Making them seem like zombies)
This makes all the Hirelings capable of fighting alongside you and doing anything that a companion can, aside from being romanced by your character.
There are no story parts, special scenes, or anything similar when it comes to hirelings as they are merely fillers for a role that companions could have had.
Hirelings Limit
You may only have 3 Hirelings at a time, and this is possible by making all your companions wait at camp so that you have no available party members.
You may then recruit Hirelings to fill your party, which you may then bring with you or have to wait at your camp, filling the limit.
If you attempt to recruit more Hirelings when there are 3 already summoned, Withers will tell you that you have reached the limit.
How To Remove Hirelings?
Hirelings can be removed from the party by speaking to them and this will cause them to remain at your camp until you decide to dismiss them.
If you decide that you no longer want the Hireling that you recruited, you may speak to Withers again to have them dismissed, removing them from your camp.
Once a Hireling has been dismissed, they will return to Level 1 and will be available for hire again with their basic gear.
Verdict
While Hirelings are not the liveliest choice for characters in a party, if you find it necessary to have a certain class in your group, you can always opt for this option.
Hirelings will still retain the same items that they had when you dismissed them, allowing you to summon them again with the same equipment.
Hirelings are a cheap way of getting through a certain difficult part in the game if your other characters cannot cope but provide less lore as you progress.
