5 bands of mercenaries for your games

10 Jun, 2025

CW: War Crimes. Slavery. Military. Mentions of Sexual Abuse.

Introduction

Each of these may be placed into most fantasy worlds with little work to adjust them. Each is a major force, hired by entire free cities or kings to wage their war. Each has their own specialist troops, their own organization and their own idiosynchracies.

Spells mentioned are at the end of the post, outside of the most obvious ones like Blink and Scry.

I am assuming morale checks rolled with 2d6, with a result higher than morale meaning a rout.

Immortal Legion

They number:

• 4000 Immortals (1! HD (the ! means that HD are supernatural), undead infantrymen wielding spears and shields as well as bows, wearing heavy armour. They march forward, in a tight formation, completely disciplined (Morale 12). During the fight, they are as one. Outside of it, or if in groups unled by Standard-Bearers, their personalities shine through.
• 300 Necrocentaurs (5! HD), undead cavalry wielding lances, lacking in armour depending on their nigh-indestructability. Morale 8 (they have large parts of horses built-in, and those are panic machines).
• 200 Shepherds of the Dead (1! HD), wearing robes and wielding Shepherd's Crooks, have 2 MD and usually have prepared Resurrect Undead and Undying Fury. Robed worshippers of The Horned Skull, made undead while still alive. They keep to the backside of the troops, supporting them with their spells and fleeing if endangered (Morale 6) After the battle they walk among the corpses, resurrecting the fallen Immortals and carrying the better corpses to the Standard-Bearers for recruitment, and the worse ones to throw into the Unholy Masses.
• 40 Standard-Bearers (2! HD), armored in plates that are fused to their bodies, wielding Standards of The Horned Skull on their pikes (all undead who can see such a standard have +2 to hit). These are the elite leaders of The Immortals, chosen from the best warriors among them. They regain their individuality completely (Morale 10), given the ability to make the best tactical decisions at a given moment. Most are quite proud, due to their decades of accomplishments. If a body is wrapped in a Standard of The Horned Skull like in a funereal caul, it will arise at dusk as an Immortal.
• 10 Unholy Masses (5!+1d4! HD) Siege weapons, able to crush a man with a single strike (save or die if threatened by a direct hit), they absorb corpses of the fallen to become even bigger or regenerate their wounds (gain 1 HD per 10 corpses "eaten", the limit being 10). They are mindless, used as a mix of a tank, a moving shield and a battering ram.

Their leader is The Horned Skull, a minor divinity held in their camps, taking the form of a horned skull on a stick. It desires blood to be spilled, the simplest of sacrifices. In return it grants immortality. It is a decent strategist, although it leaves most of the tactics to the Standard-Bearers themselves.

The Immortals are all undead, thus needing no supply lines and able to besiege a city for years without issue, or wage war in enemy teritorry without resupply and throughout the winter. They also have a powerful effect against enemy morale, with many fleeing to avoid falling in battle with an enemy that will desecrate their bodies. They are also known as loyal, The Horned Skull disliking betrayal of those who hire it.

The Immortals do not sleep, do not drink, do not eat, and do not fuck. Thus, the soldiers have a problem on what to do with their money. Games of chance are common, as is extravagant clothing. There is always some group of musicians following the undead, who pay great sums for their music, as they can still enjoy it. Some also keep pets, as reminders of what it was like to be alive. Their leaders allow it as a reward for their good service; there were no mutinies or unplanned retreats for the last 200 years.

