Medieval Jobs (1d70)

Because not every NPC can be a blacksmith or innkeeper.

1d70 Job Description

1

Blacksmith

Makes tools, nails, horseshoes, chains, hinges, fire pokers, basically any metal objects people use. Depending on demand they may also be an armourer.

2

Baker

Makes bread for sale and possibly quotas for the local lord. In a smaller town they may also be millers (milling grains to make flour). Possibly part of a baker's guild that sets prices and monitors quality.

3

Bower/Fletcher

Makes bows/arrows.

4

Brewer

Brews beer and ale. They might supply taverns and merchants or in a smaller village they might serve drinks from their own house.

5

Bricklayer

Makes buildings, retaining walls, fortifications etc. Mostly manual labour but a talented bricklayers are respected professionals and often in high demand.

6

Butcher

Sells fresh meats from a market stall or shop. Meat is usually butchered and sold on the same day. Most common in larger towns where not everyone can keep their own livestock.

7

Candlemaker (AKA Chandler)

Makes candles and soap. May keep bees to make wax candles. May be connected with a butcher or tanner and make tallow candles from animal fat. If they make tallow candles they probably stink of rendered fat.

8

Carpenter

A skilled and highly reguarded tradesman who makes houses, furniture, wagons, tools and most other wooden objects. Probably belongs to a carpenter's guild.

9

Barber

Does many jobs that require sharp razors and similar tools such as trimming beards, dentistry, surgery and amputations.

10

Cartwright

Makes and repairs carts and wagons. In smaller towns with less demand they're probably also a generalist carpenter.

11

Tailor

Makes all kinds of clothing, usually for the wealthier parts of society. Skilled in all manner of materials and techniques.

12

Cobbler

Makes and repairs shoes. May also do more general leather work. Possibly travels around villages and hamlets repairing shoes.

13

Cooper

Makes barrels, casks and similar items. May have (or be) an assistant "hooper" who fits the metals hoops to the barrels.

14

Dyer

Makes inks, dyes and stains for colouring clothes, furniture, fabrics, artwork, scribing etc. Probably doesn't pay well and often involves working with poisonous plants and substances.

15

Ditcher/Delver

A labourer who digs ditches, moats, foundations, basements etc.

16

Furrier

A labourer who digs ditches, moats, foundations, basements etc.

17

Glassblower

A skilled professional who makes glass objects. The job requires years of training and probably pays well. Also likely a member of a glassblower's guild.

18

Goldsmith

Works with precious metals to make things such as silverware, goblets, decorative and items and religious icons. Probably belongs to a wealthy goldsmith's guild. May also be a silversmith.

19

Herald (AKA Harker)

Makes announcements to the public on behalf of lords and officials. Might have an appointed time of the week when locals will gather to hear them announce the news.

20

Innkeeper or Tavernkeeper

Runs a tavern (ie a bar) or inn (ie a bar with bedrooms). Probably cooks and possibly brews their own beer and ale.

21

Messenger

Delivers receipts, letters and parcels on behalf of a lord or official. Potentially a dangerous job if delivering bad news to angry nobles or delivering valuables.

22

Bard

Often some combination of musician and story teller. The job might entail pure entertainment or spreading (or exaggerating) the deeds of knights or lords who hire them.

23

Join

A type of carpenter who specialises in fine furniture rather than construction.

24

Potter

A tradesman who works with clay and porcelain to make pots, urns and other cooking or storage containers. Usually a guild member with a modest income. Requires a kiln to work.

25

Leatherworker

A labourer who makes belts, clothing, saddles and armour with leather. Could be a guild member or self taught.

26

Locksmith

Makes locks and shackles. The inner workings of many lock designs are a closely guarded guild secret and locksmiths can earn high incomes from this specialist knowledge.

27

Mason

A skilled craftsman who works with stone to make castles, temples, cathedrals etc. Probably belongs to a guild and travels to wherever a construction project is happening.

28

Merchant

They source in-demand goods from one location and transport them to another, usually to sell to local businesses or at markets and fairs. Members of a merchant guild are often wealthy and important local figures.

29

Tinker

A tinker travels around villages and hamlets repairing pots, utensils and other small items. Often also sells such items.

30

Weaver

Makes baskets, clothes and some kinds of furniture. A common skill so most likely a family's side income or a hobby.

31

Boatman

Operates a small boat as a ferry or for transporting goods down river.

32

Coachman

Operates a coach or wagon. They might transport people between towns or carry goods to and from harbours, castles, etc.

33

Fisherman

Might own their own boat or work on a boat owned by a local lord. Will be on the water from the crack of dawn. They sell what fish isn't taken in tax at the local market or to a fishmonger.

34

Gravedigger

Income varies according to demand. Often a marginalised member of the community. May also be responsible for making sure people are buried in a way that prevents them from rising as an undead (such as nailing the hands, beheading, burying them face down or putting heavy weights on the body).

