Soldiers for hire, sellswords, armed riff-raff…mercenaries. These are men (and a few women) who answer the call to arms for less lofty reasons than duty, loyalty, or defense of one’s homeland. There’s profit to be made in war, sometimes spectacular profit when the booty is bountiful.
This article describes the organisation of a mercenary group, its equipment, ranks and specialists, the lives mercenaries lead, order and discipline, and how they get paid. There’s also a table of typical contract types, the kind of size needed, length of contract, risk and reward. Lastly, there’s a glossary of common terms used in the trade. With this article, GMs will be able to make up their own mercenary companies, including basic skill levels. Perfect for detailing the caravan guards or the lord’s unexpected extra men-at-arms.
The second download provides some ready-made mercenary companies that GMs can use or that exist in Hârn and whom the heroes may encounter.
by Aaron Kavli