Burning Men

They number:

• 1500 Tungsten Men (1 HD), AC as Scale but fire immune, wielding asbestos nets, flaming swords (they break on a fumble) and a bag of Dragonfire (fantasy napalm, 1d6 fire damage per round as long as you are in contact, burns for 10 minutes) each. They often coat themselves with the Fire, walking straight into enemy lines. That being said, they often lose discipline if faced with enemies who do not start running after seeing that display (Morale 7). Slower than most troops, due to the heaviness of fireproof armour.
• 250 Riders of the Apocalypse (1 HD), AC as Leather but fire resistant, wielding pikes, which they use to keep the enemies in the fire, as well as asbestos bows with burning arrows laced with gunpowder (spew more fire for 3 rounds after hitting a target, dealing 1d4 extra fire damage during each). They ride on Draconic Slivers (2 HD), AC as Scale (fireproof), claws as greataxes, capable of spewing globs of Dragonfire. Both the riders and the beasts are well-disciplined, used to hellish situations. They have fire in their eyes (Morale 9), and burn-scars on their cheeks.
• 250 Firespewers (1 HD), AC as Leather but fire resistant, wielding shortswords and experimental handgonnes (they explode on a natural 1, covering the shooter with the dragonfire) loaded with flammable grenades (cover a circle of ~5 m with dragonfire), which they can shoot at a range of a longbow. This is a job for an even more insane person than a rider (Morale 9) - the pay is almost as good as that of the Chosen Ones, though, and they are insured for any maiming sustained due to the fire of their weapons.
• 300 Chosen Ones (3 HD), AC as Plate but fireproof(the proofing is inherrent to them, not the armour), wielding Halberds or Longswords. Well-bloodied (Morale 9), these are the elite troops who are Changed by their contact with the dragons and their magics, mutated into human-dragon hybrids. Each has pledged their allegiance to one of the Dragons, their body changed to reflect it.
• 100 Draconic Magicians (1 HD), Leather armor (inherrently fireproof), Armed with shortswords and slingshots and 2 MD of spells (2 out of the list of Awaken Fire, Elemental Fire, Fireproof and Freezing Fire), who are abandoning their humanity to become closer to the dragons, in an attempt to gain immortality and power.
• 4 Dragons, their leaders

Their leaders are The Council of Four, Four old dragons who have decided to form the company, as a method to accquire more of the treasures they desire. (each dragon's claws deal 2d12 damage) The dragons are:

• THE LEARNED ONE (6! HD, may only be permanently killed by people who have made a scientific discovery(even a minor one will suffice)), who spews an intelligent fire (that continues to pursue enemies for 3 rounds after escaping his mouth) and hoards knowledge, an entire library held inside his mind(he never forgets). He is a scholar, although he doesn't discover much for himself, he is also the accountant of the draconic forces. Has 3 MD, has Elemental Fire, Scry and Blink prepared, knows many more spells.
• THE CONQUEROR WORM (8! HD, may only be permanently killed by landed nobility (even a tiny sliver will suffice)), who spews Elemental Fire (2d6 damage as long as you are lit by it, and it burns people who are fire immune as if they were only resistant, it is even capable of melting stone) and hoards treasure, which takes up 2 entire wagons. He only cares about gaining more, the old school kind of a dragon. He is the main siege weapon, and is seen as dimwitted by the other dragons.
• THE DEVOURER OF MANKIND (7! HD, may only be permanently killed by a person who didn't eat any solid meal for the last 3 days), who spews Selective Fire (1d6 damage, but only if the dragon wants you to be hurt) and hoards fear (in the form of slaves). She fetishises eating them, but rarely actually does that as the prefers the fear of a slave thinking they are going to be eaten to actually eating them. She is the main leader of the mercenaries, and plans on creating a country that she can then terrorize.
• THE NORTHERN MENACE (6! HD, may only be permanently killed by a person who has died themselves before), who spews Freezing fire (deals 1d6 fire damage per round, is put out by normal fire) and hoards experiences and sensations by trapping them in amber. They are the youngest of the dragons, having joined the council 30 years after it was created, when they became a young dragon. They are born from a stillborn dragon egg, which was placed in the heart of their mother by THE LEARNED ONE, after he has killed her due to an ancient grudge. They are jet-black, and technically both undead and alive. They hold no grudge to THE LEARNED ONE, in fact are grateful for their strange form.

