Hirelings, Or, Why Bother With A Permanent Record Sheet?

If you're going to retain yourself some hirelings, you just know that there's no point in recording more than the bare necessities. Do you really think they are going to survive for more than one gaming session? Either they bolt at the first hint of danger, or they die from that centipede bite in the first room of the dungeon.

In either case, given the futility of actually recording them on your own character sheet, or, god forbid, using a whole sheet of paper (won't someone please think of the trees?!) to record the stats for your lantern bearer, porter, or trap-springer, why not use a small scrap of paper to keep track of them.

The above 2"x2" character card is perfect for keeping track of your hirelings. Roll up some quick stats, put a weapon in their hand and some armor on their back, and then head-off to the dungeon, and their certain demise. If they actually last long enough to also serve as your dungeon pack-animal, write down the stuff they are carrying for you on the back of the card. And if you, not they, are the first to perish, you've already got some stats rolled up for your replacement character. Just have them loot your dead body, and off we go for more adventure.