In both Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, the player is able to hire Adventurers for their party. These are customized party members; the player selects all aspects of the adventurer's stats and abilities.
Description[ | ]
In the Free Palatinate of Dyrwood, adventurers and mercenaries from across the world are often employed as personal bodyguards, elite security, or salvage (plunder) teams that venture into the forgotten corners of Eir Glanfath. A lot of the folks who hang out in such places are robbers and miscreants, but reliable agents can be found and employed with a bit of patience.
What does this mean for you? It means that if you don't like a companion, or if you don't like any of our companions, you won't be cut off from having characters of their classes. Over time, you can build your own custom parties to play through the game. If you want a party of monks or all casters, this gives you the ability to do it within the game while still maintaining the pacing of the standard PC + companions play style.[1]
Hiring an adventurer[ | ]
Adventurers can be hired at any inn or tavern. They are mercenaries and demand a one-time payment: 
250 per level, for example, a level 4 adventurer costs 1,000. Adventurers can be hired at any level below the Watcher. For example, a level 8 Watcher could hire adventurers of levels 1-7.
Once you pay for the adventurer you are then taken to the character-designer screen where the adventurer can be customized just like the Watcher was at the start of the game. Deadfire also includes eleven pre-built adventurers, one for each class. After designing the adventurer, they join the party at level 1 and immediately receive enough experience points to reach the level that was paid for.
In the first game, adventurers start with a set of armor and weaponry based on their class and background. In Deadfire, all adventurers start with the following equipment: Simple Clothing, Leather Armor, Sword, Hunting Bow, and 3 Potions of Minor Healing.
Comparison of adventurers and companions[ | ]
- Join the party at the Watcher's level.
- Their name, race, class, culture, and background are pre-set. Some companions have unique subclasses available only to them.
- Will automatically level up to the Watcher's level, with abilities selected according to a template, unless this is turned off in the Options.
- Have companion quests which revolve around their personal backstories.
- In Deadfire, will form an opinion of the Watcher based on their words and actions. May give the Watcher gifts upon reaching a sufficiently positive opinion, and may leave the party upon reaching a sufficiently negative opinion. Some companions can also enter into a romance with the Watcher.
- Will sometimes interject in conversations with their thoughts, or chat with each other while travelling.
Adventurers:
- Join the party at a level selected while hiring. Cannot be hired at the Watcher's level or above.
- The player can choose their name, race, class, culture, and background. No unique subclasses can be chosen.
- The player can always select all of their abilities.
- No companion quests.
- No relationship system. No romance.
- No offering of thoughts or chatter.
Trivia[ | ]
- When adventurers were originally revealed, they were going to be hired at an "Adventurer's Hall" (also referred to as the "Adventurer's Guild"). However, during Pillars of Eternity's development, they were changed to be hired at inns.
- The original system, was originally going to be much more expansive than its current form. Instead of creating a companion out of nothing, the player would have the option to go through a series of procedurally-generated dungeons with their new companion in order to test them out alongside their party. This all got scaled back due to time and budgetary restraints, along with a similar system with procedurally-generated stronghold companion quests.[2]
- The Adventurer's Hall was a reward for the Kickstarter campaign reaching the $2.6 million stretch goal. This goal was reached on October 11th, 2012.