Campaigns... Merc campaigns

[Dog_O_War]

Are there any others?

DISCLAIMER: Retired Juicer, you may read. It won't be too critical a loss to the story if you do.

Now on the side of serious, my favorite type of game is that of the Mercenary for the Rifts setting. It is a "thing" I've been obsessed with since the first introduction of the game to me. This is the easiest type of game to get off the ground (IMO), but the hardest to keep afloat.

Getting paid to defend this noun. getting paid to attack that noun. While great for the hack-n-slasher I quickly begin crave more..... variety, and I'm fairly sure my PC's and fellow players do (or will) too.

If you've read the small but jam-packed Mercenary adventures suppliment (has some OCCs, as well as the Boot Camp adventure), I plan on using this as a start (or rather an outline to my own version of Boot Camp), but I often wonder where to go from there.
The main book has a blurb about how Mercs are typically full-fledged at about 4th level and beyond, but the question is; how do I get the PC's there without doing the mercs thing? Boot Camp gives me level 1-2, and I figure some type of party tying event take place to get them from 2 to 3. but that leap from 3 to 4 is the one I'm having trouble with, and I don't want to get heavy into merc-werk; I want some type of transitional options on what lower level characters do to both ply their trade, and to maintain an interesting story.

I've got some NPCs and a location all set up, but I have thee hardest time coming up with an adventure not best suited to a fantasy setting. Thoughts on this subject, as well as stories of what you have done in the past would be great help. Point to note though; I plan on a more retarded (not handi-capped but slow) progression for experience advances. That is, I don't want to just give out a level per session, but instead lay the ground-works for a long-running game.


Thanks

[GA]

You could do a Blackwater type of scenario. Professional contract soldiers with their own agenda perhaps working for the Coalition States but working for Lazlo would be in my mind a GREAT idea. Or perhaps some other democracy. Possibly even home made.

If the Mercs agenda was based on some higher purpose beyond the stated purpose of the government they professed to serve it would make for very interesting politics and gameplay I imagine. If they bankrolled politicians and well you get the idea. Secret forces abound in history, Star Wars, even in Batman Begins, so you can use any model you want really.

Make them a secret society like the Masons or the Bonesmen or make them the Masons or Bonesmen (or even Blackwater possibly, maybe they came through the cataclysm unscathed?)

Or possibly maybe a merc army working for Archie 3 or Splurgoth or Naruni along those same lines.

[GA]

I just realized i didn't answer your question. Hmm sorry.

From 3 to 4 I think you need to put them in a major battle, most likely as some kind of auxillary force (initially) that becomes the major force. The clone troopers got there seasoning at Geonosis the hard way. For Rifts a good place would be to insert them in the Tolkeen War somewhere toward the end of it maybe. Or for a long running campaign you may want to start them at the beginning of it and let them progress through it. you may want to alter the bs ending though.

Other areas would Be xiticix fighting, possibly something in the Juicer Uprising but to me that's more a Level 2 to 3 thing.

Or sticking with my earlier thought you could have the Lazlo invasion by the Coalition finally occur have your mercs work for Lazlo but somehow either have them work to displace the existing Lazlo govt. or do something in the shadows....possibly being the anti-vanguard for CS where they work for the old ways of democracy in the coalition while professing support for the Emperor. Something in Lone Star along these lines might work too.