I know already that this idea is difficult to implement and I post it more because of I'd love to discuss rather than "request" it.
I saw some topics about adventurers enhancement or the Captain class, and I think it'd be great if adventurer could become mercenary leader with the ability to recruit men and form a Free company (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_company).
In real Middle Age some of those commoners had very interesting and adventuring lives e.g Roger de Flor (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_de_Flor) or John Hawkwood (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hawkwood) that could "fit" in a certain way in the BM world. Some of those mercenaries ascend to nobilty ranks like the adventurers in BM via recommendations.
The hypothetic game mechanics woul be:
# once reached a certain honor and prestige an aventurer can change class and became a "condottiero" (warlord)
# a warlord is not an adventurer anymore, he cannot hunt/gather etc, he travels like a noble
# a warlord is not part of a realm, he's not included in the realm messaging system, he cannot recruit or using bank, shops etc
# a warlord can sign a contract with a Duke: the Duke who accept this contract can:
- give gold to the warlord (like the purchase of an unique item)
- assign a militia unit to the warlord
- give the permission to the warlord to use every shop in its Duchy (so the warlod can hire scouts, healers etc) and do repairs
- give a recommendation to the warlod (so with 3 recommendations the warlord can become noble)
# a warlord even with unit cannot be part of a realm army and cannot recruit but he has the "Pick up volounteers" skills like the Hero but this sklls should work more often and in any region. This is the only way a warlod can expand his unit. The size limit of his unit is based on his H/P points as usual
The important thing is: only one contract can be active, no mutliple contract. A duke can break a contract anytime without loss, a warlord can break contract but he'll loose H/P points. A Duke can order directly his warlords, assignin tasks etc.
The encounter settings works in this way: a warlod alone can be arrested anytime like a normal adventurer. When the warlord has a unit he's a rogue by default like undead and monsters, when he has a contract its unit is like a normal unit of the contractor Duke's realm.
A warlord's unit can do the same thing of a normal unit, above all loot (that is the only way they can gain money a part the gold transfers from the contractor), even civil work and police work. If a warlod cannot pay his men they will leave causing H/P loss. The "home" is the city of the current or last contractor Duke.
