Sellswords, Bandits & Brigands in a world of fantasy and political intrigue.
Inspired by Game of Thrones, FFtactics, D&D and this. (Sort of).
Table of Contents
Introduction
What is Mercenaries?
What can I do in the game?
How do turns work?
Questions?
World information
Core Assumptions
Map
Cities & Territories
Races
Gods
Kingdoms
Companies
Company Office
Morale
Reputation
Storage
Co. Ledger & Upkeep
Mercenaries
Commanders
Commander Archetypes
Recruiting
Hiring
Generic Recruits
Hiring Advanced Level Recruits
Class Advancement Table
Feats
Specialty Units
Combat
Sending Orders
Items & Equipment
Arms & Armor Explained
Potions
Medicine
Ships
Introduction
Mercenaries is a turnbased RPG where you control a company of hired mercenaries seeking to gain gold, power & glory. Not even specifically in that order. Essentially you manage the group, hiring, accepting contracts, leveling your characters and exploring the world. You have a real opportunity to shape the politics of the realm and could become very powerful indeed.
You don't play as one single character & you should consider every character disposable. Instead you handle a group of mercenaries that work together to gain gold & glory. A Commander leads the troops. You can level and specialize your Commander with more options than your average recruit. Maybe your a Praedish pirate, sick of the harsh life at sea, you've come to the Capital to become a legitimate business. Maybe you and your men (and women!) are veterans of the Typhere Rebellion and wish to make more lucrative use of your skills. Maybe you are a disgraced knight from the Kingdom of Karnorax, bitter and full of vengeance. Whatever concept you wish to build your company of mercenaries from is OK with me. At the core of the game is strategy and management-but I really encourage RPing between turns. It makes the world more vibrant and me more likely to not set myself on fire updating turns.
You basically tell me what you want to do each turn. You choose jobs, level and equip your men and send orders for the turn. After I've received all of the orders, I synthesize all of the information with what is going on in the world, check some numbers and post a Turn Report. In between Reports, your free to Roleplay in the Main IC thread. But beware, characters can be killed at anytime. So don't get too attached to any one character.
They're not frequent, but here are some questions you might have.
How much time do I need to spend on this? As a player, you probably need 2-3 hours per week to keep up with RP posts & company ledger.
How many players are you taking? I would like to sign on 4 players to start and add another 2-4 once everyone is comfortable with the way the game works (including me).
How often will updates appear and how long in game time is that? I don't want to have to update 8 different ledgers each week. That's why I'm not sure yet if updates will be weekly or every other week. Each update will advance the realm about 3 months.
Do I have to roleplay/Can I roleplay? You decide how much time you want to spend on your company. Feel free to introduce characters and concepts. Nothing outside of what is detailed here, in the main thread is canon. Alternately, you can use this game as a strictly military/strategy simulation. But RPing is good. :)
Great. When does this start? When we have enough players and I've finished the main information dump thread. Stay tuned.
I have other questions.. Please ask in the Interest Check Thread.
World Information
The world of Mundus is divided into a few distinct geographical locations. The continent to the West is home to the older Human Kingdoms. Dark forests and steep mountains dotted with stony keeps and ruins. A few elvish and dwarven colonies exist and orcish raiders plunder the southern crossings. The continent to the East is more diverse. The great plains in the far east are home to raiding parties of tribal horseman. They fight endlessly with hordes of orcs and ogres. The wealthy and modern kingdoms on the coast are home to Elvish Citadels, and 'Free' human cities. Trade is good despite the lurking pirates of the island countries to the south, the much reviled Praedish. Opportunity abounds for men and women with a keen sense of business and the talent and bravery required.
Conflict Arises Peace, when it comes is welcomed. But the fool expects it to last. The Great Old Wars are long over, but small scale skirmishes between minor lords and factions are common place. Pirates patrol the coasts, disrupting trade. Raiding parties of orcs and nomadic tribes plague the settled kingdoms. Elvish seneschal's manipulate and plot. The common man labors on a suffers, hoping for heroes to appear.
