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MGT Only: Mercenary Second Edition Playtest - Recruiting
- Thread starter MongooseMatt
- Start date
Hi Mat,
getting back on topic, I did quite a bit of recruitment work in the 80's and 90's
and the main modifier to the number of applicants was the state of the economy, from thousands in a period of recession to tens in a boom.
I would say you need a way to quickly assess the state of a planet's economy
where you are recruiting.
Kind Regards
David
A fair point, but not really part of Traveller. Again, I would suggest that if factors outside a ready table come into play, the referee should impose them himself. In your example, if the world is noted for having a booming economy at the current time, the referee should give a penalty . If tumbleweed is rolling through the starport, a bonus - but perhaps neither should be a 'standard' modifier...
Yes, it is part of Traveller - tho' not a mechanicalized part - economics has always been dragged in. The clearest example is in MegaTraveller's Hard Times, but mention of the economic states has been present in CT's "The Traveller Adventure," and in several JTAS articles. Further, the very distinctions of Rich worlds and Poor worlds.
I would suggest you mention something like this, but more as a "stuff a GM should keep in mind for his particular universe" thing - no tables, just suggestions, and more as an "other factors" list. Pitch it as a "you can do this if you want it so here are suggestions" paragraph.
Pay rates are fundmanetal to this system, so I would be very interested in hearing more thoughts on the above. How much should Mercs be normally paid?
At least enough for being competitive with civilan starship rates:
"Do you offer me a place as Company Surgeon Captain in your unit, with a salary of Cr 1400 a month plus shares (CT:LBB 4 Captain's salaray) when I'm earning Cr 4400 a month1 as starship's doctor without any risk and a quiet post? Do you really expect me to accept or are you joking?"
Note 1: I asume skill level 2, so 10% bonus, as he must be a Surgeon, so a Doctor, to be offered the job as Company Surgeon
That's a perpetual problem with military vs. civilian pay rates. Avoiding RL comparisons, certain specialties in a merc unit will demand comparable pay rates to their civilian counterparts ala the mini-vignette above; shares of a success bonus would count as "hazard pay" above and beyond salary to cover the differential in job conditions. This is, of course, independent of individual motivations, which fall below what I understand to be the granularity of this system.
Military rates are often lower than civilian ones in regular military units (I asume people will see other advantages, as being trained, patriotism, etc...), but I guess that's not so true in Mercenary units, where the main motiation for the troops is assumed to be money.
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Find out what title you get: Private Military Contractor may mean high wages, pus bonus, but no share.
Assume that quoted wages are standard for qualified ex military types, probably Imperium Army or Marines, and scale downwards, by large reputable mercenary units. Modified by 401Ks or any pension plan.
Scale upwards for specializations that are force multipliers.
Scale downwards for recruits and private second class, or equivalent, that are locally recruited but promised a permanent slot.
Tickets should include the provision for non-domicile taxation exemption.
Assume that quoted wages are standard for qualified ex military types, probably Imperium Army or Marines, and scale downwards, by large reputable mercenary units. Modified by 401Ks or any pension plan.
Scale upwards for specializations that are force multipliers.
Scale downwards for recruits and private second class, or equivalent, that are locally recruited but promised a permanent slot.
Tickets should include the provision for non-domicile taxation exemption.
Likely too much detail and more granular than this system is intended to be. YMMV, of course, especially on the former.
I found a claim of authoritative knowledge online, and average starting pay for direct DOD-hired PMC/PSC types on the order of $600/day for days worked, maximum of 75% days paid, no benefits, no withholding.
Some up to $10,000/month starting for the big firms, but typically far less, starting pay.
Blackwater average salary averages about $7265/mo and has a median salary of around 7750/mo. Unsubstantiated claims of up to $16666/mo have been made by persons claiming to be former blackwater employees on TV.
Current US Military pay starts at about $1500/mo (E1 ≤2y) and peaks at just under $20,000/mo (010 ≥40Y). $7K/month is roughly an experienced major or a lieutenant colonel.
So, blackwater pay ($4K to $10K per month) corresponds closely to officer pay on active, but without the retirement, medical, housing, or post-service benefits.
Note that other sources claim they're charging $1500/day to put a man in field... 2.5x what the direct hires are typically paid by DOD.
Based upon the experience levels shown, blackwater employees tend to be former junior NCO's, and are roughly doubling to tripling their rate of pay.
By comparison, Merchant Marine mates make between $2500/mo and $9750/mo, plus health & life insurance, paid vacation, and retirement benefits. Directly comparable to military NCO's and officers. Starting ratings make about $2500/month on average. (These are all figured by annual/12.) Note that typical merchant mariners are doing one to two months on and a month off...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_blackwater_employee_make
http://www.ask.com/question/blackwater-salary
http://www.ehow.com/info_8708356_average-merchant-marine-deck-officer.html
http://work.chron.com/much-rookie-merchant-marine-make-24699.html
Some up to $10,000/month starting for the big firms, but typically far less, starting pay.
Blackwater average salary averages about $7265/mo and has a median salary of around 7750/mo. Unsubstantiated claims of up to $16666/mo have been made by persons claiming to be former blackwater employees on TV.
Current US Military pay starts at about $1500/mo (E1 ≤2y) and peaks at just under $20,000/mo (010 ≥40Y). $7K/month is roughly an experienced major or a lieutenant colonel.
So, blackwater pay ($4K to $10K per month) corresponds closely to officer pay on active, but without the retirement, medical, housing, or post-service benefits.
Note that other sources claim they're charging $1500/day to put a man in field... 2.5x what the direct hires are typically paid by DOD.