Together, the dragons vote on most decisions, with Chosen Ones consulted in case of a tie. Each is an experienced military commander, just as much as it is a weapon of mass destruction. They often divide their armies for complex maneuvers, made possible by seeing the battlefield from the sky. The company usually uses Shock and Awe tactics to break through the enemy forces, then uses their light cavalery to pursue them. If met with enemies who do not scatter, they instead maim them. They are good at razing forts to the ground, but not good at taking them.

The soldiers are a mix of those who seek money and those who seek power. The first are just your usual mercenaries, who have joined this elite force, and are risking burns for extra pay. The others are more interesting - they intend to become greater by the contact with Dragons, which are more real than the surrounding reality. They almost worship them, if only to advance their own transformation. Most soldiers of either group have at least some burn-scars, and are missing at least 1 finger.

Company of Roses

They number:

• 10 Galleons (each with a crew of 100, as well as heavy cannons)
• 20 Carracks (each with a crew of 40, as well as cannons (4d6) and boarding equipment)
• 2000 Sea Elves (1 HD), AC as Leather, armed with Cutlasses and Blunderbusses (2d8 damage, save or drop prone when hit or firing this weapon, reloading takes up 1 minute), crewing the above. They are experienced marines, used to piracy. They have waged dozens of combats, and are thus well-disciplined (Morale 9). They can also hold their breath for up to 2 hours, and swim 2 times faster than a human can. Has 1 MD, knows either Waterskip or Guiding Wind
• 200 Elven Commandos (3 HD), AC as Leather, armed with Knives+1, Waterproof Fragmentation Grenades (3d6 damage to everyone in the room or up to 20 m away from it), outfitted with Cat's Eyes (enchanted goggles allowing them to see with even the slightest amount of light). They are the elite forces, and are aware of it (Morale 10), trained in stealth operations (4-in-6 chance of surprising an enemy, deal double damage when attacking from stealth and can climb like the best human climbers, but faster). They have 2 MD, usually knowing spells like Sleep, Invisibility or Leaden Boots
• 30 Elven Captains (3 HD), AC as Leather+1, armed with +1 Cutlasses and +1 Pistols (Each weapon a masterwork of art, as well as enchanted by undersea craftsmen), who were leading ships for longer than you were alive. Each is ambitious, each is patient, and each could be capable of creating a fleet of their own.

They do not have a leader, instead the Captains are chosen as representatives due to their greatest experience. The day-to-day operations of each ship are decided by consensus, tradition and a good degree of ancient games of dominance, while fleet-wide manners are decided by the captain's in much the same way. Loot and payment is divided equally, with bonuses for Captains, doctors and enchanters.

The ships are each of the highest quality, created in elven dockyards for a war that has long since passed. The Company of Roses is mostly hired as corsairs or for colonial operations, but their commandos have had great successess in assasinations as well. They are also known for having captured slaves for The Half-Demon Prince's Soul Furnaces, in return for save harbour close to a Theater of their recent operations.

The pirates from The Company of Roses have an obsession about their own freedom, having fled from the (over-)organized Elven Kingdom of Manbar. They often believe that they can gain their freedom through gold and power, thus wanting to get as much as they can of both. There are humans and other, stranger creatures serving among them, but almost always in support roles, away from combat, instead delivering resources or taking care of ships. The Elven rules around beauty and politeness are much-relaxed in The Company, although still overwhelming for a human.