Opportunity for the Bold With all the conflict, dangerous trade routes, and political masterminding, opportunity for men-at-arms is abundant. Companies of hired swords and wizards have begun appearing across the land. Some companies are loyal to single royal houses. Others follow the gold. Some stick to small scale conflict on land, others head to sea to protect trade convoys. Still others explore vast stretches of wilderness searching for fabled ruins and artifacts. There is money to be made, power to be gained.
Magic is Commonplace Long ago, magic was much, much more powerful and mysterious. Sorcery was a closely guarded secret in that era. The most powerful sorcerers are thought to have killed each other off during the Great Old Wars, and with them, the powerful spells. Now sorcery is common-mundane even, but not to be underestimated in battle. Great Wizards still roam the land and bend the ear of powerful kings. Adepts and apprentices seek out sponsors and companies, hoping to gain skill and power.
Something Lurks Beneath The age of the world is far underestimated. Civilizations have risen and fallen. Races of beings have appeared and disappeared leaving their mark on the land. Ruins and dungeons are scattered across the world, waiting for someone brave enough to seek them out and uncover the secrets contained within.
Map under construction. Some names will change and I will *attempt* to get a higher res quality. For now, right+click and open pic in a new tab then zoom. I'm stuck with MSpaint so you are too!
Cities are categorized into different types: Temple, Free, Fortress, Magic, Trade, Desert, Port & Capital. Territories are categorized into different types: Plains/Deserts, Mountains, Forests & Cosmopolitan.
City Types
Capital
Capitals are the central hub of activity in that Kingdom. It is the seat of power and usually the most populus city in the territory. The Capital Cities can be a combination of the other classes of city. For example, Karn Keep in the Kingdom of Karnoras is a Capital Class city, but it is also a Port & Fortress. The bonuses from those city classes apply. The cost to open a Company Office is considerably higher in Capital cities, and may require a certain level of Reputation.
Temple
Some cities are built around holy sites, altars, temples or cathedrals. Healing & Morale may increase in Temple cities.
Free
Free cities do not fall under the jurisdiction of any authority outside of the city's governing body-be it warlord, council or other. Free cities enjoy less tax and contracts may be more lucrative.
Fortress
Fortress cities are castles, bastions, towers and keeps. They are strongpoints in a territory. Mercenaries and sellswords flock to Fortress cities to find work-of which there is often ample supply.
Magic
A Magic class city may be home to a guild of mages, a vast library of knowledge, a specific arcane legacy, or be constructed over ancient ruins that harbor darker things still. Sorcerers can expect to find more relevant work, advance in level quicker, or possibly find a unique item.
Trade The most common city type. Trade cities have bustling markets and guild houses. Mercenaries, caravans and rumors all pass through trade cities. Expect the occasional bandit.
Port
Port cities are similar to Trade cities. Pass through a port city to reach other continents.
Desert
Territory Types
Plains/Desert Plains and Deserts often house bands of monsters, bandits and baddies. Isolated towns and villages, and only a few roads. Humans, Elves, Goblins, Orcs and halflings often inhabit Plains/Desert territories.
Mountain WIP Forest WIP Cosmopolitan WIP
Human, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Half-Orc, Half-Elf, Orc, Goblin The Race of your mercenaries determines additional racial bonus attributes. Race Bonus CONDEXWISHPNotes Human x x x +1 Gain a +1 bonus to HP when in Cosmopolitan terrain Dwarf +1 x x x +1 CON when underground or in mountain terrain Elf -1 x +1 x +1 CON when in forest terrain Halfling -1 +2 x x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Half-Orc +1 -1 -1 +1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Half-Elf x +1 x +1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Orc +2 x -1 +1 Orcs are killed on sight in most kingdoms. Goblin -1 +1 +1 x Goblins are killed on sight in most kingdoms.
