Characters Hiring Mercenaries (Elfblood Wanderers Players, don't read this)

[Bob Aberton]

If any of you have been reading my Elfblood Wanderers Storyhour (see the sig, follow the link, read the thread. Then post.), you'll know that one of the characters is in pursuit of a stronghold.

Well, she managed to get her hands on one. Now, of course, she needs some sort of muscle to protect her castle, so she hires about two hundred mercenaries, at the listed DMG price.

One hard winter later, they've had 10 or 20 deserters (the character ordered them to be put in the stocks and they froze to death; make an example, you know), a couple of knifings, death resulting, a good amount of the stronghold's alcohol being stolen so the mercenaries can get themselves drunk, and the mercenaries are putting pressure on her for higher pay.

On the other hand, they've fought for her in a number of skirmishes with some marauding Frost Giants. The Frost Giants lost 5 men, the mercenaries lost 23 men.

So in other words, the mercenaries have been just useful enough that the character doesn't want to get rid of them, but on the other hand, they're giving her plenty of grey hairs.

So what I'm asking is, am I roleplaying these mercenaries right? Anyone have any advice about characters hiring mercenaries? Because by the prices in the DMG, the character got 200 (well, about 150 now) mercenaries for just a couple hundred gold pieces, and I thought I could balance it off by making the mercenaries more troublesome than mere lackeys.
How easy should it be for the character to convert her little army from coin-loving mercenaries to loyal and trusted soldiers?

 

[Tzarevitch]

I think you are running them just fine. Mercenaries do behave that way. Remember they are loyal to their officers and their paycheck not to their lord.

It probably won't be easy to convert the mercenaries to standard soldiers. First of all, she needs to make it economically worthwhile for the mercenaries to settle down. Second of all, she needs to earn their trust as a leader. Remember, as mercenaries they are transients. They can up and leave whenever they don't like their working conditions. It will take a pretty penny and excellent fringe benefits before they will likely be willing to give that up.

Mercenaries can usually tell good a good deal from a bad one. They likely won't settle down and give up their option to move for greener pastures unless they are sure that their current pasture is about as green as it gets.

Even if the mercenaries do settle down into her regular fighting force, she will likely loose about 10% or so who are free spirits and/or troublemakers and simply won't/can't settle down under any circumstances.

Tzarevitch

 

[Bob Aberton]

Thank you, Tzarevitch.

The mercenaries are going to give her a lot more trouble before they're done...

As of last session, a pair of them got drunk and attacked some of the character(Nystyra)'s villagers, who are supposed to be under her protection, those troublemakers

 

[Achilles]

So in other words, the mercenaries have been just useful enough that the character doesn't want to get rid of them, but on the other hand, they're giving her plenty of grey hairs.

I'd say that this statement is proof that you're doing an excellent job; the Italian condottieri were mercenaries who fought not to win, but to prolong the war, and that is exactly how you are running your mercenaries, it seems, so good job.