Sons of Iron

They number:

• 1500 Pikemen (1 HD), AC as Scale, armed with Pikes. They can hold well against enemy cavalry, but falter against being shot at (Morale 10 when facing cavalry, 6 when facing ranged foes)
• 1500 Musketeers (1 HD), AC as Leather, armed with Muskets (1d12 damage, reloading takes 2 rounds, has a bayonet on the end which works like a spear). 8 Morale.
• 200 Heavy Cavalry (2 HD), AC as Plate, armed with Pikes, Cavalry Sabres and Pistols (1d10 daamge, reloading takes 5 rounds). They ride warhorses, and are used to break through enemy lines. They are grizzled warriors (9 Morale).
• 500 Light Cavalry (1 HD), AC as Leather, armed with pistols (as above) and spears, whose main jobs are harrassment of enemies behind the lines, and harrying retreating forces. 8 Morale.
• 200 Combat Engineers (1 HD), AC as Leather, armed with Muskets and shovels, as well as various tools of iron. They avoid direct confrontation, usually protected by other troops, fleeing in case of actual combat. They are well-learned in siege warfare, digging trenches and holes.
• 10 Giant Cannons (those in the area hit must save or take 8d10 damage, fortifications do not save, loading them takes up an hour and a great amount of work and gunpowder, 20 horses are required to pull one. These cannons could kill minor gods.), each with crew of 10 Cannoneers (1 HD), AC as Leather, armed with knives and grenades, but fleeing from most direct combat (Morale 4 if faced with melee combat, 8 otherwise)
• 100 Lesser Cannons (4d6 damage, loading takes 5 rounds), each with a crew of 3 Cannoneers (as above)

They are led by William Worchestershire (4 HD), AC as Plate, armed with a pistol. He is an ex-adventurer, who is missing a leg and an eye. He is a great strategist and tactician, who used his proceeds from raiding an ancient tomb to found the company. He is seen as no-nonsense, talks fast and loud and is half-deaf from all the detonations. He is ruthless, although he cares about his people (and only them). He has shifted allegiances in the past, based on offers of gold. He plans on taking over a city and making it into a barony of his own, when given the opportunity.

The company is hired for sieges and prolonged fights, as well as the defense of keeps and cities. They took over multiple cities for those who hire them (and took a fair share of loot) using a mix of ingenuity, brutality and good equipment. Many cities have surrendered when their defenders saw the giant cannons outside their walls, or after the first shot has shattered a wall. The soldiers that make it up usually miss at least 1 finger, and all have hearing issues. Thus, orders are mostly relayed not by word, but by a set of signals based on movement of colourful flags, with horn signals as backup.

The Ivory Inquisition

They number:

• 1000 Fanatics (1 HD), AC as Chain, armed with flails and cat-o-nine-tails. Their morale is almost unbreakable (Morale 11) due to their devotion to Purity, and they have a 1-in-4 chance of ignoring any magical effect aimed at them due to the protective seals on their armour. They also each have a 1-in-10 chance of a miracle rescuing them in case of death, leaving them still capable of combat. They speak in tongues and babble in rapture.
• 250 Inquisitors (1 HD), AC as Leather, armed with Crossbows (loaded with stakes that are covered in prayers, they can hurt anything unholy and stake vampires), Spears of Light (deals holy damage and as bright as a torch as long as held by a true believer of Purity) and 1 MD with Priestly Eyes and Purifying Light prepared. Morale 10.
• 200 Knights of Purity (3 HD), AC as Plate, armed with Pikes of Light (as Spears of Light), and Holy Swords, riding on warhorses. They have sworn to defend the relics wielded by Divine Servants and the Purity of the land. Morale 10. They mostly serve as heavy cavalry, but they can also fight well while dismounted.
• 100 Divine Servants (1! HD), Unarmored (Holy Robes), armed with Relics of Purity (little drops of blood, crystalized into what looks like rubies; pieces of petrified wood; teeth) that fill anyone Impure who sees them with a sense of guilt (-1 to-hit, doubled if you have commited a grave sin in the last 24 hours). They are half-alive clerics, kept alive by divine power. 3 MD, with Rebuke Sinners, Cast Out Sin and Cure Wounds prepared. 11 Morale.