The Kingdom of Raxas
The Kingdom of Raxas rises from the coast into the mountains. Fortress cities and walls guard the ancient kingdom of man. Great pine forests supply lumber for fleets of merchant ships bound for the Western Continent. Arcot Dunson Keep Hargrove Gor's Crossing Eaton Seton Raxas Castle
The Kingdom of Karnoras
The Kingdom of Karnoras arose from the ashes of a bloody Raxas civil war. A feud which lasts to this day. It is said the great Sorcerer Gor divided the land with his most potent spells, so that the two nations would remain separate. Karn Keep Camor Ledon Fawic Mebrok Wamor Hafeld Sebury Rewich Limor Thergrove Pawald
The Republic of Praeda
The Pirate Kingdoms of Praeda are legendary. It is a rare sailor that does not know the black sails of their hated pirate fleet. Oloh Adeh Chigba Castle Asange Keep Okain Keep Busia Irun Anin Etma Akith Owux Emoh Chasra Itey Bodi Kohiri Thila
The Kingdom of Bapha
The Kingdom of Bapha Aresh Sina Abyre Emish Larsa Sonos Sibis
The Kingdom of Lothelonni
The Elvish Kingdom of Lothelonni is powerful, modern and wealthy. Trade, industry and knowledge combined with the formidable politics of Elvish seneschals has helped Lothelonni prosper through the ages. Tyne Orwendel Ellem Ilthya Langan Gaven Argond Abery Brethna Valoress Colwen Porthca Argond Olithen Castle Aben Lear Linosea
The Dominion of Malaph Kar
The Dominion of Malaph Kar is a vast wilderness of plains, deserts, oasis and sandstone passes. Cities shine in the desert like jewels. Oasis' are heavily defended against aggressors. The monstrous warlord known as Malaph Kar rules over a loose confederacy of nomadic orcs, goblins and wild men. Balag Mauhar Wala Argac Etalar Gesanga Muzga Salla Gorbul Lifah
The Kingdom of Naramunz
House Naramunz, last of the great Dwarven lords is also the last of the Dwarven Kingdoms. Vatelundz Tumunzar Riklif Hold Arndsetr Urumar Zahuram
The Free Cities of Maleah
A handful of merchants, some Praedish pirates gone legitimate, others with strange notions of a 'democratic' form of government have built a small kingdom in the south east. They are fledgling, but becoming wealthy through trade, and remaining neutral in larger conflicts.
Larica Argac Ramor Matoc Aeldun
Companies
Companies are the groups of mercenaries that you, as a player control. A company has an Office, where the men rest, strategize and keep their equipment and gold. Reputation is how well known your company is and determines which jobs/missions are available to your company. Morale is how loyal your men are and how well they fight.
Your Office is your base of operations. The base price for opening an office in a new city is 250g. This allows you to take contracts in those cities. You may not take contracts/jobs in cities where you do not have an office.
Morale affects how well your men fight in battle. When you lose a member of your company in combat, your morale decreases by 1. If you lose a company Commander your morale drops by 4. When your morale is lower than 0 for two subsequent turns, your men will begin to desert. All companies start with a morale of 2 unless your Commander has the Enabler (Morale +10% per contract, start at Morale 5) trait.
Reputation measures how well your company is known, whether for good or bad. Some jobs require you to have a certain level of reputation. Some mercenaries and NPCs may not be for hire without sufficient reputation as well. Increase your reputation by successfully completing contracts.
Your Company Storage is where you stockpile your items, arms and equipment. You may sell items from your storage at any time.
Your Co. Ledger is a record of your men, equipment, gold, morale, reputation and relations with factions and nations.
Company Name: Make something up Location: (Where main office is) Commander & Traits: Pick a name, level 1 class (Militia, Scout, Novice) and 1 trait. Morale: starts at 2 unless otherwise affected Reputation: 0 for all unless otherwise affected Gold: 400g to start. This is for hiring & equipping your men beyond the starting roster of 3.
