CLOK BBS

So, I overheard a conversation on OOC a while back as to why anyone would ever bother actually hiring a Mercenary. The gist of it, is why pay coin when you could either get a Templar to do it for free, who could not only heal you but also protect you better, or try and hire a Dwaedn who would just kill it quicker.

As Mercenaries are supposed to be skilled tacticians, masters of warfare, I thought perhaps a series of abilities revolving around bolstering how their group functions might be interesting that only work when in a group as perhaps a means of offering as to why anyone who wasn't from Corvus would bother with them in terms of hiring.

It might not fit in with the idea behind Mercenaries perhaps, depending on whether you see them as skilled group combatants or simply trained individuals.

Only one Order should be able to be used at a time, and I'd probably see them as Toggle abilities.

Order: Focus Fire
Requirements: Tactics Mastery
The Mercenary takes to the front, directing the group's aggression against one single opponent in an attempt to remove them from the fight quickly. At the cost of a reduction to their own damage, anyone who "ASSISTS" through the Mercenary receives a bonus to theirs until toggled off.

Order: Covering Fire
Requirements: Tactics Mastery, Order: Focus Fire.
The Mercenary orders the group's ranged attacks to try and keep the enemy pinned while the melee engage. Ranged attacks automatically give a chance to "PRESS" their target while any opponent pressed suffers a penalty to all attacks.

Order: Hold the Line
Requirements: Tactics Mastery
While active, those in the engaged position will not be able to change position or try and flee from combat. However, those in melee will also gain some damage reduction.

Order: Press On
Requirements: Tactics Mastery, Adrenaline Rush
While active, the Mercenary's Adrenaline Rush restores less energy, and provides less of an attack boost but it will also effect the entire party.

Order: Flank Them
Requirements: Tactics Mastery
Changing position is generally easier for the group to manage.

..you get the idea. Also.. one last ability group based, though not in the same theme..

Weapon Tutor
Requirements: Weapon Specialization
It isn't uncommon for the more skilled Mercenaries to provide some hands on practice and demonstrations on the field, offering pointers on how to make the best use of a weapon. When only grouped with one other person, they can provide a 1% skill gain bonus to their chosen field of Weapon Specialization.

My original idea that inspired Mercenaries was a guild vaguely named "Tacticians" that would do just about exactly what you're saying, with several notes on their "Combat Orders" abilities, as well as some bonuses and additional effects in studied terrain types, and pre-combat tactics pep talks that would increase various combat skills of people in their group that were around to listen. What ended up as Mercenaries kind of got taken in a different direction, being more focused on sheer strength of arms.

I wouldn't mind reviving that idea to make them more interesting and a more useful combat group partners, but I'm not in charge of Mercenaries, so we'll have to see. I was about to make another guild to give life to my Tacticians idea (just because I thought it was awesome, and I'm not biased at all) but merging those concepts with Mercenaries would be neat, if I can convince the right people to agree.

Always an idea to try and branch the Mercenaries, like some of the Guild seems to be set up as. Those who follow the more martial aspect, and those who follow the more leadership aspect? Mercs truly do seem somewhat, while not underpowered, dull in terms of their abilities. Especially the first load that you *have* to take to even begin considering others. Spicing them up would be nice, especially if it made people actually want to hire a Mercenary.

Cause pay is pay, and a roll is a roll, and if we don't get no pay, then we don't eat no rolls. I didn't make that up.

Order: Marching Formation
Requirements: Tactics Mastery, Adrenaline Rush
When leading a group through the wilderness, the Mercenary organizes everyone into a marching formation and oversees everyone's condition. During this time, everyone gets hungry a little less quickly and has a small chance of reducing travel time.

Order: Double Time
Requirements: Marching Formation
The Mercenary hurries the group along, possibly drastically reducing travel time but increasing the energy drain and need to eat.