Mercenary

Breaks organic and inorganic things.

Small humanoid rodent picking a fight with a flying rocket-laden, gun-toting cop in powered armour.

Hi-tech merc vs lo-tech merc.

They are the fighters, the tough gals, and the expedition’s paramilitary types. Mercenaries are hardy, ready-to-fight sorts. Mercs are valuable for the clutter of combat tasks that they possess. They represent the raw meat that is essential to the survival of an expedition in combat. Mercs do not personally regard themselves as dog meat.

If your game requires attribute thresholds for vocations, a mercenary’s HPM must meet, orbeat, 40.

Knowledge

Mercenary knowledge is concerned with inflicting damage on organic and inorganic objects. Interests are broad areas in which the mercenary excels, such as combat or tactics. Mercenary expertise is narrower like pistols or grenades. Interests and expertise assist the persona with her tasks.

Interests

These are broad areas of interest that the mercenary has. Combat interests will assist the persona in any combat-related tasks she is undertaking. For example, tasks related to shooting a lazer gun or throwing a grenade would benefit from combat interests. Tactical interests are the officer side of executing tasks related to the bigger picture of a battle. If the mercenary wants to avoid an ambush or organize a room entry plan, she calls on her tactical interests.

At startup, the player gets one roll per three points of INT. Each interest includes an area of expertise as well. After startup, the player can roll or choose one additional interest per new EXPS level.

**Mercenary Interests Table**
Broad areas of mercenary interest.
Die Roll	Interest
01-41	Combat
42-80	Tactics
81-89	Specialist
90-99	Extra Roll
00	Ref’s Own Table
Die Roll	Interest
1 per 3 INT at startup. +1 per additional level.
Player may choose their interests.

Combat

This interest is about weapons. Combat interests lead to combat tasks that are usually weapon-specific. Combat interests can assist the persona when making task rolls related to combat tasks. For example, if the persona is making a task roll for ambidextrous combat, the combat interests will help.

Tactical

Tactical interests assist the mercenary regarding decisions that do not affect direct combat. For example, artillery use or planning an ambush are tactical interests.

Specialist

These are special interests that do not involve combat or tactical interests. For example, knocking open a door, or combat in zero gravity can benefit from special interests. These are not special ops interests per se, but many of the special tasks fall into those categories.

Expertise

Expertise represents much more specific knowledge than interests and can refer to a specific weapon type or a specific task. An expertise assists the persona in completing task rolls related to the task. A mercenary gets one expertise per corresponding interest. So combat interests will earn the persona a combat expertise as well.

Combat

Combat expertise assists the persona on any attack rolls she makes with the described weapon. The expertise would also help the persona when making an uncombat task roll. The combat expertise Pistols, Flotto would give an attack roll bonus when using any flotto pistol. The Pistols, Flotto expertise would also give a task bonus when cleaning or unjamming a flotto pistol.

The player makes one roll per interest at startup and gets an additional roll for each new EXPS level.

**Mercenary Combat Expertise Table**
Combat Expertise
Die Roll (1d100)	Expertise
01-05	Hand to Hand: Striking
06-10	Hand to Hand: Thrusting
11-15	Hand to Hand: Flinging
16-20	Hand to Hand: Unarmed
21-24	Pistols: Revolver
25-28	Pistols: Sotto
29-32	Pistols: Flotto
33-36	Pistols: Energized
37-40	Pistols: Energized: Flotto
41-44	Pistols: Energized: Sotto
45-48	Rifles: Pump, Bolt Action
49-52	Rifles: Sotto
53-56	Rifles: Flotto
57-58	Rifles: Energized
59-62	Rifles: Energized: Sotto
63-66	Rifles: Energized: Flotto
67-72	Aerosols
73-75	Ambidextrous
76-78	Bolster
79-81	Divide Attacks
82-87	Mayhem
88-93	Grenades
94-96	Snap Reload
97-99	Extra Roll
00	Ref’s Own Table
Die Roll	Expertise
Startup: 1 per Interest. +1 per additional EXPS level.
Player may choose their interests.

Combat weapon expertise are cumulative and separable. So a persona with Rifles: Flotto and Rifles: Pump would have Rifles 2, Flotto 1 and Pump 1. The expertise with flotto and pump action rifles is 3, and 2 with any other rifle.

Each combat expertise gives +20 to her attack roll.

When using the tactical combat rules and kilodie attack rolls, the player adds +20 per combat expertise. The player above adds +60 with flotto and bolt-action rifles attack rolls and +40 with any other rifle attack roll. These bonuses allow the player to exceed the persona’s Max Roll.

Tactical

Tactical expertise gives the player a bonus when making applicable task rolls. Some of the tactical expertise give attack roll bonuses. Most tactical expertise reflects logistics, and area of effect weapons use.

**Mercenary Tactical Expertise Table**
Tactical Expertise
Die Roll (1d100)	Expertise
01-05	Ambush
06-10	Artillery
11-15	Artillery, Naval
16-20	Biome
21-25	Bombs
26-30	Buildings, Civilian
31-35	Buildings, Tactical
36-40	Comms
41-45	Defence
46-50	Drones
51-55	Extrication
56-60	Logistics
61-65	Personnel
66-70	Prevarication
71-75	Quartermaster
76-80	Surveillance
81-83	Vehicles, aerial
84-85	Vehicles, exatmo
86-94	Vehicles, ground
95-96	Vehicles, submerged
97-99	Extra Roll
00	Ref’s Own Table
Die Roll	Expertise
Startup: 1 per Interest. +1 per additional EXPS level.
Player may choose their expertise.

Specialist

Specialist expertise gives the persona a bonus on tasks that are neither tactical nor combat. However, this expertise can definitely be used in combat situations. For example, the submerged expertise will assist the persona in any underwater tasks.

