I've played this game twice already and I'm into my third time. This is the first time I've actually hired an NPC. I hired one to supposedly give me unlimited repairing but after a while that didn't seem to work. What's up with that? If I had known I would have upped my repair skill.

Did you hit "more information" when you hired him/her? If so, what was the full description?
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its unlimited repairs for either weapons or armor (I think there was also someone for magic items not sure) but you can't have everything in one npc.

The NPC I always hired was the banker. There is no loss in that.

Banker 1000 Twenty percent bonus on all gold found and takes 10% of all gold found. I'd usually hire two of them.

It does mean that it's better than taking nobody, but given how money stops being a problem very soon, there are many NPCs that are more useful.

That does lose money, I reckon - because from what I've heard we cannot get the same bonus twice.

First banker turns 100 gold into 120, but takes 12. If second banker also takes 12 that leaves just 96! Whereas maybe the 10% bonus from a factor and the 20% from a banker do "stack", that is both work at the same time. Though again, maybe there are slight differences between the MM games.

I think you might be right. I'm trying to think back how I set it up. I might have used 1 banker and 1 instructor. I especially did the money early in the game.

Scholar for me.
Unlimited Identification and enhanced experience points. A Two-for.

I *think*, not sure, that the costs don't stack either, except for the initial buying cost. So having 2 bankers is like having 1 banker.