Want free stuff? Trick notables into giving it to you.

I love doing BanditLord / Iron-price (buy nothing) campaign runs. And while taking things by force is certainly possible, sometimes it can be more fun to trick poor saps into parting with their valuables without violence. And even better if they actually leave the exchange not being angry with you!

There are a number of quests that offer such an opportunity. The general rule is this: if you take a quest from a notable, but then later your faction declares war against that faction (or vice versa) the quest is voided without a reputation impact, and you get to keep whatever was given to you. Well as a mercenary clan, you are free to join and exit factions at will, meaning you can accept a quest, then contract with whatever faction they are at war with, thereby voiding the quest. Certain quests provide a benefit to doing so:

• The Art of the Trade. Just like simply not returning to give the notable their cut of the proceeds, you get to keep the consignment items. Great source of free food for your army, or free mounts to help keep your party's speed up.
• Deliver the Herd. Again, another great source of food (pigs, cows, sheep) or pack animals.
• Train the Troops. When the quest is voided, any unpromoted Borrowed Troops become T1 recruits of the original faction, and any promoted Veteran Borrow Troops become T2 noble recruits of the original faction. Great way to grab no cost mounted troops, but do bear in mind you're giving up the ~$400/troop that completing the quest would actually yield.
• Artisans Can't Sell Products. Not as rewarding generally, but you can get free trade goods out of the scam.

For some of the quests, it is obviously more profitable to complete the quest than to steal a few sheep or T2 troops. But it is a handy trick to remember if you need certain things and don't want to pay for them.

Food for thought for other alternative quest completing:

• Caravan Ambush & Escort Caravan quests, you can ride ahead and engage the raider party directly, rather than wait for the caravan to get ambushed. This allows you to net all the battle loot for yourself. Mounted Ransackers & Mounted Pillagers are fairly terrible troops, but they loot drop quite a few low-level mounts for your party's needs, and as prisoners they sell for quite high since they are mounted (especially to mining villages as laborers for quests).
• Extortion by Deserters. Same deal, if your party is fast enough, you can exit the village and engage the bandits by yourself rather than fight in the village with the headman's troops supporting you. This ensures you get 100% of the loot, and the high value (for early game) prisoners of T3 cavalry that many of the quests will offer.
• Landowner Needs Access. Generally if you speak to the hostile party before they engage with your quest party, they'll just grumble and disperse. But if you let them battle the quest party, you can let them slaughter the few peasants you were meant to escort, and then kill them all yourself. Typically the last 1-2 will flee, allowing you to capture some peasants if you want. They make great $1/day troops if you're planning to do all the fighting yourself and just need cheap bodies to manage prisoners, help herd animals, carry trade goods, etc.

submitted by /u/Odd-Wheel5315
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