**Mercenary Specialist Expertise Table**
Specialist expertise
Die Roll (1d100)	Expertise
01-07	Ambush
08-14	Biome
15-21	Demolitions
22-25	Exatmo
26-38	Field mech
39-53	Field vet
54-61	Force entry
62-65	Hi Gravity (HIG)
66-69	Low Gravity (LOG)
70-72	Powered Armour
73-80	Sapper
81-88	Submersed
89-96	Zero Gravity (ZOG)
97-99	Extra Roll
00	Ref’s Own Table
Die Roll	Expertise
Startup: 1 per Interest. +1 per additional EXPS level.
Player may choose their interests.
Field vet = Quick Fix. Field mech = Quick Repair combat only

Gifts

The mercenary gifts are tasks at which the persona automatically succeeds.

**Mercenary Gifts Table**
Gifts are tasks that require no task roll.
EXPS Level	Gifts	Recommendation
1	One. Choose a Trivial task (<25DD).	Proficiency
3	Two. Add a Normal task (<43DD).	Bolster
6	Three. Add a Hard task (<85DD).	Running Cover
9	Four. Add a Tough task (<127DD).	Dodge, Grenade
12	Five. Add an Impossible task (<200DD).	Falling
EXPS Level	Gifts	Recommendation
A mercenary gift was previously called an action.
A player may create a bespoke gift.

Tasks

Tasks are things that the persona does. The player uses her persona knowledge to improve the chance of completing a task. The persona can have special tasks called gifts that they automatically succeed at. Mercenary gifts are called actions.

Mercenary tasks can involve anything martial. Merc tasks are mostly action based and reflect destruction, or support destruction.

For the intricate details of how to resolve tasks in EXP jump to Task Rolls.

Compendium

A non-exhaustive list of mercenary tasks arranged by increasing difficulty.

**Mercenary Task Compendium**
A non-exhaustive list of mercenary tasks arranged by increasing difficulty.
Task	Difficulty	Description
Trivial
Salute	12	Gesticulate deference to superior.
Easy
Proficiency	24	Use any personal weapon as an expertise.
Ambidextrous, Pistols	24	Use two pistols at once, no penalty.
Snap Reload	24	Reload a weapon without time loss.
Snap Unjam	24	Unjam a weapon without time loss.
Breach, Civilian	24	Destructively remove a civilian door.
Bolster	36	Move attack bonus points to defence (DEF).
Conscious	36	Remain conscious when HPS are negative.
Normal
Divide	42	Split attack bonus between attack rolls.
Ambush Ambivalence	42	Act during ambush as if no ambush.
Safe Shot, Grenade	42	Fling a grenade to avoid one target.
Ambidextrous, Striking	42	Use two striking weapons no penalty.
Flanking	42	Achieve flanking bonuses.
Deflank	64	Remove attacker flanking bonus.
Running Cover	64	Run, and maintain, full Defence rating.
Hard
Ambidextrous, Rifles	84	Use two rifles at once no penalty.
Safe Shot, Aerosol	84	Maneuver an aerosol to avoid one target.
Ambidextrous, Grenades	84	Use two grenades at once no penalty.
Dodge Grenade	100	Half kinetic HPS damage from grenade.
Tough
Ambidextrous, Fling	126	Use two fling weapons no penalty.
Dodge Artillery	100	Half kinetic HPS damage from artillery.
Impossible
Falling	168	Perform any less difficult task while falling.
Bizarre
Dodge Bomb	242	Avoid bomb damage.
Task	Difficulty	Description

List

This is a list of the tasks from the compendium, but presented in alphabetical order.

**Mercenaries Task List**
A non-exhaustive alpha ordered list.
Skill	Difficulty	Description
Ambidextrous, Fling	126	Use two striking weapons no penalty.
Ambidextrous, Grenades	84	Use two grenades at once no penalty.
Ambidextrous, Pistols	24	Use two pistols at once no penalty.
Ambidextrous, Rifles	84	Use two rifles at once no penalty.
Ambidextrous, Striking	42	Use two striking weapons no penalty.
Ambush Ambivalence	42	Act during ambush as if no ambush.
Bolster	36	Move attack bonus points to defence (DEF).
Breach, Civilian	24	Destructively remove a civilian locked door.
Conscious	36	Remain conscious when HPS are negative.
Deflank	64	Remove attacker flanking bonus.
Divide	42	Split attack bonus between attack rolls.
Dodge Artillery	100	Half kinetic HPS damage from artillery.
Dodge Bomb	242	Avoid bomb damage.
Dodge Grenade	100	Half kinetic HPS damage from grenade.
Falling	168	Do any lesser difficult task while falling.
Flanking	42	Achieve flanking bonuses.
Proficiency	24	Use a personal weapon as skilled.
Running Cover	64	Run and maintain full Defence rating.
Safe Shot, Aerosol	84	Maneuver an aerosol to avoid one target.
Safe Shot, Grenade	42	Fling a grenade to avoid one target.
Salute	12	Gesticulate deference to superior.
Snap Reload	24	Reload a weapon without time loss.
Snap Unjam	24	Unjam a weapon without time loss.
Skill	Difficulty	Description

Experience

The benefits of increasing experience levels are more weapon expertise and improved success with task rolls. Mercenaries earn experience points for completing task rolls and role-playing within their vocation. Mercenaries gain 110% of combat EXPS earned.

**Mercenary Experience Table**
Violence begets better violence.
Experience Points	Experience Level
1-2000	1
2001-4000	2
4001-8000	3
8001-18000	4
18001-35000	5
35001-70000	6
70001-125000	7
125001-250000	8
250001-500000	9
500001-800000	10
300000	Experience points per level above 10th.
Experience Points	Experience Level