They are led by Archbishop Boniface (2! HD), AC as Chain (enchanted robes), covered in relics, a pragmatic fanatic. He is on a Holy Crusade given to him by Divinity, and intends to fully follow it, funded by the various lords who hire his "Holy Order" to remove undead, demons or nonbelievers. He is convinced that everyone is inherrently evil and unclean, and that only through suffering they may be clensed; he wants war of all against all, so that they may be purified. He has 4 MD, with Lance of Light, Consult Divinity, Resurrect and Ceremony prepared.

The soldiers paint their armour white, but red stains are not seen as impurities. Most are cultishly devoted, recruited from the populations ravaged by war, searching for any meaning. They get small pay and do not eat good food. The money is instead spent mostly on funding further crusades of purification.

Spellbook

These are well-guarded by the mercenary magicians, who will send assasins to hunt down those who try to steal them.

1. Resurrect Undead R: 100 m T: Any corpse that was once undead D: instantaneous

• Target passive undead corpse becomes active once more, with [sum] HP.

2. Undying Fury R: 100 m T: Any undead creature D: [dice] minutes

• Target undead creature will continue to fight for the duration, with a bonus of +[dice] to-hit and damage. Even if it is reduced to ashes, the ashes will continue to try and choke the enemy.

3. Awaken Fire R: 100 m T: Any Fire D: [sum] rounds

• Target fire (defined as the fire coming from a single source, like a flaming roof or a torch) leaps towards any enemies for the duration, moving with the speed of a running human.

4. Elemental Fire R: 100 m T: Any Fire D: [sum] rounds

• Target fire (defined as the fire coming from a single source, like a flaming roof or a torch) becomes Elemental, dealing doubled damage (at the step of dice), as well as being able to light things that are usually considered as resistant to fire.

5. Freezing Fire R: 20 m T: any spot D: until extinguished

• Creates an an anti-flame, which burns things, but creates cold instead of heat. It may only be extinguished by an actual fire, or by removing its fuel. At 1 die it is a spark, at 2 it is a torch (1d6 damage), at 3

6. Waterskip R: [sum]*100 m T: any spot with water in range D: instantaneous

• The caster submerges themselves in water, then immediately emerges at another point of the same body of water (defined as you could swim from one place to the other, if you were the size of a trout).

7. Guiding Wind R: Self T: Self D: [dice rounds]

• The winds are moved to guide your missiles, bullets and thrown weapons, granting you a +[sum] bonus to hit for the duration

8. Leaden Boots R: 100 m, or Special T: creature D: [sum] turns or Special

• The target is cursed to be 1+[dice] times heavier than usual when in contact with water. This spell may either be cast as a short-term curse (with the range of 100 m and [sum] turns duration) or as a Curse Curse (in which case a piece of the victim's body is required, which is then encased in lead and thrown into the water; the curse remains for as long as the leaden block remains in water).

9. Priestly Eyes R: Self T: Self D: [sum] hours

• The target can see and recognize all sources of Impurity (defined as undead, demons, and those who are seen as inherrently evil for other, setting-dependant reasons), as well as all people/things that were Polluted(are Impure due to Impure action, thought or contact with Impure creatures) and distinguish between the two. If at least 2 dice were used to cast it, the general reason may also be distinguished (with the accuracy of "Lust" or "Pride", not "had extramarrital sex").

10. Purifying Light R: 50 m T: 10 m radius circle D: [sum] rounds

• Creates a blinding circle of light, in which the Impure are blinded, while Pure may normally see. Those who are Inherrently Impure take [dice] points of damage per round in the light.

11. Lance of Light R: [dice]*10 m T: [dice] m wide line from the caster D: instantaneous

• Creates a piercing lance of Holy Light, which deals [sum] damage to all Impure caught inside. Add [dice] to the damage if the beings damaged are Inherrently Impure.

Post Scriptum

Yeah, those mercenaries are bastards. All of them. As on how to use them? You may use the whole armies in a domain-level campaign(as hired help or foes), or as an unstoppable force moving through the country-side in a lower-level campaign. The party may join them, or fight with small groups of soldiers, or just try to flee their wrath.

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