Mercenaries: Name: Class: Feats: Equipment: XP: HP/CON/DEX/WIS (include modifiers from feats, equipment etc.) --- Name: Class: Feats: Equipment: XP: HP/CON/DEX/WIS (include modifiers from feats, equipment etc.) etc.
Mercenaries
Your company consists of mercenaries, who are the main fighting force. You also have non-combatant specialists that act as support members.
Your Commander leads your troops in battle and affects the company recruits through Archetype traits. If a commander is killed your company Morale is immediately reduced by 2. A Commander advances just like any other generic recruit, taking feats and choosing a class track (Warrior,Ranger,Sorcerer). In addition, Commanders take on an Archetype trait. You may choose new Archetypes if you need to replace your Commander. You may promote a new Commander from your company recruits if your starting Commander dies.
Archetypes: (pick one when creating your company commander, pick a new one each time your commander is killed or replaced.)
Roaming: +1 DEX to all Ranger Track recruits (Including hunter, scout, skirmisher) Company starts with 1 bonus hunter recruit. Sellsword: +1 CON to all Warrior Recruits. (Including militia, footman, soldier) Company starts with 1 bonus militia recruit. Mysticism: +1 WIS to all Sorcerer Track recruits. (Including novice, adept, initiate) Company starts with 1 bonus novice recruit.
Salty Dog: +1 CON/DEX/WIS to all mercenaries when taking contracts at sea (Port Cities/territories). Company starts with 1 Boat. Nomad: +1 CON/DEX/WIS to all mercenaries when taking contracts in plains/desert territory. Self-reliance has taught you how to live simply. Office upkeep reduced by 5.
Silver Tongue: Contracts yield 10% better profits. Start with an extra 50g.
Enabler: Morale +10% Morale per succesful contract/mission. Company Morale starts at 5.
Recruiting
You may hire any available recruits in your home city each turn as long as you can afford them and your reputation is high enough. Generic recruits have no reputation requirements. A list of available recruits can be found on each city roster. New hires come with randomized starting feats, XP and class, but you can view their stats before you purchase them. To hire them, simply send the turn orders with the names of the recruits you wish to hire. If more than one player chooses the same recruit, the company with the higher reputation will hire the recruit. In case of a tie, I flip a coin. (If you don't get the recruit and still wish to hire that turn, you may pick from any other available recruit on the city roster).
Generic Recruits cost 10g
All new recruits start as Generic Recruits. They are not trained in any specific style of fighting yet. At first level, you choose which class track to pursue. They are Warrior, Ranger, and Sorcerer. Here is how the classes advance:
Militia----->Footman----->Soldier----->Warrior Your standard fighting unit. They carry sword/spear and shield Hunter---->Scout--------->Skirmisher>Ranger Your nimble scouts, your formidable archers Novice---->Adept--------->Initiate------>Sorcerer Masters of the arcane. Slow to develop, but powerful once leveled.
In addition to class, recruits have Attributes that determine their abilities in combat. Hit Points (HP) determine how much damage a character can take before dying. Constitution (CON) is a measure of the endurance & strength of the recruit. Warrior track recruits have a high CON. Dexterity (DEX) measures the mobility and handling of your recruit. Ranger track recruits have a high DEX. Wisdom (WIS) is a measurement of the recruits knowledge of arcane power. Sorcerers have a high WIS.
To advance, gain more experience by sending your recruits on missions/jobs.
WIP WIP In order to hire recruits that have already gained levels, you must have the prerequisite Reputation. When you hire advanced level recruits, they come with pre-assigned feats. Some cities may not even have Advanced Level Recruits for hire.
