MERCENARY CONTRACTING

Often, traditional work doesn’t appeal to adventurers, who crave a little more excitement, even during their offweeks. Those characters might prefer to engage in mercenary work.

RESOURCES

Working as a mercenary requires one week of downtime, as well as 100 credits to seek out an available job.

RESOLUTION

The character must make at least one, but up to three ability checks as appropriate to the contract they take. The GM might call for a Charisma (Intimidation) check if the character as working as an enforcer, a Strength (Athletics) check if working as a guard, or an Intelligence (Investigation) check if the character is working as a detective. If the character makes more than one check, they can choose the highest value amongst all checks made. However, for each check made beyond the first, the DC for each tier increases by 5.

Mercenary Contracting Roll Modifier

Ability Check DC	d100 Roll Modifier
10	+5
15	+10
20	+15
25	+20
30	+25

The d100 Roll Modifier is added to the percentile dice rolled for the Mercenary Contracting Results table, which is discussed below.

For instance, if the character makes a Charisma (Intimidation) check, and the result is 20, they can elect to keep that check, resulting in +15 mercenary contracting roll modifier. If the character makes an Intelligence (Investigation) check, and the result is a 4, however, they can choose to repeat the check. If the result of that check is a 16, and the character elects to keep it, they receive a +5 mercenary contracting roll modifier, since the DC for each tier increased by 5 after the first check. If the character elects to make three checks, with the results being 9, 10, and 18, however, they fail to meet a DC, since the DC for each tier increased by 5 for each subsequent check. In this instance, since they failed to meet a DC, they fail to find a job.

Once the player has determined their mercenary contracting roll modifier, they then roll percentile dice and consult the Mercenary Contract Results table below.

Mercenary Contracting Results

d100	Result
40 or lower	The character finds a job, but fails to complete it successfully and goes unpaid.
41-70	You complete a relatively simple job, earning 250 cr.
71-100	You complete a moderately difficult job, earning 500 cr.
101-110	You complete an exceptionally difficult task, earning 1,250 cr.
111 or higher	You complete an insanely difficult task, earning 5,000 cr and a favor from your employer.

COMPLICATIONS

Mercenary work varies drastically in how eventful it can be. A character spending a week mercenary contracting has a 10 percent chance of triggering a complication. They have an additional 10 percent chance of triggering a complication for each check made during Resolution beyond the first.

This is a great opportunity to create a rival to the party, or involve a previous rival.

Mercenary Contracting Complications

d6	Complication
1	You manage to offend a bystander with an innocuous comment, and it turns out they’re important.
2	You have a run-in with the law.
3	You beat out another individual who wanted your job, earning their ire.
4	Your boss works for a local criminal organization, and insists you perform further work for them.
5	Another person offers to pay you to fail in your task.
6	You are forced into a physical altercation, resulting in a scar.

UPTIME

While mercenary contracting is a common endeavor in any campaign, it is better executed using the three pillars of adventuring. The GM can determine that complications arise, as appropriate.