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One question that came up last time we played was this:

With the Tolkeen War and the Conflict between Free Quebec and Coalition States over, there are not much work for those big mercenary companies in North America, or is there? Smaller companies (6-20 persons) can easily find work in protecting a village or three neighboring ones. But what about those big companies that are described in Mercenaries, Merc Ops and other books. What do they do now that the wars are over?

What other conflicts/possible places of work do you guys see for these hard working Men, women, its and total weirdos in North America?

Well, if a big merc unit can't find a job that can employ the whole company, they accept smaller jobs that can be satisfied by fewer units.

If enough small jobs can't be found, merc units often resort to raids, smuggling, or other criminal enterprises to be able to make payroll.

After all, the money needs to keep coming in one way or another so that they can make payroll happen.

--flatline

There are other threats. Example Xiticix. Example vampire kingdoms.

The larger companies will break their troops up into groups that are sized for the jobs they take on. A good example would be Larson's Brigade from the book. They take on a lot of jobs with some of the larger kingdoms for defense and guarding trade caravans.

Also, at times merc companies will work with a government force behind the scenes to start a conflict that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Adventure hook...

Dunia wrote:One question that came up last time we played was this:

With the Tolkeen War and the Conflict between Free Quebec and Coalition States over, there are not much work for those big mercenary companies in North America, or is there? Smaller companies (6-20 persons) can easily find work in protecting a village or three neighboring ones. But what about those big companies that are described in Mercenaries, Merc Ops and other books. What do they do now that the wars are over?

What other conflicts/possible places of work do you guys see for these hard working Men, women, its and total weirdos in North America?

they do very little as a cohesive unit, but they rarely did beforehand. There is still plenty of room. there are stated to be some fairly large and powerful kingdoms who could afford to work for them (the kingdom of Utah, kingsdale), and there are probablly other city-states with large pocketbooks around the colorado baronies and federation of magic who could.

but as was said even in the writeups for the larger company sizes, almost no one can afford to hire the entire company outright. they divide them up into individual squads and platoons and rent them out indivdually, keeping only a certain precentage at home base as a whole at a time.

^ totaly agree.
Larsens brigade would cost you millions a day to hire the whole force.
Ask a pc how much they will lend their robot for a dat for. A cadre of mages, psionists, special forces, tanks, robots and PA's. Thats not cheap. Then the leadership, support staff, trainies come helpers.....ect. thats going to be a hige out lay of money.

boxee wrote:There are other threats. Example Xiticix. Example vampire kingdoms.

Especially Xiticix.

And the Calgary demons. (Which is where Larson is, if memory serves).

Isn't the Pecos Empire also still a thing?

Plus splugorth and horune along the coasts.

Plus....Dinosaurs!

It isn't really the lack of threats that's a problem. It's the lack of someone paying you to deal with it. There's only a few entities with a large checkbook.

Marrowlight wrote:Isn't the Pecos Empire also still a thing?

Plus splugorth and horune along the coasts.

Plus....Dinosaurs!

I thought we all agreed that Dinosaur Swamp never happened!

The big communities that attract attention typically can make enough to arm their own citizen-militias. while the smaller communities that are going to get rolled over can'tt afford to hire mercs unless they begger themselves.

There's also corporate wars....companies wanting to rub out their rivals, or protect against their rivals, or expand into territories and seize control of smaller communities by force. Northern Gun and Iron Heart, I imagine, might hire nercs to seize resources. Even Titan Robotics might hire mercs for jobs that ARCHIE-3 doesn't want traced back to his concerns(like killing Republicans).

Mack wrote:And the Calgary demons. (Which is where Larson is, if memory serves).

Was that something updated in a book after Mercenaries?

Ravenwing wrote:

Marrowlight wrote:Isn't the Pecos Empire also still a thing?

Plus splugorth and horune along the coasts.

Plus....Dinosaurs!

I thought we all agreed that Dinosaur Swamp never happened!

I am the Omega to KC's Alpha. I am....Lover Millennial Druid!

Marrowlight wrote:

Ravenwing wrote:

Marrowlight wrote:Isn't the Pecos Empire also still a thing?

Plus splugorth and horune along the coasts.

Plus....Dinosaurs!

I thought we all agreed that Dinosaur Swamp never happened!

I am the Omega to KC's Alpha. I am....Lover Millennial Druid!

Only half of us wish that England didn't happen.

Republicans what books?

Marrowlight wrote:

Ravenwing wrote:

Marrowlight wrote:Isn't the Pecos Empire also still a thing?

Plus splugorth and horune along the coasts.

Plus....Dinosaurs!

I thought we all agreed that Dinosaur Swamp never happened!

I am the Omega to KC's Alpha.

Hey, I really enjoyed Dinosaur Swamp.
It's just the power of the dinos that I have an issue with, and that wasn't Yoho's fault- that's one of the many problems caused by the New West books.