This might look intimidating, but it's really just adding one to every attribute each level + one for the class main attribute (CON for militia, DEX for Hunter etc.)and one for HP/Upkeep per class level. Level 1 Class HP/CON/DEX/WIS/Upkeep Generic +++++ 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 (A 0 Level Recruit) Militia +++++ 2 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 2 Hunter ++++++ 2 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 2 Novice ++++++ 2 /1 / 1 / 2 / 2 Level 2 Class HP/CON/DEX/WIS/Upkeep Foot ++++++++ 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 3 Scout +++++++ 3 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 3 Adept +++++++ 3 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3 Level 3 Class HP/CON/DEX/WIS/Upkeep Soldier ++++++ 4 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 4 Skirmisher +++ 4 / 3 / 4 / 3 / 4 Initiate +++++ 4 / 3 / 3 / 4 / 4 Level 4 Class HP/CON/DEX/WIS/Upkeep Warrior +++++ 5 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 5 Ranger +++++ 5 / 4 / 5 / 4 / 5 Sorcerer ++++ 5 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 5
As your recruits progress you can give them feats at each level. Feats give you an edge in combat and more shape your company to your play style.
Standard Feats (Taken by any class) Sea Legs: +1 to CON/DEX/WIS when on a ship (con for warrior, dex for ranger, wis for sorcerer) Take feat up to 3 times. Dungeon Delver: +1 to CON/DEX/WIS when fighting underground (con for warrior, dex for ranger, wis for sorcerer) Take feat up to 3 times. Mountaineer: +1 to CON/DEX/WIS when fighting in Mountain Terrain. (con for warrior, dex for ranger, wis for sorcerer) Take feat up to 3 times. Nomad: +1 to CON/DEX/WIS when fighting in Desert/Plains Terrain. (con for warrior, dex for ranger, wis for sorcerer) Take feat up to 3 times.
Warrior Feats: Brothers in Arms: When there are more than 2 Warriors in the same line of attack, gain +1 CON Blade Master: Deal double damage to Sorcerers New Feat New Feat
Ranger Feats: First Shot: Deal 1 damage automatically to a random enemy before battle. (Take once) Fire Arms: Train in the use and tactics of Black Powder Firearms. +2 damage. +2 Upkeep. (Take once) Line of Fire: +1 damage if more than 2 other Rangers in same line of battle (take max 3 times)
Sorcerer Feats: Healing Touch: Automatically Heal 1HP of a random ally after battle. (Can be taken multiple times) Me, Myself and I: +1 to WIS & +1 damage when the only Sorcerer in a line of battle.
Special Units do not advance and can only be obtained as your Reputation increases. WIP
potential Spec Units Alchemist make potions per level per turn Assassin reduce HP of mercenary in other players company Bard increase reputation per level per turn Master of the Coin reduce upkeep Physician Heal HP per level per turn Priest Increase morale per level per reputation Thief steal gold per level per turn
Combat
In combat, each unit attacks and deals damage to each other at the same time. Attributes, stacking bonuses, equipment, morale and boons are all taken into account. The character attributes CON/DEX/WIS determine extra damage per hit. Technically, each character hits for 1 until I calculate the other factors I just mentioned. When a characters Hit Points reach 0, they die. HP can be restored by resting, (having no action during a turn), priests ( a specialist unit), or a healing potion.
Combat is simulated by me, with a bunch of numbers to consider, so sending orders is easy. Just tell me which mercenaries in your company you wish to send on which job and how to order them in combat.
Order your men in combat by filling in 'lines'. You may have any number of men in each line, and as many lines as you wish. When building your attack squad, remember that outside of feats that say otherwise, units will attack the first enemy they come into contact with and deal attacks and damage simultaneously. Here is an example of an attack line:
First Line (Attacking First) Joe Schmo, Human Militia Rodger Protractor Human Militia Buck Rodgers, Human Militia Second Line Lucy Law, Human Scout Freddy Mercury, Human Scout Third Line Nergul Dwarf Sorcerer
When anticipating extra damage for combat remember: CON---->WIS---->DEX----->CON Warriors deal extra damage to Sorcerers who deal extra damage to Rangers and they in turn deal extra damage to Warriors.
