MERCENARY BOOK 1: MERCENARIES IN THE FAR FUTURE CREDITS CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 CLASSIC TRAVELLER Marc Miller WARFARE IN 5-DIMENSIONAL BATTLESPACE 4 KEY CONCEPTS 12 Loren Wiseman, John Harshman, Frank Chadwick, Darryl Hany, Winston Hamilton, Tony Svajlenka, Scott Renner, Doug Poe, TRAVELLERS IN A MERCENARY CAMPAIGN 19 David MacDonald, Wayne Roth, Paul R. Banner. RUNNING A MERCENARY CAMPAIGN 27 TICKETS 38 MONGOOSE TRAVELLER FORCE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT 49 Author M J Dougherty UNIT CHARACTERISTICS 55 FORCE CAPABILITY RECORD 64 Editor MISSION AND OPERATION RESOLUTION 65 Matthew Sprange RESOLVING COMBAT 73 Layout TACTICS 82 Morné Schaap, Cassie Gregory ENVIRONMENT 87 Cover art DETAILED RESOLUTION 91 Nikita Vasylchuk Interior Illustrations Nikita Vasylchuk, Cassie Gregory, Xavier Bernard, Douglas Deri TRAVELLER INNER CIRCLE Andrew James Alan Welty, Colin Dunn, M. J. Dougherty, Rob Eaglestone, Sam Wissa, Joshua Bell, Maksim Smelchak Special Thanks Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman Traveller ©2021 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. All significant characters, names, places, items, art and text herein are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Game License, please go to www.mongoosepublishing.com. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom and of the United States. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organisations, places or events is purely coincidental. Traveller is a trademark of Far Future Enterprises and is used under licence. Printed in China. TRAVELLER INTRODUCTION The word ‘mercenary’ has unpleasant connotations For the ordinary soldier, the world of the mercenary for many but, in reality, mercenaries vary as much as can be quite simple; long periods of being available any other group. A mercenary, correctly defined, is a to do what the employer wants, some training and military professional who serves a paymaster that is the occasional actual fight. Some missions are a bit not their home government. Corporate security forces tense but more or less safe, some become horrifyingly are, by definition, mercenaries as are members of a dangerous without warning. Much more time is task force raised by a multi-government consortium to spent standing ready than actually fighting and what protect aid workers. These are honourable professions happens above the mercenary’s pay grade can usually and mercenaries often outperform those who serve out be ignored. of obligation to a government. Those who lead and command mercenary formations Despite this, mercenaries are often portrayed as being live in a far more complicated world. They may have only interested in money and of dubious reliability. to take part in the fighting but, for the most part, their This is true of some, however mercenaries are in job is to balance the requirements of the employer with business like anyone else. A reputation for good service what they have actually paid for, to ensure the force in difficult circumstances allows a unit to command is capable of carrying out its mission and that there a higher fee next time around. Mercenaries are thus are no unpleasant surprises. More than one client has fighting for themselves even when they are fighting for come up with the clever idea that if the mercenaries an employer and may choose to serve a bad master were to somehow be eliminated before the end of their well for the sake of their reputation – a reputation that contract they would not have to be paid. Most would is as important as a commercial asset. not go this far but might be willing to use creatively interpreted contract clauses to wriggle out of part of Mercenaries are often misused or mistreated by a payment. The money is (usually) good but it is hard their employers. Some treat their hired solders as earned no matter whether the unit fights or not. expendable cannon fodder or inferior to ‘loyal citizens of the homeland’ or ‘warriors or the cause’. This is This book details how mercenary forces operate and a common reason for mercenary disaffection, which fight across a range of environments and Tech Levels, leads to underperformance and sometimes even along with rules on how to resolve missions and related mutiny. On the other hand, mercenaries are not incidents in the life of mercenaries. Additional rules usually involved in the local political situation and deal with larger-scale conflicts and how the focus may be more reliable than local troops. Those that can shift from a high-level picture of a theatre of war think they can subvert a mercenary force by making to a crisis point involving a handful of mercenaries. a higher offer come up against the twin barriers of In short, this volume is all about what an existing professionalism and regard for future contracts. Only mercenary unit does. For information on how to raise the most desperate would hire a mercenary unit with a and train a mercenary force, see Book 2: Running a reputation for changing sides at the drop of a cheque. Mercenary Unit. The relationship between mercenaries and their patron can be a complex balancing act for both. The mercenaries have their unit’s reputation to consider but will also be aware that they may be considered expendable. The patron must treat the mercenaries fairly if they are to remain loyal but may face criticism from their own forces for ‘favouritism’ towards outsiders. 