I am....Lover Millennial Druid!

I actually created a nemesis for my character 'Killer Cyborg From Heck."
She was named "The Kindly Witch from Nirvana."
(She was a HU-style cyborg)

boxee wrote:Republicans what books?

They were originally mentioned in the RMB, but in the Revised Sourcebook 1 they get a fully flushed out treatment. Read through it and make your own decision on them.


Post War on Tolkeen, I would think one of the biggest problems would in fact be the huge numbers of now unemployed mercenaries. Considering it was about the largest conflict in PA North American history, it's pretty reasonable to conclude that the area is more full of Mercenary forces than anywhere else has ever been, and once the war is over and none of them are getting paid anymore, more than a few groups are going to turn to banditry. I would expect this to be one of the main reasons/ways that mercs would be employed.

An exmple being small cities hiring mercenaries to protect them against other mercenaries who are in the area, and at the same time perhaps preventing that group from resorting to banditry itself. Larger Kingdoms, possibly even the CS, may just pay mercenaries to hunt down/guard against other mercenaries to try and thin their numbers out. Or hire (again, from the CS) 'friendly' mercenaries to follow/track down mercenaries who sided with their opposition, accomplishing both the above 'thinning out' of numbers, as well as effectively paying mercenaries to leave the area. Following the last point, this would also be a good time for kingdoms in the area (or the CS) to pay mercs to explore/adventure somewhere (perhaps anywhere) else. Scouting into Mexico/the Vampire Kingdoms gets those mercs moving away, and paying them bounties on known enemy mercs/bandits of any kind would do a lot to help the stability of the area.

Alternatively, with large groups of trained soldiers already in the area and looking for work/willing to work on the cheap, and the CS engaged in mop up in and around the Tolkeen area, this is a perfect time for other kingdoms/cities to start looking into expansion and investigation. Going after pre-Rifts ruins, excavation and guard duty (maybe the mercs are willing to work double duty as excavation personnel?).


Of course, all this assumes that the Merc company doesn't just want to be the bandits/raiders, which if they in fact are willing to do, there have got to be some great pickings. Going after refugees to rob (or being employed to escort refugees to prevent bandits from robbing them), attacking/ambushing retreating soldiers/other smaller merc groups, ect. Even going somewhere else in North America and going after the CS somewhere they may not be as well protected because of their investment into the war. Skeleton crewed outpost perhaps?

Historically speaking, "unemployed mercenary" has been pretty synonymous with "bandit" or "thug".

--flatline

Dunia wrote:One question that came up last time we played was this:

With the Tolkeen War and the Conflict between Free Quebec and Coalition States over, there are not much work for those big mercenary companies in North America, or is there? Smaller companies (6-20 persons) can easily find work in protecting a village or three neighboring ones. But what about those big companies that are described in Mercenaries, Merc Ops and other books. What do they do now that the wars are over?

What other conflicts/possible places of work do you guys see for these hard working Men, women, its and total weirdos in North America?

Rifts is a land of conflict any merc company can likely find work if they are competent. Just in NA alone you have some of the following.

Protecting tolkeen refugees and helping guard them as they establish a new city/cities.
Anti spluggorth actions as the splugorth the splugorth are showing up more and more with the unrest in tolkeen lots of twitchy city states will bolster their forces in fear of potential invasion and also potentially funding expeditions to the east coast to fend off splugorth settlements.

Standard anti raider operations the pecos bandits are untouched by all the unrest in the north and are just as active as ever and as more places in the tacitly CS new states along the southern mississippi likely will use mercs to bolster defense forces until the CS gets a more firm hold over the territories.

Anti vampire operations along the southern states.

Standard protection jobs vs the various other states in the area hell after what happened to tolkeen many midsized cities of magic like the colorado baronies may be using large merc forces to temporarily bolster their forces until they see if the CS are going to keep rolling after tolkeen or go back to their previous footing prior to the war.

Another option is that in the semi-lawlessness and chaos of the post-Tolkeen war world, a mercenary group may be able to take ownership of a town/city of their own. Perhaps guarding an existing town/city against other mercs/bandits puts them in a position to turn the city into their own base of operations, or even escorting a large group of refugees/guarding them somewhere creates a temporary encampment which cold become permanent.

With large, mobile populations and areas looking for potentially long term protection, a mercenary group could just become the military of an town/city. A small town of a few thousand people recieving an influx of twice it's original population of refugees would be amess, and trained and disciplined mercenaries with equipment and resources could easily step in and oversee this settlement and the creation of a new town/city. Although there is not any instant 'get paid X1000cr', if you have the money/resources, setting up a company town which you control and can use as a base of operations or even the center of your own kingdowm has long term gain all over it.

