Hirelings
Hirelings (p.39) 
| The PHB’s hirelings section is a player-facing summary. The substantive rules governing hireling recruitment, pay, and conduct are administered by the GM and covered in the GM-facing materials. |
Hirelings in Oath-Bound are distinguished from henchmen by the nature of the relationship. A hireling is engaged for a specific task or period at an agreed rate — a transactional arrangement rather than a sworn one. Customary and reasonable pay governs what a hireling can expect. A character who fails to meet that standard will find their reputation among potential hirelings suffers accordingly.
Where a hireling relationship is formalised by oath — an unusual but not unknown arrangement — it enters the oath economy and carries the weight of any sworn commitment. Most hireling arrangements do not rise to that level and are governed by custom and community expectation instead.