Mercenaries

[Voadam]

It would depend on how big a group of mercenaries they are, whether they are professional Swiss pikemen type or the scum one meal away from turning to banditry.

Mercs always have to beware their employers, they can be used as cannon fodder, there can be delays in pay, and they could be sent up against much superior forces deliberately so that they will not be alive after the battle to collect their pay.

Mercenaries can also turn sides and revel in the plunder aspects of their trade.

Battletech universe novels have some mercenary storylines such as the gray death legion, it is mecha sci-fi genre, but quite feudal in its outlook.

 

[CCamfield]

Apparently Otherworld Creations' book Mercenaries: Born of Blood is supposed to due out around the end of the month. I hope after all this waiting that I'll like it.

There's a hefty preview PDF file of its contents on their web page, as well as a blurb and cover image in their product catalog section. (http://www.otherworlds.cx/) You have to scroll down for the link to the PDF file, and it's a big file (10 megs) but it's 48 pages, a good chunk of the book.

 

[talien]

Chris beat me to it. Mercenaries: Born of Blood. Published by Otherworld Creations.

I really hope it's out this month. I've been told it should be on shelves by the week of May 19. But to be conservative, I'm hoping for May 26.

The book answers all your questions and is heavily focused on mercenaries (and only mercenaries). The book contains:
* Rules on dealing with mercenaries and employers.
* Mercenary morale and how it affects their actions (for NPCs).
* How a mercenary company operates, including a day in the life of a historical, modern, and futuristic mercenary.
* A random mercenary background generator (no, seriously).
* Missions for mercenary companies, including elite special forces (even talks about the "real" A-Team), guarding someone or something, and offensive and defensive military actions.

And yeah, The Black Company was required reading for this book.

Here's the forum about the book: http://www.otherworlds.cx/sforums/t...+Date?&Forum_Title=Mercenaries:+Born+of+Blood

Here's the cover: http://www.otherworlds.cx/files/mercscover.zip

And here's the direct link to the preview: http://www.otherworlds.cx/files/mercspreview.zip

Otherworlds may be able to comment in more detail but I have faith that the book will eventually make it to shelves.

 

[Tonguez]

Heres some history on the real Black Company formed in March of 1525 at Rothenburg

Heres stuff on the Italian Condotierri (Mercenaries)

Heres a PDF giving a history of Sir John Hawkwood (English Condotierri The Organism of Mecernary Companies taken from this site

Anyway in general terms it can be assumed that
1. Initially Mercenaries were Soldiers who found themselvews out of work when their homenations declared peace

2. Many were no more than brigands only a few became legitimate proffesional soldiers-fo-hire

3. Most Mercenary Bands included both Footmen (Archers and Pikes) and Cavalry Lances (from which comes the wood Freelancer)

The Lances were headed by a Captain who had with his a Sargent and an Ensign (Flagbearer).
Every ten Lances in a Company was in turn headed by a Corporal (Italian "Coprale")

4. Mercernaries were hired (mainly) by Nobles and Monarchs by way of contract with the Captain. The Captain then was responsible for hiring troops.
Thus most porfessional Captains were good businessmen and had a lot of economic dealings (the Ensign would act as Clerk and deal with Banks etc)

5. Mercernaries were paid (according to their contract) using funds derived from Taxation (first began when Feudal Landowners startd sending money rather than service to the King)

 

[Dark Mistress]

Thanks for all the info guys, the new merc book hopefully will be what I am looking for it , it sounds like it might be.

I DLed the zip file(I love my DSL)

Once again thanks for the tips and info guys.

 

[FraserRonald]

It's not RPG oriented and if you aren't a history major (or buff) you might not even want to delve into them, but . . .

Queen's University has a series called "War and Society" and one of the books, "War and Society in Renaissance Europe" by J.R. Hale, is amazing! Lots of information on the structure, hiring and lifestyle of mercenary bands. There's actually a lot more information on the lives of mercenaries and the impact they had on the surrounding societies (ergo the title, I guess) than there is on actual warfare.

Frank Tallet's "War and Society in Early Modern Europe" does cover the Renaissance, but stretches into the 18th century. Still, there's a lot of neat information like supplying armies, the captains and contractors who became rich and powerful selling soldiers and much more on the actual military history than in Hale.

There's also "The Renaissance at War" by Thomas Arnold which has a chapter devoted to the structure and training of the military.

If you'd like to dip into these, but only want to try one of the above, you've got to try Hale's "War and Society in Renaissance Europe." It really allows you to get a sense of the flavour of mercenary life.

Hope this helps. Take care all.

edit: my spelling sucks so bad sometimes

 

[Broken Fang]

If you need any help feel free to email me. I ran an entire campaign based on the PC's starting a mercenary company (the Ring of Fire) that had four PC's pooling funds to build it from the ground up. The campaign then broke up (as everyone moved) and was continued as a one on one with me and the original PC who came up with the idea.

 

[JoeGKushner]

The campaign that just ended had most of the characters as 'near' members of a mercenary group. See the group. Soldiers of Fortune, were based in Mithril. Their leader was the smooth talking, former pirate, Draxis from Freeport. he lead a small, motely band here and there and soon had more jobs than he could handle. Enter the characters and others.

After a few encounters with sewer monsters and other issues, the party is on fairly good grounds with the city watch who often relies on the strength of mercenaries to overcome orc raids, pirate attacks and other issues.

One of the 'near' members though, has a rival in the form of a necromancer who wishes to duel him in the shanty town. One of the players gets wind of this and gets together a group of paladins to try and stop it.

Unknown to the players, I have a 'caldendar' of events where things happen regardless of what the players do as the world is a living entity that doesn't rely on them to move. While the two are battling, the paladins show up. After the paladins show up, Darwel shows up. Seems that Darwel is a powerful necromancer in his own right and his an elite guardsman, a Deathknight, Naz'gorn (from Secret College of Necromancy) and the two tear though the paladins, killing almost all of them and wounding several players before they capture the necromancer PC and flee.

Group is kicked out of the city. Hot headed former pirate leader vows to hunt down Darwel and leaves mercenary group in hands of an old friend who, as the party travels south, is assassiinated.

Enter 'Bliss'. Now if you've read the Black Company, she was my version of the lady, soley there to motivate the players who often time flounder around like sheep as I don't hold their hands and make them clear out dungeons.

After a while, the party decided that they were ready to take on Darwel after Draxis contacts them but they all wound up getting killed.

Now I'm pondering if I keep the info in the ampaign or move on. Other stuff happened as well and I'm actually in the middle of taking a break from DMing (it's good to play now and again) but it'll be interesting as more and more stuff keeps coming out.

 

[alsih2o]

whispering woodwind from cmg ( http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=301& ) is a good first module that sends the party out together on a mercenary-ish mission, may be a great way to start things out

here is a review link- http://www.d20zines.com/html/module...e=article&sid=248&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

 

[trancejeremy]

(Gah. Nevermind - should have read the rest of this thread first)



I used to run a Star Wars mercenary game. I found the old Traveller book "Mercenary" to be quite helpful. Probably not too helpful for a fantasy campaign, though.