Eashamahel wrote:Another option is that in the semi-lawlessness and chaos of the post-Tolkeen war world, a mercenary group may be able to take ownership of a town/city of their own. Perhaps guarding an existing town/city against other mercs/bandits puts them in a position to turn the city into their own base of operations, or even escorting a large group of refugees/guarding them somewhere creates a temporary encampment which cold become permanent.

With large, mobile populations and areas looking for potentially long term protection, a mercenary group could just become the military of an town/city. A small town of a few thousand people recieving an influx of twice it's original population of refugees would be amess, and trained and disciplined mercenaries with equipment and resources could easily step in and oversee this settlement and the creation of a new town/city. Although there is not any instant 'get paid X1000cr', if you have the money/resources, setting up a company town which you control and can use as a base of operations or even the center of your own kingdowm has long term gain all over it.

Yup pretty much the merc town option. Large forces brought in for protection that the locals may no longer be able/willing to pay wind up defacto rulers of city states and if they are not total bastards the protection a large merc company can provide to a town is probably worth any of the headachs that come along with mercs.

Very similiar to the original RIFTS setting idea of a single Champion/protector of a town, often a retired adventurer/mercenary. I think the old description of the Glitterboy talks about this, and I am pretty sure there is an example of a retired GB running a town in Vampire Kingdoms.

As RIFTS scales up, this concept does as well, and now there are merc groups doing the same thing old single adventurers did.

Eashamahel wrote:Very similiar to the original RIFTS setting idea of a single Champion/protector of a town, often a retired adventurer/mercenary. I think the old description of the Glitterboy talks about this, and I am pretty sure there is an example of a retired GB running a town in Vampire Kingdoms.

As RIFTS scales up, this concept does as well, and now there are merc groups doing the same thing old single adventurers did.

Well remember for any city or town state that can afford some mercs there are probably 10 or 100 villages that are so small that the old one guardian/protector for the town still works well enough. The main change over time is showing that there are more moderate sized towns small cities than originally were thought so there is more of a niche out there for bigger merc forces.

Rifts will never run out of mercary work.
Their whould always be roving bands of bandits.
Major supernatural threats that no hereo is around to take care of or to big for hereos to take care.
Convoy escorts.
Small kingdoms not getting allong.
Recovery of stullen goods.
Even spies for hire.

If there where no merc works that means their whould be no hereo/adventure work either.

Blue_Lion wrote:Rifts will never run out of mercary work.
Their whould always be roving bands of bandits.

As long as there are mercenaries, there will be bandits since banditry is how mercenaries often support themselves in between contracts.

--flatline

flatline wrote:

Blue_Lion wrote:Rifts will never run out of mercary work.
Their whould always be roving bands of bandits.

As long as there are mercenaries, there will be bandits since banditry is how mercenaries often support themselves in between contracts.

--flatline

ssshhhh That is called job secerty.

Blue_Lion wrote:Convoy escorts.
If there where no merc works that means their whould be no hereo/adventure work either.

Convoy Escorts is probably one of the most numerous jobs available for mercenary work in my games, followed by bounty hunting.

Icefalcon wrote:

Blue_Lion wrote:Convoy escorts.
If there where no merc works that means their whould be no hereo/adventure work either.

Convoy Escorts is probably one of the most numerous jobs available for mercenary work in my games, followed by bounty hunting.

What (insert kingdome X) is not hiring them to poke the bear (kingdom Y) then tring to gip them out of pay. Oh wait doing that every other mission is bad GMing.

Yea convoy esscorts whould be verry popular. Heck it is one of the leading merc jobs today.

Don't forget that some mercenaries can be hired to commit industrial espionage or sabotage (like stealing NG secrets for the Black Market).

Icefalcon wrote:Don't forget that some mercenaries can be hired to commit industrial espionage or sabotage (like stealing NG secrets for the Black Market).

As in spies for hire?

Blue_Lion wrote:

Icefalcon wrote:Don't forget that some mercenaries can be hired to commit industrial espionage or sabotage (like stealing NG secrets for the Black Market).

As in spies for hire?

Pretty much exactly that. They could also do it the violent way by smashing into an isolated research building and taking what they are looking for by force (called a smash and grab). Another way of accomplishing this goal is to kidnap a project leader (like a scientist or engineer) to turn over to the rival company.

I know most people think of mercenaries as just hired muscle used to beat up whoever comes along but that is not all they are good for. Most mercenary companies are highly trained individuals akin to any military or intelligence agency. This means that they not only carry out combat operations but can be used for delicate operations such as espionage, theft, kidnapping, hostage rescue or even police work. Add to that fact that in Rifts, you can add magic users and psychics to the mix as well as D-Bees and mutants (all of which bring their own unique skill/power sets to the trade). Further, take into account the number of monsters roaming the planet by this point and then think of how much of a service it would be to hunt them so that they do not bother farmers or other locals (who may only be able to pay with food crops but hey at least the mercs will be able to eat).

