Skills and Hirelings

Skills and Hirelings

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Source: [FAQ] = Might and Magic FAQ.txt §§3-3/3-4 (Andrew Schultz v2.2.0). Cross-references: 32-character-mechanics.md, 06-roster-format.md (roster bytes), 28-town-services.md.

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1. Skill sellers (15 total, 3 per town) [FAQ §3-3-1]

All entries are FAQ-sourced. Town interior coordinates use (x, y) notation as in the FAQ.

Middlegate

Skill	NPC / Location name	Tile (x,y)	Cost (gp)	Effect
Cartographer	Otto Mapper	(0,15)	10	Auto-maps current area
Mountaineering	Sir Edmund Hilary	(3,12)	2,000	Party can traverse mountains (2 needed)
Pathfinder	Track and Trail	(1,9)	1,000	Party can traverse forests (2 needed)

Atlantium

Skill	NPC / Location name	Tile (x,y)	Cost (gp)	Effect
Athlete	The Olympic Trial	(6,2)	500	+5 Speed
Heroism	Hippomenes + Atalanta	(9,2)	1,000	+1 to ALL stats
Linguist	Odysseus' Tongue	(8,4)	500	+5 Intelligence; can read glyphs

Tundara

Skill	NPC / Location name	Tile (x,y)	Cost (gp)	Effect
Crusader	Saracen's Denial	(2,14)	250	— (cleric/paladin benefit)
Merchant	International Market	(5,13)	1,000	Buy/sell at 2× price instead of 4×/¼×
Navigator	Colombus's Sextant	(8,13)	750	Navigation aid

Vulcania

Skill	NPC / Location name	Tile (x,y)	Cost (gp)	Effect
Soldier	Sergeant Pain School	(0,3)	500	+5 Endurance
Gladiator	Disembowlments R Us	(3,9)	500	+5 Strength/Might
Arms Master	Proficiency Expert	(15,3)	500	+5 Accuracy

Sandsobar

Skill	NPC / Location name	Tile (x,y)	Cost (gp)	Effect
Gambler	Sandy Dunes	(3,0)	?	+5 Luck
Diplomacy	Embassy	(3,4)	?	+5 Personality
Pickpocket	Sly's Opportunities	(0,5)	?	+5 Thievery

Costs for Sandsobar skills not listed in the FAQ. [FAQ §3-3-1]

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2. Thievery sellers in Sandsobar Dungeon [FAQ §3-3-1]

Located underground (Sandsobar cavern):

NPC	Tile (x,y)	Cost (gp)	Effect	Notes
Rinaldo Jr.	(0,12)	700	+10 Thievery	Repeatable ("any number of times"); behind some ninjas
Maxwell	(13,9)	250	−5 Thievery	AVOID

"I've been able to enlist Rinaldo Jr.'s services several times. Maybe it's that I went to see Maxwell afterwards. I haven't experimented enough. In any case, it's worth it to visit Rinaldo Jr." [FAQ §3-3-1]

The FAQ specifically notes: "THE ONES ABOVE CAN OCCUR ANY NUMBER OF TIMES." [FAQ §3-3-1]

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3. Skill mechanics [FAQ §3-3-2]

• Pathfinder: Two party members with Pathfinder → party can pass through all forests.
• Mountaineering: Two with Mountaineering → party can cross any mountain. Combined with Walk on Water (C3/6), these let the party go anywhere on the outdoor map.
• Cartographer: Enables auto-map in dungeons/towns.
• Critical rule: If the skill holder is unconscious or dead, the skill does not work. [FAQ §3-3-2]
• All other skills give +5 to a stat, except Heroism which gives +1 to all stats.

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4. Hirelings roster (A–X, 24 total) [FAQ §3-4-1]

Column key:

• GARC = Gender / Alignment / Race / Class
  • Gender: F = Female, M = Male, N = Neuter
  • Alignment: N = Neutral, E = Evil, G = Good
  • Race: H = Human, D = Dwarf, G = Gnome, E = Elf, O = Half-Orc
  • Class: K = Knight, P = Paladin, A = Archer, C = Cleric, R = Robber, S = Sorcerer, N = Ninja, B = Barbarian
• Town: 1 = Middlegate, 2 = Atlantium, 3 = Tundara, 4 = Vulcania, 5 = Sandsobar
• TSL = Total Spell Levels (spell points not listed — computed from spell level × INT/PER bonus)
• Gems: starting gems
• Age = Level + 17 in all cases
• Cost: base hire cost; increases by 50% (rounded down) per level gained; max 50,000 gp
• All hirelings start with 40 food