Items & Equipment
Arms and Armor Explained
Here is an example Company Ledger. You will maintain something like this for the RP. Note that some things may change as I finalize the system. Company Name: Kill Clan Five Player Name: Polybius HQ Location: Hogrum Castle Commander Name: Killer Dave Morale: How well your men fight and how loyal they are Reputation:Fufilling contracts, killing bandits and otherwise being a badass increase reputation. This leads to better opportunities for jobs, info and contacts. Relations: Negative is bad, positive is good. Local: 5 Kingdom: 1 Bandits: -5
Gold: 200g Your money. Use this to recruit new mercenaries, buy equipment or bases and boats Company Inventory: A list of your companies items 1 Healing Potion 2 Potions of Strength 1 Longboat
Mercenaries: Includes character name, class,stats and level.
John Fahque, Footman, Lvl 1
Jim Blob, Soldier Lvl 2
Arturo the Mad, Soldier Lvl 2
Pris, Adept, Lvl 1
Deckard, Adept Lvl 2
Blackbarn, Thief Lvl 3
Specialists: Specialists are non-combatant support troops like healers and scouts
Yaeger Meister, Healer
Thanks for taking a look! Ask any questions you may have or express interest here in the IC thread. This sort of RP takes a little while to get up and running but I think it will be a fun and rewarding game for everyone involved.
<Snipped quote> I didn't mean "Does the player found cities?" but rather "Might the player's defense of villagers/settlers/etc. lead to the creation of new towns/cities in the wilderness?" Basically, I was poking around trying to determine what sort of effect a player's actions have on the world. A better example could be about supporting a rebellion, or siding with invaders from another kingdom, etc.
I can't accurately predict how drastic the players will change the world, however throwing your weight in support of larger movements will certainly change some things. The extent to which things change is no certain at this point.
Still interested just waiting till things get more fleshed out. If you need a company draft however I'll be happy to oblige.
The most helpful thing would be if you give me an idea of what you hope to get out of the RP.
This idea you have is one I've tossed around for many years; on so many levels. You appear to desire a small number of people in the company. I've toyed with a company of ~100 or more; a battalion of 500 - 800 or even a Brigade sized organization of a few thousand. Starting with just a handful might make it simpler, to at least create and learn a system. I applaud your efforts and would be willing to assist you in the creation process if needed. How much detail do you want to put into the world? I can help with world creation if you like.
I am willing to help you build this world. If you employ the aid of those willing to participate in the creation of the world, encompassed within your vision of course, you create a sense of ownership amongst the participants. They are less likely to jump ship due to any investment they make into the design of the world itself. But this should be on a volunteer basis. I would not want to impose any additional responsibility upon someone who may not desire or be capable.
Thanks for your input Gunther. I'm trying to build a game system that fits the setting, sure. I also want to have a basic system that can be easily modified for use in other settings as well-(Aztec Empire? Feudal Japan? Italian Renaissance?) The world in this game however will be as detailed as naming some Kingdoms, some major cities, forts,castles, ports, rivers, mountains etc. The races will be briefly detailed. All of this is basically done, I just need to put it to paper-er text.
As for player contribution, as long as it doesn't seriously undermine the game system or go outside of the medieval fantasy setting you can make up whatever you want. My plan is to make this game a toy for everyone to understand and use within a (hopefully clever) construct of rules.
So, a few more questions come to mind. Since you like 'em, I'll post 'em.