Now any mercenary company that intends to last will need to start keeping a few important people around (like an armorer to fix armor and weapons or an operator to fix vehicles and power armor) to keep the group going. They will not always be able to afford those type of services when business is slow. Why do I mention this? Because by having these types of experts in the group, it also opens up other job options when a mercenary company comes rolling through. Maybe a town does not have a mechanic who can fix that single Glitter Boy that defends the town and they hire the merc company to fix it and at the same guard the town until it is operational again. There are many more experts and examples that could be used (such as a doctor being useful EVERYWHERE) but I will leave that up to individual GM's to decide.

Icefalcon wrote:Maybe a town does not have a mechanic who can fix that single Glitter Boy that defends the town and they hire the merc company to fix it and at the same guard the town until it is operational again.

I think the town would be hesitant to tell the mercenaries that they have a glitter boy for fear that the mercs would take it from them. Unless, of course, the town has some positive history with the mercs or some other reason to trust them.

--flatline

flatline wrote:

Icefalcon wrote:Maybe a town does not have a mechanic who can fix that single Glitter Boy that defends the town and they hire the merc company to fix it and at the same guard the town until it is operational again.

I think the town would be hesitant to tell the mercenaries that they have a glitter boy for fear that the mercs would take it from them. Unless, of course, the town has some positive history with the mercs or some other reason to trust them.

--flatline

True enough. I hadn't even delved into the whole trust issue as far as the town and mercenaries are concerned. It could be that guarding the town a while would be a trial leading up to them asking for repairs of the GB.

I was more trying to provide examples of the kinds of things that a mercenary could do other than just fight the bad guy of the week.

Indeed. Not everyone is an opportunist looking for their next free lunch.

Alrik Vas wrote:Indeed. Not everyone is an opportunist looking for their next free lunch.

True, but because some people are opportunists, until you have reason to believe that a particular person is not an opportunist, it is safer to assume they are and protect your interests accordingly.

Trust is earned.

--flatline

flatline wrote:

Alrik Vas wrote:Indeed. Not everyone is an opportunist looking for their next free lunch.

True, but because some people are opportunists, until you have reason to believe that a particular person is not an opportunist, it is safer to assume they are and protect your interests accordingly.

Trust is earned.

--flatline

True and earning that trust in various towns can be the basis for a whole campaign for mercenaries.

At least on Rifts Earth, that's where a Mercenary Company's 'reputation' comes in when creating the group.

1. Xiticix Anti Encroachment squads

2. Supply runners to Dbee enclaves inside CS territory

3. Scouts into the great northeastern wilderness of north America

4. Reconnaissance regarding the wild psi stalkers

5. Vampire elimination teams of the Southwest

When times are good for Mercenaries it's probably bad for CS recruiting. When times are bad for Mercenaries it's probably good for CS recruiting.

Dont forget bounty hunting. When you cant find a large job you can split %s of your crew off to hunt down people. Heck if the target is skilled enough or worth the problems you can recruit them.
Some one with a 250k to a million credit has got to have earned that bounty through some level of dangerous that might be worht keeping around. Inless you know its due to just reckless murderuss abandon.

Not sure if it has been said but there are still the remnants of Tolkeen that would hire mercs for small operations against CS. And CS, being weakened as it is, probably be more than willing to get mercs to do their dirty work attacking the Xiticix, Free Quebec, Lazlo, and pretty much anyone else on their Enemies of Humanity list (though the mercs would probably not even realize the CS hired them). Lazlo would also hire mercs for anti-Xiticix operations. And of course across the pond Triax always needs new mercs to fight Gargoyles. Federation of Magic, or rather the Brass City, would probably, secretly, hire mercs. The Republicans, another group that would be hush-hush about hiring mercs, need someone to kill ARCHIE without committing their own forces. There are also city-states not mentioned in the book (AKA GM created) that might war with one another.

And then there are the Minion Wars.

Yeah, there is basically no shortage of people who want to kill and/or screw each other over. So long as strife exists between people who don't have proper training (or manpower or can't be directly involved), mercenaries will make a living.

Yes, I would like you to guard this caravan travelling 50 mile across the desert. O and of course a 13% discount on e clip recharging, sorry armor repair and replacement is not covered.

say652 wrote:Yes, I would like you to guard this caravan travelling 50 mile across the desert. O and of course a 13% discount on e clip recharging, sorry armor repair and replacement is not covered.

If you want me to rob your caravan instead of guard it all you have to do is ask. You don't have to insult me with your offer.

50 miles? Rifts earth isn't that hostile a place

Job offer #2 get injected with zombie flu use fake papers to infiltrate chi-town. Dead reign in Chi-town !