How do you handle bounty hunting in your medieval world?

[John Crichton]

I was asked another interesting question by a player the other day. It's not something that hasn't been brought up before but I gave it a little thought and figured there were many ways to actually handle it in-game because of things like political system/magic level, etc. Here are the few ways we came up with to handle it. They are not appropriate in all situations:

• American Old West Style: Wanted sign on the street: Dead or Alive for 500 gold. Anyone can post one of these and the bounty hunter can take any of these contracts he wishes.
• Current American Bounty Hunting Style: Someone skips out on a bail-bondsman and a bounty hunter is hired to track the person down and bring them in alive.
• Good Ol' Wanted List: There is a "black book" that the local government has that bounty hunters can take contracts from. Fairly free-form.
• Highly Regulated by the Government: Similar to a few of the above options. The Government usually posts some kind of wanted poster or otherwise makes it known that their is a bounty on someone. In these situations there are strict rules that must be followed to even get a mark placed on someone by anyone not involved in the government.
• Word of Mouth or Personal Hire: Easy enough to understand. A contract passed around in taverns and other establishments or simply a contract given to an individual on a one-on-one basis.

So, how do you handle bounty hunting in your campaign? Any special rules? Limitations on force? Is there a guild? Are there people like bail-bondsman around? Is the risk worth the money for the bounty hunter? Thoughts?

 

[Black Omega]

It's varied widely from game to game.

In my Chinese Kung-fu game, wanted posters with money awards were posted, but only by the local authority. However, anyone turning in the criminal could collect the award. As a result the local magistrates actually spent more time looking for wanted criminals that bothering with other law enforcement. But aside from this it never came up in the game.

My modern horro game using the Laurell K Hamilton world was more sophisticated. No bail tracing, since any vampires, or magic users accused of a crime automatically were allowed no bail. But hunting down vampires was left to licensed Vampire Executioners, who worked very much like bounty hunters.

My current game set in Rokugan doesn't really use bounty hunters as such. But the Tsuruchi family of the Mantis clan specialize in hunting fugitives, usually not from Imperial law but those who broke local or clan law and escaped the grasp of the local authorities. In a less official sense, if you are in the know, you can put out word that you'll pay X amount is a certain person is found and returned, and less reputable figured who handle such things will hear and may decide to take on the case.

 

[Crothian]

In my world Bounty Hunting can be done by anyone, but it's slowly being phased out by the crown as they give more powers to the gaurd.

 

[s/LaSH]

In my world? (Well, technically our world, but I took a few liberties with demihumans and monsters.) It depends where you are. In general, it's a fairly ruthless sort of world, just leaving the Dark Ages, so in Western and Central Europe there's no official censure, or if there is they can't do anything about it, and if someone wants someone taken they just get a mercenary (probably an elf). In Eastern Europe and Africa, things are ruled by the Byzantines and Saladin, respectively, and laws are more established and enforcable, so while mercs are still available, criminals are usually hunted down by officials. 'Bounty Hunter' isn't really an occupation I'd considered, but I'm sure you'd find a couple in every sizable town, although they might go by the title of mercenary.

(In this campaign, Rome fell within the lifetime of certain elves - who were the ones who made it happen. Civilisation isn't as second-nature to them as you'd think. Thus, a fair few warriors are still wandering around looking for ways to beat people up and take money from their enemies.)

 

[gamecat]

In my campaign, bounty hunting is fairly free-form; given that sorcerers and psions are "heretics" to the empire, they stand worth 50 gp each head.

Anyone could conceivably become a hunter.

 

[Gizzard]

A related question is "How are small mercenary groups (ie, adventurers) regulated?" I'm still kinda wrestling with that question. A lot of the problems it brings up are similar to the bounty-hunting questions: ie, if someone ends up dead at the hands of a mercenary unit, is that a problem and, if so, how big a problem? Who can hire a mercenary unit? What can you legally ask a mercenary unit to do?

It definitely comes down to how firm a grip the local government has on law-n-order. Where there is little law, the wealthy buy mercenaries to protect themselves and to occassionally implement their own agendas by force. Since there is little law, there is little regulation of or accountability for mercenary groups. OTOH, where there is a lot of law, there isnt much need for protection and not much lattitude for strong-arm tactics in business. Where there is a lot of law, mercenaries are undesirable and generally regulated out of business.

Anyway, I bring this up because you may have given more thought to this problem in terms of "adventurers" already rather than "bounty hunters". (And someone may say something interesting about regulating mercenaries later in this thread if I mention it now. ;-)

 

[Jeph]

I prefer to keep the Bounty Hunting to StarWars, but I use Word of Mouth or Wanted Sign when I need it in a fantasy game. I rarely run bounty hunting adventures, though.

 

[megamania]

I use Bounty Hunters often. Generally, the hunters are hired by the City-state, noble or merchant directly. Much of my world can not read so this is important. In some cases, there are permanent positioned bounty hunters to work for the state or nobles that are given the right of "by any means". Sorta a 007 without the gratudious sex.

 

[LoneWolf23]

[*]American Old West Style: Wanted sign on the street: Dead or Alive for 500 gold. Anyone can post one of these and the bounty hunter can take any of these contracts he wishes.

I would use this method, as it sounds more like how things were done in the Middle Ages: a local lord posts a wanted sign, and freelancers would go hunt down the wanted bandits/rebels.

 

[Vaxalon]

IMC bounty hunters are hired by the crown, and work under contract. They are given a specific quarry to hunt, and they may not go after any other.