#	Name	GARC	Twn	Mig	Int	Per	End	Spd	Acc	Luc	HP	TSL	Lv	Age	Gem	Cost	Skills
A	Sir Hyron	MNHK	1	15	8	5	15	15	17	10	14	1	1	18	0	2	—
B	Drog	MNHB	1	17	4	8	17	12	13	11	18	1	1	18	0	2	—
C	H K Phooey	MGON	5	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	9	1	1	18	0	2	—
D	Thund R	MGHB	4	19	5	13	17	15	18	21	42	3	3	20	0	10	Cru
E	Aeriel	FGHS	4	10	19	15	13	17	13	13	17	3	3	20	30	12	Car
F	Big Bootay	MNGC	2	15	7	19	17	9	16	11	41	5	5	22	0	35	Lin
G	Cleogotcha	FEEA	2	15	16	12	16	19	19	13	44	5	5	22	0	35	Ath
H	Harry Kiri	MNDN	1	17	13	13	15	17	17	14	42	6	6	23	0	25	Arm
I	No Name	MGDA	1	17	7	17	17	17	17	17	53	6	6	23	0	55	Cru
J	Gertrude	FEOB	3	18	5	2	17	15	15	18	90	7	7	24	0	55	Mou Pat
K	Rat Fink	MEGR	3	15	15	3	16	18	16	19	50	7	7	24	0	45	Gam Pic
L	Friar Fly	MEHC	5	10	15	18	15	18	13	9	60	9	9	26	0	200	Dip Nav
M	Dark Mage	MEES	5	9	20	13	17	18	12	15	57	9	9	26	80	250	Lin Mer
N	Red Duke	MEHP	4	21	15	19	17	17	17	13	95	11	11	28	90	500	Cru Sol
O	Dead Eye	MEEA	4	19	19	14	17	19	21	12	94	11	11	28	110	600	Arm Pat
P	Nakazawa	MGHN	2	19	15	15	17	17	21	19	110	13	13	30	110	700	Dip Her
Q	Sherman	MGHP	2	17	9	19	15	19	17	25	95	13	13	30	0	1,200	Cru Mer
R	Flailer	NNHK	2	35	3	2	26	7	8	27	180	14	14	31	130	2,000	Gla Sol
S	Fumbler	MNOR	2	17	13	13	19	23	17	30	132	16	16	33	0	2,000	Ath Gam
T	Sir Kill	MEHK	3	30	15	15	27	21	26	19	200	15	15	32	0	4,000	Arm Gla
U	Jed I	MGHA	3	22	25	17	19	23	29	21	165	15	15	32	160	6,000	Arm Mou
V	Holey Moley	MNGC	2	17	17	27	19	17	17	25	156	19	19	36	190	15,000	Dip Gam
W	Slick Pick	MNGR	2	25	25	30	25	25	25	75	260	25	25	42	0	25,000	Gam Nav
X	Mr Wizard	MGHS	5	21	90	21	45	60	21	50	220	21	21	38	210	50,000	Lin Mer

Roster breakdown: 20 males, 3 females, 1 neuter; 8 of each alignment; 3 of each class except 2 paladins and 4 archers. [FAQ §3-4-1]

Skill abbreviations: Arm = Arms Master, Ath = Athlete, Car = Cartographer, Cru = Crusader, Dip = Diplomat, Gam = Gambler, Gla = Gladiator, Her = Hero, Lin = Linguist, Mer = Merchant, Mou = Mountaineering, Nav = Navigator, Pat = Pathfinder, Pic = Pickpocket, Sol = Soldier.

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5. Hireling locations [FAQ §3-4-2]

Hirelings	How to find
A (Sir Hyron) + B (Drog)	(0,15) under Middlegate. Requires Nordon's quest completed and Nordonna to ask for help. Can jump over most combats en route.
C (H K Phooey)	Sandsobar: order Chop Suey at the inn and exit by the door.
D (Thund R) + E (Aeriel)	Vulcania: buy Troll Liver from the inn; fight (6 old misers, 6 cripples), then they introduce themselves.
F (Big Bootay) + G (Cleogotcha)	Atlantium jail. Two fights: first random, second = four giant ogres. Skill potion recommended.
H (Harry Kiri) + I (No Name)	Vulcania dungeon (1,14). Can teleport directly; Levitate recommended if walking.
J (Gertrude) + K (Rat Fink)	Tundara (15,10), end of anti-magic corridor. Teleport from one square north to avoid Snowbeast.
L (Friar Fly) + M (Dark Mage)	Hillstone Castle (8,4). Give #1 player all skill potions (~level 30) to make guards flee.
N (Red Duke) + O (Dead Eye)	D2 (11,1) — held by Bozorc the Orc (with Carnage Spirit + 248 orcs). Use skill potions + Lightning Bolt.
P (Nakazawa) + Q (Sherman)	B4 (10,1) among Crazed Natives. Can kill unprepared parties.
T (Sir Kill) + U (Jed I)	Sarakin's Mine (7,2/3). Many undead; use Holy Word.
V (Holey Moley) + W (Slick Pick)	Dawn's Mist Bog D4 (3,7) at (4,11). Toughest pickup.
X (Mr Wizard)	E2 (1,14), approach from south to fight a great beetle (vs lich lord from north).

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6. Hireling rules [FAQ §3-4]

• Hirelings only charge gold when they rest (at the inn). Possible to use a hireling for spells then dismiss without paying. [FAQ §3-4-2]
• Hirelings have all spells for their class/spell level. [FAQ §3-2]
• Hireling cost increases by 50% (rounded down) per level gained; maximum cost = 50,000 gp. [FAQ §3-4-1]
• Hirelings are barred from some locations (Murray's Cave uses OP_15 val=0x80 — "No hirelings allowed!"). [ASM: doc 28 §5.3]
• Hireling flag: roster $0B bit 7. Dead/eradicated hirelings are skipped by party iterators. [ASM: doc 06]