35

Groom or Stable Boy

They tend to a stable of horses, most likely belonging to a noble or merchant house. Responsibilities include grooming, feeding and exercising horses as well as cleaning the stables themselves.

36

Trapper

They make their living trapping animals to sell as meat and hides, or as pest control.

37

Hunter

Depending on location they may hunt animals to sell as meat or pelts or they may be hired by the nobility to lead recreational hunts. Probably also skilled in skinning, tanning or bone carving as an additional source of income.

38

Miller

They work in a mill, most likely grinding crops to make flour. This could be a windmill, watermill or a manual grind stone. In small towns they are probably also the baker.

39

Miner

They work in some kind of mine and are often below ground for days at a time. It's dangerous, unpleasant back breaking physical work that requires a strong endurance but pays better than average.

40

Peddler

A travelling vendor who goes around the countryside and villages hawking small goods. Often looked down on or suspected of dishonesty or petty crime.

41

Herdsman

They make their living herding pigs, goats, sheep, hippogriffs or similar in the fields outside town.

42

Scribe

A literate person who writes or copies documents. They might take dictation or keep records for lords or officials, record contracts and legal proceedings or reproduce existing books.

43

Seamstress

Someone who repairs clothes and does other manual sewing work for a living but doesn't necessarily have the skill to make things from scratch like a tailor does. A low paying job and often done around housekeeping and child minding.

44

Stevedore

Loads and unloads goods from ships or trade caravans. Could be hired by a port or trade house or could be a casual labourer who waits around for a merchant to need something loaded.

45

Forester

A kind of sheriff whose jurisdiction is a lord's forests. They patrol the forest catching poachers, tracking fleeing criminals and generally enforcing the law in the wilderness. Make an above average income.

46

Toll Keeper

Hired by local authorities to collect tolls. Tolls could be for use or a road or bridge or for entering a city.

47

Watchman

A watchman's job is to keep the peace, deliver offenders to the sheriff or appropriate authority and to gather people to arms if needed. May carry a horn to signal the hour or warn of fires and other dangers.

48

Servant

They are a maid, butler, steward or other household servant for a noble or wealthy family. Likely live in a servant's quarters on site.

49

Herbalist

Someone who grows and cultivates various medicinal plants and herbs. In addition to the garden they probably have a laboratory with tools for preparing the plants for use. Often done by a priest. A respected and potentially high paying job.

50

Stonecarver

A skilled craftsman who carves stone to make decorative objects such as statues and gravestones. These projects often take months and earn a good wage. Probably a member of a stone carvers' or masons' guild.

51

Tax Collector

An individual or member of a group that paid the local lord for the right to collect taxes. Often very unpopular because their income depends on the amount of tax they can collect and they may be willing to go to dubious and unforgiving measures to collect as much as possible.

52

Catchpole

Employed by the local authorities as a debt collector. Likely uses harsh, borderline illegal methods of doing so which can make them unpopular.

53

Fishmonger

A seller of raw fish. Skilled in picking the best fish sold by fishermen, gutting and preparing it and displaying it for sale at market. May belong to a guild.

54

Bailiff

Works for a manorial lord or similar authority to execute court decisions. This includes enforcing court summons and debt collection, executing warrants etc.

55

Falconer or Hawker

They breed and train falcons (or hawks) or another kind of bird for a local noble. These animals often require daily human attention to maintain their training.

56

Ropemaker

A craftsman who makes ropes. Requires a long building or space to stretch out the strands while twisting them together.

57

Beekeeper

Keeps bees to sell their byproducts (such as wax for candles and honey for mead). Might also be a candlemaker or priest who set up some hives to make their own candles.

58

Parchment Maker

A skilled tradesman who makes parchment from animal hides.

59

Woodcutter

A lumberjack who goes out into the forest and cuts down trees for fuel, construction etc.

60

Charcoal Burner

A woodcutter who burns wood to make charcoal to be sold as fuel.

61

Ratcatcher

Uses cats, traps, terriers and their bare hands to clear an area of vermin. Often crawl in dark places and at risk from rat bites and disease. Might have been into or around a lot of different places in town.

62

Plowman

They plow fields owned my the local lord/manor. Probably use oxen to pull the plow.

63

Itinerant Priest

They're a priest who travels from village to village. They may minister to small hamlets and homesteads or they may serve a good of travel, luck or similar and minister to other travellers.

64

Cutpurse

They make a living by stealing people's money pouches. They may sneak up on targets in a crowd. They may pretend to show them sights, directions or something else to distract them while they cut their purse strings.

65

Priest

...

66

Sheriff

...

67

Noble

...

68

Farmer

They either own some farmland or more likely are granted a patch of the lord's land to work. They grow crops for their family, for taxes and to sell at local market.

69-70

Serf (AKA Villein)

A peasant farmer bonded to the lord whose land they work, little better than a slave. Also most of the population in a feudal society.