Based upon the experience levels shown, blackwater employees tend to be former junior NCO's, and are roughly doubling to tripling their rate of pay.
By comparison, Merchant Marine mates make between $2500/mo and $9750/mo, plus health & life insurance, paid vacation, and retirement benefits. Directly comparable to military NCO's and officers. Starting ratings make about $2500/month on average. (These are all figured by annual/12.) Note that typical merchant mariners are doing one to two months on and a month off...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_blackwater_employee_make
http://www.ask.com/question/blackwater-salary
http://www.ehow.com/info_8708356_average-merchant-marine-deck-officer.html
http://work.chron.com/much-rookie-merchant-marine-make-24699.html
This overlooks the potential size of the shares. Those shares are the reason for the low salaries. If the company succeeds, that company surgeon is going to earn more than his starship doctor colleague.
Also, there may not be anyone willing to hire him as a starship doctor.
Hans
Xerxeskingofking
SOC-13
not sure if anyone here would be able to answer this, but how does that $1500/day figure compare to the per-day costs for a putting a normal, US army infantryman in the field?
nation.time.com/2012/07/25/cost-of-fielding-a-single-troop-has-nearly-tripled-since-1980/
$217,000 per year as of 2010 - about $595 per day - but that's total per soldier for the army, not actual fielded day.
www.afghanistanstudygroup.org/2012/03/06/dod-comptroller-fielding-one-soldier-in-afghanistan-costs-taxpayers-850000/
the deployed soldier cost is $850K/year, per congressional testimony. $2329 per day.
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Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Do they include pensions and other costs as well? Or is it just the amount it costs to sustain operations?
Someone commented on our forums about specialists and leaders within recruitment - we have added the following passage to the recruiting rules;
Specialists and Leaders
When players run recruitment campaigns, they will likely be looking to fulfil specific areas in their growing mercenary force, usually by squad, platoon or company, with any excess being used to replace casualties suffered in previous missions.
However, a squad (for example, the same applies to larger units), is more than just 8 or 10 men able to use a rifle. They will have a squad leader, likely a combat medic, and very possibly someone skilled at using heavy support weapons.
Rather than run separate recruitment campaigns for each of these positions, players can instead assume that up to a third of the recruits (rounding down) they attract will be specialists and/or leaders, with the same skills as the rest of the recruits, but with additional skills to reflect their rank or specialisation. Though recruited at the same time, they will have higher salaries than the rest of the recruits, as determined by the guidelines on page XX.
For example, the players are looking to recruit a simple squad of riflemen, with the skills Gun Combat (slug rifle) 1 and Recon 1. They end up finding 16 such recruits, of which up to 5 may be specialists and leaders. They decide to keep the squad the same size as the rest of the squads in their force and hire just 10, at a salary of Cr. 2,000 each.
They can choose to have up to 5 of these recruits be specialists or leaders, so they make one a Corporal, giving him Tactics (military) 1 and a Cr. 1,000 increase in salary for the Tactics skill, and an additional Cr. 500 for being a Corporal (see page XX for suggested NCO pay scales). They also decide to take a Combat Medic, who adds Medic 1 for an additional Cr. 1,000 of salary.
Specialists and Leaders
When players run recruitment campaigns, they will likely be looking to fulfil specific areas in their growing mercenary force, usually by squad, platoon or company, with any excess being used to replace casualties suffered in previous missions.
However, a squad (for example, the same applies to larger units), is more than just 8 or 10 men able to use a rifle. They will have a squad leader, likely a combat medic, and very possibly someone skilled at using heavy support weapons.
Rather than run separate recruitment campaigns for each of these positions, players can instead assume that up to a third of the recruits (rounding down) they attract will be specialists and/or leaders, with the same skills as the rest of the recruits, but with additional skills to reflect their rank or specialisation. Though recruited at the same time, they will have higher salaries than the rest of the recruits, as determined by the guidelines on page XX.
For example, the players are looking to recruit a simple squad of riflemen, with the skills Gun Combat (slug rifle) 1 and Recon 1. They end up finding 16 such recruits, of which up to 5 may be specialists and leaders. They decide to keep the squad the same size as the rest of the squads in their force and hire just 10, at a salary of Cr. 2,000 each.
They can choose to have up to 5 of these recruits be specialists or leaders, so they make one a Corporal, giving him Tactics (military) 1 and a Cr. 1,000 increase in salary for the Tactics skill, and an additional Cr. 500 for being a Corporal (see page XX for suggested NCO pay scales). They also decide to take a Combat Medic, who adds Medic 1 for an additional Cr. 1,000 of salary.
Since these are generic rules, I'd suggest adding options for salaries. Mercenaries would accept lower pay with the prospect of hefty success bonuses (or loot if the trade isn't regulated the way it appears to be in the Third Imperium). Mercenaries would also sometimes accept little more than room and board for garrisson duty if it was a slow season (do the standard salaries include room and board?) I'm not sure how much less would be appropriate. It would depend on the prospects (and the fame of the mercenary leader who was recruiting) how much less they'd accept for a mission. Perhaps define average bonus levels for several pay cuts, e.g. 1/4 pay, 1/2 pay, 3/4 pay?
Garrison duty might be as little as room and board and 1/10 or 1/4 (note: this is a total guess).
Hans
Garrison duty might be as little as room and board and 1/10 or 1/4 (note: this is a total guess).
Hans
Overlooked this the first time round.
Hans
I've never seen any evidence to support the notion that it is Royal Navy tradition. If you have any, I'd be very interested to hear.
Hans
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