1. Can your company office be attacked by NPCs? By players? Would you rather that not be an issue? 2. Can a company procure temporary Boons purposely? Example: donating to a temple before going to fight undead, asking a friendly faction for help against an enemy. Would these Boons be listed, or would that be something someone would need to ask you about when attempting to get a Boon? 3. Will player actions shape the world? Could they potentially destroy cities or see the creation of new ones? 4. Can players earn more permanent favors from their benefactors, such as being knighted by King Arthur of Camelot or whatever? And given land? (An Office without upkeep?) 5. Will some specialists be combat units? Example: war dogs, magical creatures? EDIT: Something just came to mind. I have an idea for a Warrior feat. Polearm Training - You can strike an opponent with a single tile's distance between you, and you strike first in melee combat.
1. Nah. But the Thief & Assassin Specialists can steal gold/reduce HP respectively. 2. Don't know yet. 3. Yes. Founding cities however is not something I'm really into. This is a much smaller scale than I think your imagining. 4. Contemplating Office/Company upgrades. (Maybe dabble in trade or industry?) 5. Specialists will be exclusively non-combatants for now. 6(EDIT): Considered.
@Polybius, I am very much interested in your idea. I would prefer a traditional company of swordsmen with a few support specialists to provide them a combined arms advantage. I would love to know how many employees our mercenary companies will be allowed to start with. Will that be a randomly generated number or will it be determined by the amount of money we start with for hiring purposes?
Hello Gunther, Everyone will start with the same amount of mercs. You get to choose race, class and a set amount of gold to spend on equipment. Specialists (at this point in building the game system) are acquired through raising reputation. Thanks for your interest! Stick around.
Questions are good. They make me think about the setting & system more dynamically. Part of the reason I posted my Work In Progress. Thanks Shorticus, your insights have been extremely helpful! Let me try and answer these..
Another bunch of questions!
1. So, there's PvP. But will players be able to cooperate on certain missions? Say that Elfwood Company just lost all their melee fighters, and Dwarfhills Company has a horrible track record fighting bandits in the woods. There's a contract available for someone to deal with bandits in the woods. Can Elfwood Company supply the archers and mages for the fight while Dwarfhills Company gets their dwarves to fight in the front lines, and the two of them split the reward? Can mercenary companies go investigate dungeons together?
2. Can we negotiate on contract terms with our employers, or is that what Silver Tongue is meant to represent?
3. Should players tell you what they're looking to make before the roleplay starts so you can think about feats you might make?
4. Will there be different kinds of magic? I.E. Druidic magic to do things like entangle enemies or summon treants, pyromancy to blow bad guys up dead-like, etc?
5. Will there be stranger, hidden benefits to doing certain contracts or making certain factions like you or clearing certain dungeons? I.E. might you rescue a powerful priestess from a Lich's castle, or might archers be cheaper for you to hire in the Elfwood because the Elf King loves you so much, or might a necromancy related feat be available to you after you help necromancers kill the knights that are pursuing them? Demons be available for recruitment after you earn the admiration of certain bad guys? Your troops gain a Werewolf feat after you lose and retreat from a battle with some werewolves?
1. Cooperation is fine. Companies can split the rewards if they agree on it beforehand. Some missions may require more than one company to be involved (like a war or something..)
2. Silver Tongue Archetype covers this. Trying to make this in-depth as possible but it is a 'simulation', and a home-grown one at that. 3. Not a bad idea. Custom feats might be a thing too. We'll see. 4. For combat purposes, magic is treated like ranged attacks. Trying to think of interesting feats to customize your sorcerers. 5. I have an idea for a temporary bonus applied to your entire company called Boons that last for a turn or more. This can cover anything from a Lord's favor to a sickness your men contracted fighting zombies in Rot-Gut Barrow.
Thanks for the tips on map making. I've used gimp and paint before. I actually have Photoshop on a computer but it's in storage.
What sort of companies are people thinking of making? If anyone else has questions while I get this thing together, go ahead and ask them.
