Merc's

Ferocious sell-swords who save their fighting for when they're getting paid. For the right commission they will take on the down and dirty work. These warriors are battle hardened and deadly. Highly skilled in efficient use of all armor and weapons. Competition between Mercenary bands is very fierce. Each identifiable by the colors they wear. Mercenary Corps are employed by both the just and the ruthless alike and it is not uncommon for a Merc to find himself fighting for a righteous cause one day only to be opposite side, indiscriminately killing the very same people they previously served.

All Mercs honor their contracts less they find themselves out of work.

 

Prime Attribute: Strength 13+ (the character gains a +5% experience bonus if their Prime Attribute is 13 or higher.)
Hit Dice: 1d8/level (a Merc gains 2 hp/level after 9th.)
Armor/Shield Permitted: Mercs are able to use any armor or shield effectively.
Weapons Permitted: Mercs are able to use any weapon effectively.
Race: Any race may become Mercs.

Table: Mercenary Advancement

Level	Experience Points Required for Level	Hit Dice (d8)*	Saving Throw
1	0	1	14
2	2,000	2	13
3	4,000	3	12
4	8,000	4	11
5	16,000	5	10
6	32,000	6	9
7	64,000	7	8
8	128,000	8	7
9	256,000	9	6
10	350,000	9+2 hp	5
11	450,000	9+4 hp	4
12	550,000	9+6 hp	4
13	650,000	9+8 hp	4
14	750,000	9+10 hp	4
15	850,000	9+12 hp	4
16	950,000	9+14 hp	4
17	1,050,000	9+16 hp	4
18	1,150,000	9+18 hp	4
19	1,250,000	9+20 hp	4
20	1,350,000	9+22 hp	4
21+	+100,000 per level	+2 hp/level	4

CLASS ABILITIES

Multiple Attacks
A Merc may make one attack per Fighter level he possesses each round against creatures with 1 HD or less.

Parry
Mercs with a Dexterity score of 14 or better can fight on the defensive, parrying enemy blows and dodging attacks, as shown on Table: Mercenary Parrying Ability below.

Sunder Shield
A Merc actively using a shield can choose to sunder their shield to avoid damage from a single attack.

Table: Mercenary Parrying Ability

Dexterity Score	Penalty to Enemy Attacks
14	-1
15	-2
16	-3
17	-4
18	-5

Strength Bonuses
Unlike most other classes, Mercs with a high Strength score can have bonuses to hit and on damage.

Establish Stronghold (9th)
At 9th level, a Merc may establish a stronghold and attract a body of men-at-arms who will swear their loyalty to the character as their liege for the right price. Mercs will become more powerful and influential as the number of such followers increases. The stronghold will likely be a small territory carved from the wilderness, held as a Mercenary freehold by the character.

For the White Box version of this class click here: