Hirelings of any kind, including men-at-arms, will never venture into a dungeon1) of Dungeon Level 4 challenge or higher.2) This is a game mechanic similar to a paladin's alignment restrictions; there will be no “tricking” hirelings, they simply won't go in.
Hirelings will venture into dungeons and dungeon-like areas if they are paid the daily “hazardous duty” wage.3) The above rule regarding Dungeon Level 4 applies.
When the DM doesn't know the alignment of men-at-arms, it's recommended to use the following table from the Heroic Legendarium, which we feel provides for a good spread of alignments for mercenary-types:Ex
d20 | Alignment |
---|---|
1 | LG |
2 | NG |
3-4 | CG |
5-8 | LN |
9-12 | NN |
13-14 | CN |
15-17 | LE |
18-19 | NE |
20 | CE |
If the DM feels this is too far from the official books, the alignment table on DMG 100 can be used instead.
Furthermore, an override die can be applied to enact a 2-in-6 chance to override the rolled alignment with the typical alignment of the settlement. Thereby, a settlement which tends for example lawful evil will have a higher proportion of mercenaries of that alignment.
Prospective employers may get a feeling for alignment but will not be sure without magic.
The nature of hiring men-at-arms will be specific to the milieu. If no other process is defined by the DM, the following can be used:Ex
PCs can discover what men-at-arms are available in a settlement on a given week by spending d3 hours in a tavern.4) The following table lists the number of rolls which are to be made on the DMG 30 table.
Settlement Size | Weekly Men-at-Arms Rolls |
---|---|
Thorpe | 25% chance for 1 roll. Maximum of d3 individuals. |
Hamlet | 50% chance for 1 roll. Maximum of d3+2 individuals. |
Village | 1 roll. |
Town | 2 rolls. |
City | 3 rolls. |
Men-at-arms who are hired for daily duty (i.e. when the monthly rate is instead paid daily), the men-at-arms will be mercenaries who already have their own equipment. Men-at-arms who are hired at the monthly rate will require housing, food, and equipment to be supplied by the employer. In effect, there are two types then: for-hire mercenaries, and long-term soldiers.Ex
The DM will need to declare the loadouts of hired men-at-arms who are hired on a daily basis. DMG 16 is a great page for this. We typically assign one of these loadouts to all men-at-arms in a group. In cases where multiple loadouts are listed, such as heavy infantry, we roll randomly. It is recommended that the DM add variation in weapons and armor from time-to-time.
We have adopted the command control system from OD&D.Ex5)
When characters hire hirelings and a lot of them die, hirelings will be less enthusiastic about employment with those characters.
If characters employed a group of hirelings from a settlement out of whom half or more failed to return from an expedition in the last 3 months, any group of hirelings at that settlement will require a positive reaction roll from the prospective employer. Failure indicates that group of hirelings reject employment. Any who do accept will demand double pay.
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