Mercs

Mercs are mercenaries that you can buy for your own use. They will fight for you and guard a place if you tell them to do so. They are useful to guard a base, for example, or to help you to kill critters. They differ somewhat from companions.

Managing mercs

An example for a merc dialogue option.

Recruiting

Merc Recruiters are established in several towns. They are usually in a house, surrounded by some of their men. Talk to the Merc Recruiter to be able to buy him a merc. Once bought, a merc will belong to you until he dies, their wage is 25% of their hire cost and gives 10% increase in loyalty.

Some claim that a high luck and charisma character might generate better mercs, although it has not been confirmed yet.

Interests

As you can hire a lot of different mercs, and give them a lot of weapons, it would be good to know exactly what you want to do with them. For example, guarding a base, you'll need both: Big Guns mercs and snipers - ghouls snipers are awesome. Rockets may knock-out the enemy while snipers are shooting at him. To help you with getting experience, you'll rather need mercs using energy rifles, doing damage slowly, so you'll be able to kill the mobs.

Mercs are expensive and never respawn. Making them wandering with you possibly dangerous for them, so it would be smarter to use them as guards - for your base, tent, caravan, whatever needs to be guarded. You can tell them to kill anyone but your faction's members, or to kill only your enemies or friends - record them on your faction's computer, etc.

Transporting mercs

Transporting mercs around now, requires both Charisma and Party Points : to be able to transport a merc you will need atleast 2 charisma. Each point to charisma gives you one more aditional merc slot. Each point to charisma will give you 10 Party Points and for every 3% in Speech the player will gain 1 Party Point. You may also boost your Party Points by attempting to obtain the Magnetic Personality perk which will give you 50 extra Party Points, also the Good Natured trait will give you 50 extra Party Points too, but you will not be able to hold any slaves. Only merc's require both party points and charisma. Each human or mutant merc will give you 1 more additional slave slot. With any number of charisma the player can hold 2 slaves. To be able to get more you need to buy a merc. Each merc will give you the ability to obtain one more slave. It is not required to have the mercs with you when slaving, you can leave them in your tent or base.

Even the mercs/slaves guarding your tent (or base or any other place) are considered as following you, so pay attention to choosing which companions are the most useful for you.

The buying

Please note that prices are changing all the time but position on list while buying stays same. If you buy a merc, buying the very same merc again will be a bit more expensive for everyone. Also, this price will decrease over time. Prices indicated here are then only the starting price for each merc. All mercs are delivered with a brand new, fully-loaded weapon.

New Reno

New Reno's merc recruiter will sell you human mercs (HtH, small guns, big guns, energy guns...). Those same mercs are also sold in NCR, Redding and San Francisco.

He is in the main entrance area, opposite the Desperados casino.

• Unarmed / Melee :

• 7500 currency : (A simple thug. 80 PP) Punk woman with green Mohawk, wearing a leather jacket, holding a Combat Knife. 95 hp
• 12000 currency : (Someone that knows how to smash a skull or two. ?? PP) Man wearing a metal armor, holding a Sledgehammer. 84 hp.
• 15500 currency : (A professional fighter. ?? PP) Woman wearing a metal armor, holding a sledgehammer. 95 hp.
• 21000 currency : (A ninja. 80 PP) Black person, wearing a metal armor and holding a sledgehammer. HE CAN'T RUN. 90 hp.

• Small Guns :

• 27000 currency : (Someone that can hit non-moving target, sometimes.) Long-haired raider (Ian's skin)with a leather jacket, holding a 14mm Pistol. 100 hp.
• 33000 currency : (A retired hunter.) Man wearing a leather jacket, holding a 10mm SMG. Can use rifles too. 110 hp.
• 45000 currency : (A sniper that regularly shoots apples from people's heads blindfolded.) Woman wearing a leather jacket, holding an Assault Rifle. Can use rifles too. 115 hp.

• Big Guns :

• 50500 currency : (Someone that knows how to use a flamer.) Man wearing a leather jacket and holding a Light Support Weapon . 120 hp.
• 60000 currency : (A proficient heavy gunner.) Woman wearing a leather jacket and holding a Minigun. 115 hp.
• 66500 currency : (A veteran in the arts of big weaponry.) Woman wearing a leather jacket and holding a Rocket Launcher. 115 hp.

• Energy Weapons :

• 45000 currency : (Someone that knows how to handle a laser pistol.) Man wearing a metal armor, holding a Laser Pistol. 97 hp.
• 60000 currency : (A capable plasma gunner.) Woman wearing a metal armor, and holding a Laser Rifle (Ext. Cap.). 129 hp.

New California Republic

NCR's merc recruiter sells exactly the same mercs as the Redding's, New Reno's and San Francisco's one (See above).

She is located in a white building, before the main city gate.

Redding

Redding's merc recruiter sells exactly the same mercs as the NCR's, New Reno's and San Francisco's one (See above).

He is located opposite the Malamute Saloon (in main street).

San Francisco

San Francisco's merc recruiter sells exactly the same mercs as the Redding's, NCR's and New Reno's one (See above).

He is located at the north of the middle place. Leaving the Shi's building, it's the second building on the right, with a small garden and a path to the door.

Broken Hills

The merc recruiter is located in the building south of the FLC bank. He sells Supermutant Mercenaries.
They are particularly slow, and ugly, but they have the highest HP of all the Mercenaries.

• 60000 currency : (This unarmed mutant? I'll hire him.) Unarmed Super Mutant, that will use his fists. 300 hp.
• 155000 currency : (I like the look of this minigun guy.) Super Mutant holding a minigun. 300 hp.
• 180000 currency : (Oh sweet, a mutant with a rocket launcher? currency coming right up!) Super Mutant holding a rocket launcher. 450 hp.

Gecko

Gecko's merc recruiter is located near the main entrance, in a building on the left. He will sell you ghouls mercs, and among them is the popular sniper ghoul.

• 4500 currency : (This is just some normal ghoul? I'll give you 4500 currency for his services.) Generic ghoul holding a spear. 100 hp. 60 PP.
• 36500 currency : (I like the look of that sniper. How's 36500 currency sound?) Sniper ghoul, holding an Sniper Rifle. 100 to 110 hp. 60 PP.

Junktown

Junktown's merc seller is in front off Gizmo's casino, with his Dogs around him.

• 700 currency : (Best trained dogs!) Trained canidae
• 500 currency : (Breed of dog and prairie wolf.) Dog skilled in scouting 120 Outdoorsman

Klamath

A boy called Vic, near field in Trapper Town (West) will sell you his Dogs. Beware, you can buy some tougher and less expensive ones in Junktown (See above).

• 700 currency : (Best trained dogs!) A dog. 27 hp.

Salvagers

In the Salvagers area in Boneyard, there is a man that sells Dogs, and sells differently-colored dogs.

• 700 currency : (The best dogs the Boneyard can offer.) Trained canidae
• 500 currency : (Breed of dog and prairie wolf.) Dog skilled in scouting 120 Outdoorsman