2 3 CHAPTER-ONE WARFARE IN 5-DIMENSIONAL BATTLESPACE For the mercenary of the far future, warfare rarely takes The ‘fourth dimension’ of the modern battlespace is place on a battlefield in the conventional sense. True, the electromagnetic spectrum and, in some cases, the any engagement will have immediate surroundings that possibility of psionic abilities in the combat area. A can be considered a battlefield, or ‘battle area’, and this mercenary operating against an enemy that possesses space has the usual three dimensions of length, breadth even basic electronic devices may have to consider and height. In very simple terms, a threat or target the possibility that friendly communications are being will be a certain distance away, possibly at a different intercepted or that the enemy can obtain information elevation. In low-tech societies or when fighting the by undetectable means. Conversely, disrupting the forces of one, a mercenary might not have to think electronic and similar capabilities of the enemy can about much else. However, this is rarely the case. cause havoc in a force that depends upon them. The ‘fifth dimension’ that must be considered is Societies will adapt to the possibility of more advanced technology. Infantry are not always merely infantry, for weapons as soon as they become aware of them. example. Troops equipped with mid-tech small arms can Low-tech does not translate to dumb and many of the massacre a low-tech army under the right conditions solutions are obvious. Military formations will be more but the presence of a handful of personnel equipped dispersed and strategy will adapt as well. Raiding, with TL12 weapons might tip the balance back the economic damage and harassment are viable strategies other way. Likewise personal protection, transportation at any Tech Level, so low-tech societies might well and communications technology can be powerful ‘force adopt some form of special forces – and will obtain multipliers’ despite them do not directly increasing good weapons for them if at all possible. Asymmetric striking power. warfare will be the norm wherever technology intervenes and ‘tech recon’ of enemies is likely to be a Thus mercenaries (and other combat forces) operate standard procedure. in a complex battlespace where distance and elevation to the target are only part of the problem. A wise A team of mercenaries might arrive on a low-tech planet commander considers what advantages can be gained confident that they outgun entire nations, only to find by manipulation of the electromagnetic spectrum and there are serious opponents ready for them with mid-tech how available technology will affect the engagement. weaponry and a doctrine of raids and ambushes rather than By way of example, if an enemy with no weapons more marching obediently onto the mercenaries’ gun muzzles. advanced than a musket is defending a hilltop, a direct assault using unarmoured grav vehicles could end However, there is a limit to how much offworld the engagement in moments. If the same enemy has technology can be imported by any given state. managed to obtain a few shoulder-fired anti-vehicle The nature of war is generally dictated by logistics, weapons, and a quick course in how to use them, the personal firepower, long-range bombardment assault would be suicide. Assumptions about what the capability and communications, not necessarily enemy can and cannot do are highly dangerous. in that order. Small-scale operations may involve offworld equipment, and a scattering of imported THE EFFECTS OF devices can make a profound difference, but overall the ability to make war in the conventional sense is TECHNOLOGY limited by locally available technology. The availability of more advanced technology has a profound effect on warfare. Massed formations of infantry TL0-2 and cavalry, going at it with spear and lance, are a Hand weapons dominate at very low Tech Levels, backed staple of large-scale conflict until reliable quick-firing up by primitive projectile weaponry such as bows or firearms become available. However, if those weapons crossbows. These should not be underestimated either are available for Cr10000 a crate from the dodgy-looking in terms of range or accuracy but they are generally free trader landed at the governmental palace, the ineffective against advanced body armour or vehicles game changes overnight.