1. Do we choose one race when making our army? If not, how many races? 2. Certain races (like half-elves and orcs) to be outright better than others (half-orcs got the shaft). Is that intentional? I assume total balance is NOT intended (which is a good thing). 3. So, there are KOS races. Do you have an idea of which realms don't make them KOS yet? And can a mercenary band of monsters earn its way to NOT being KOS in certain kingdoms? 4. It looks like dungeon exploration is as valid a route to success as mercenary work. Is that correct? 5. Finally, could you talk a bit when you get the chance about how battle lines work? If my opponent and I both have 20 militia and our armies are set up like so...How does this work? Does the army with more rows (5 by 4) get surrounded and flanked? Do they just punch through the main line? Again, we're assuming identical forces. 6. How is experience gained? By kill, by damage? By surviving?
1.You choose your initial starting mercenaries race, class & feats. You buy them equipment. Probably start with a group of 5 & a couple hundred gold to purchase equipment with. 2.Those numbers will almost certainly change when the game is officially started. Don't expect total balance-real life just isn't like that. And since all of the information will be available for anyone to see, I don't think it's necessarily unfair. 3. Now that's interesting. If your reputation is high enough, I don't see why a King or Lord wouldn't hire a band of Orcs to bolster his ranks. 4. The rewards may be different and the risk greater. All I'm saying right now. 5. Very good points. I've only barely begun to work out combat. The Battle-Line mechanic is something I'm really interested in fleshing out. At first I was thinking of using some sort of 'formation' counter 'formation' thing ala ROTK IX but I wanted to keep a theme of small scale-skirmish lines. These aren't armies your controlling, they are mercenary companies that guard caravans, hunt down bandits and kill monsters. Rarely will companies have 20 men to line up. When we get to that point in game, I'm going to change the rules and have a set limit of mercs in each company office. However, in the example you gave, The lines would meet like this: (note that dashes are dead mercs after resolving damage)
1. 00000 00000 00000 00000
00000 00000 00000 00000 2. 00000 -0--- 00000 -00-000000 00000 00000 00000 Units would then attack the closest available enemy unit. This is assuming none of these troops are ranged attackers. Basically battles happen on a grid with each unit attacking the closest enemy possible. I hope this makes sense.
6. Experience is gained after successfully completing a contract. Each surviving merc will receive a portion of the total XP.
Small update this morning. Here is how the Commander Section is shaping up.
Commanders
Your Commander leads your troops in battle and affects the company recruits through Archetype traits. If a commander is killed your company Morale is immediately reduced by 2. A Commander advances just like any other generic recruit, taking feats and choosing a class track (Warrior,Ranger,Sorcerer). In addition, Commanders take on an Archetype trait. You may choose new Archetypes if you need to replace your Commander. You may promote a new Commander from your company recruits if your starting Commander dies.
Archetypes: (pick one when creating your company commander, pick a new one each time your commander is killed or replaced.)
Roaming: +1 DEX to all Ranger Track recruits (Including hunter, scout, skirmisher) Company starts with 1 bonus hunter recruit. Sellsword: +1 CON to all Warrior Recruits. (Including militia, footman, soldier) Company starts with 1 bonus militia recruit. Mysticism: +1 WIS to all Sorcerer Track recruits. (Including novice, adept, initiate) Company starts with 1 bonus novice recruit.
Salty Dog: +1 CON/DEX/WIS to all mercenaries when taking contracts at sea (Port Cities/territories). Company starts with 1 Boat. Nomad: +1 CON/DEX/WIS to all mercenaries when taking contracts in plains/desert territory. Self-reliance has taught you how to live simply. Office upkeep reduced by 5.
Silver Tongue: Contracts yield 10% better profits. Start with an extra 50g.
Enabler: Morale +10% Morale per succesful contract/mission. Company Morale starts at 5.
Still working on this. I'm building it from scratch so please be patient. You will have a certain amount of GOLd to buy starting equipment for your mercs. You will get five or so starting recruits. You get to pick the race. One of these will be your commander. You get a free company office in a city of your choice. I haven't even started the commander section yet, however. Also multi classing is a thing. You just don't take a feat when you switch classes.
Shadow Dragon
