Using mercenaries in adventures?

[Cergorach]

Who remembers playing Advanced Heroquest? Who remembers the time when you were able to afford a mercenary or two? I do.

I want my players to be able to hire (lower level) mercenaries for use during an adventure (in a dungeon for example), but the DMG is a bit sparse with information on the use of mercenaries during adventuring. Are there any D&D/D20/OGL sources that deal with this subject?

The SRD lists trained (warrior) mercenaries as costing 3sp/day.
The DMG lists mercenary (war1) as costing 2sp/day.
The DMG lists mercenary cavalry (war1) as costing 4sp/day.
The DMG lists mercenary leader (war2) as costing 6sp/day (3sp/day for each additional level).
The DMG lists hazard pay as upto double pay.
The DMG lists hiring for just a couple of days costs double or triple pay.

Is going down into a dungeon considered hazard pay (x2) or worse (if so how much worse)?

 

[Storyteller01]

Is going down into a dungeon considered hazard pay (x2) or worse (if so how much worse)?

Depends on the reputation of the dungeon. Most will probably demand at least hazard pay rates (remember the 'tunnel rats' from Vietnam?).

 

[VirgilCaine]

Definitely two or three times pay, since in wars they will only be under attack a very small amount of time, adventuring can mean danger anytime. They'll have to sift through a lot of unwilling mercs, but there's probably a few in a given group that will be willing to help you.

 

[S'mon]

I tend to think the only mercenaries willing to go down dungeons for pay will be experienced veterans bearing little relation to the DMG's War-1 cannon-fodder. I suggest a minimum Fighter-2 or Warrior-3*, with pay around 40gp/day of dungeoneering as a reasonable minimum, double every 2 levels higher - eg Fighter-3 60gp, Fighter-4 80 gp, Fighter-5 100gp. That assumes they can take any copper/silver they find and 50% of gold but magic items go to the employer. Mercenaries normally gather together in groups under a captain, one of whose primary functions is to be a skilled negotiator. Rich or desperate PCs could be charged much more, and obvious suicide missions will be flatly refused.

*You might get a few greenhorn Fighter-1s or War-1-2s willing to sign up for as low as 10-20gp/day, but employer would be expected to provide their equipment.

 

[S'mon]

Here's some figures I use for normal garrison duty:

Hiring Mercenaries

Garrison Duty - Base Cost/month

War-1: 12gp
War-2, Fighter-1: 24gp
War-3, Fighter-2: 36 gp
War-4, Fighter-3: 48 gp
War-5, Fighter-4: 72 gp
War-6, Fighter-5: 96 gp

Characters of above War-6 or Fighter-5 may not be hired as troops, only as leaders.
Active Duty rates will be at least double. Cavalry count as 1 level higher.

All units have leaders, who add 50% to the total hiring cost:
1/4 Corporal + 1 Level
1/8 Sergeant +2 Levels
1/16 Sergeant +3 Levels
1/36 Lieutenant +4 Levels
1/72 Lieutenant +5 Levels
1/144 Captain +6 Levels
1/288 Captain +7 Levels
1/576 Commander +8 Levels
etc

 

[talien]

Are there any D&D/D20/OGL sources that deal with this subject?

Mercenaries: Born of Blood

Type: Role-Playing Game (D20 Supplement)
Cover Artist: Kieran Yanner and R. Hyrum Savage
Interior Artists: Samuel Araya, Paul Carrick, Jeremy Dale, Quinn Devlaeminck, Steve Miller, Chris Seaman, David Schrader and Derek Stevens
Suggested Retail Price: $27.99 (you can buy it from Titan Games for seven bucks)
Format: Softcover
Pages: 192
Publisher: OtherWorld Creations
Description:

You've tasted blood before, whether it was yours or others; it's all the same. It runs hot, dark and sticky as it falls to the ground in an endless torrent. There have been plenty of weapons, armor and men left broken on nameless battlefields -- but do you care? No. Why should you when you're the one left standing?

It comes down to two very important things... first is survival and second is collecting your pay for services rendered. Paladins and heroes do it for the 'greater good', you're just in it for the payoff. After all, you're not doing this for free are you?

Mercenaries: Born in Blood explores mercenaries throughout "real-world" history, how they've been used in fiction, tips for using them in your game, new feats, skills, and prestige classes, as well as six samples for use in a fantasy game, two for use in a pulp/modern game, and two for use in a sci-fi game. It also includes:

* A complete history of mercenaries, from the Greek and Persian wars, to modern day "security companies," to mercenaries of the future
* 16 new prestige classes
* 2 new core classes (the professional and soldier-of-fortune)
* 30 new spells and over 15 new magic items
* Rules for generating mercenary backgrounds, contracts, payments, punishments, and more
* Rules for creating mercenaries using most any creature from the Monster Manual

 

[Cergorach]

Mercenaries: Born of Blood

Type: Role-Playing Game (D20 Supplement)
Cover Artist: Kieran Yanner and R. Hyrum Savage
Interior Artists: Samuel Araya, Paul Carrick, Jeremy Dale, Quinn Devlaeminck, Steve Miller, Chris Seaman, David Schrader and Derek Stevens
Suggested Retail Price: $27.99 (you can buy it from Titan Games for seven bucks)
Format: Softcover
Pages: 192
Publisher: OtherWorld Creations
<snip>

Isn't that like this pdf:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=4024&

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Going into a dungeon would definitely require hazard pay, if the mercenaries would go at all. It's one thing to be hired on the basis that combat/death may result, it's quite another when it's a certainty. The mercs may well demand a share of treasure for themselves. Or, if there are enough of them, they may turn the tables on the party at the worst possible time and make off with all the loot. Don't confuse mercs with adventurers; especially low-level mercs.

If you're looking for hirelings for the party, then that's a little different b/c such NPCs would probably know upfront that they're being hired on as adventurers rather than as simple mercs (the job descriptions can vary quite a bit).

Either way, if they're putting their lives on the line then they should expect much more than the base cp/sp/gp pay that can be found on tables; those numbers are for basic duties, which probably consists of garrison duty 95% of the time.

 

[Wraith Form]

Mercenaries, by AEG.


http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_6879.html


Nice book.

 

[Cergorach]

Mercenaries, by AEG.

http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_6879.html

Nice book.

Have it, just browse through it, although it's nice, less then a third really is about mercs, the rest is interesting, just doesn't have anything to do with mercs...

On the Mercs themselves:
It has some interesting ideas, but it's poorly executed, there are to many inconcistancies with the core rules and it feels incomplete. Although you could fix the errors and fill the holes, i think it would be quicker to just write something from scratch.

Example: Hiring a first level warrior costs 40gp/day, that's a factor of x200 compared to the 2sp/day from the DMG. A 1st level warrior mercenary would make in a day what a common laborer takes more then a year to earn. On the other hand, on average a 1st level encounter nets you around 300gp...

Hmm... Maybe the numbers aren't that far off... A 1st lvl. Fighter costs 80gp/day a 6th 370gp/day plus a full share of the treasure found. Still have my doubts about this setup.

I bought Modern: Mercenary Manual, by Ronin Arts, pretty useless for a fantasy game, interesting for a modern merc campaign. I also bought Guildcraft, by Bastion Press, some pretty interesting ideas about guilds and groups (also a mercenary company).