Mercenaries

Mercenaries can be recruited to fight alongside you in solo play and level up as you progress. These Mercenaries go by the name of The Pale Hand. In brief:

Unlock access to the first Mercenary, Raheir, by completing the main Vessel of Hatred Questline.
Gain access to the other 3 by completing their personal quests.
Hire a Mercenary for free to fight by your side and another as a Reinforcement to jump into the fray temporarily on demand.
Hired Mercenaries are for solo play.
In parties the party leader can bring a Hired Mercenary but all players can bring a Reinforcement Merc.
There is no gear for Mercenaries.
Mercs are NOT classified as a minion or companion so anything that affects those categories do not apply here.
A Mercenary Rapport system enables you to level up your Merc to level 10.
Spend those 10 skill points in their own mini-skill tree consisting of two distinct branches.
Working your way up the Rapport system gives you access to other loot-based rewards.
Earn Pale Marks through Rapport to buy coveted items within the Den.
Mercs are available with Vessel of Hatred Expansion on both Seasonal and Eternal Realms.

The Mercenaries were designed to replicate that small-party experience. You're going to see mercenary builds that may complement certain classes that already exist in the game. So if you're running around as a Sorcerer and you need someone out there playing a little bit of a tanking role we've taken that into account with all the mercenary types you would see. - Brent Gibson, Game Director, Blizzard, 12 July 2024

Not known

If there will be Paragon Nodes/Glyphs that affect your Mercenary.
If there will be affixes on gear that affect your Mercenary.

Classes of Mercenaries

Four Mercenary classes have been confirmed offering a broad range of support to your build. They are hired in the Mercenary Den for free.

I am your guardian. I am your redemption. I am your vengeance. I am your rage. We are the Pale Hand, and we are the reason you need never fight alone.

Raheir

Raheir is a Blacksmith and shield-bearer, a more defensive fighter who soaks up damage and uses his shield dome to protect the player. He is the first Merc that you meet and introduces you to the Mercenary network.

Subo

Subo is a drunken archer who offers range and utility support.

Varyana

Varyana is a Beserker Crone. She is a melee combat fighter who has a massacre meter that needs a constant stream of kills to fill up the meter leading to more power. She also has utility skills.

Aldkin

A Demon Child, is a magic user who can transform from human to demon form.

Mercenaries introduced in Vessel of Hatred

Getting your Mercenary

You will first meet Raheir, the shield-bearer mercenary who will introduce you to the Mercenary Hideout, and the network of Mercs.

On completing of an acquisition quest for each Mercenary you will then be able to hire them. All this will be carried out in the Mercenary Den and it's free of charge.

Mercenary Skills and Gear

Each Mercenary has their own mini skill tree that splits into two distinct branches enabling you to customize the kind of support you require. Below are images of 3 of the Skill trees. The large icons are Skills with the small round icons being Passive Buffs. Only a few of the skills have been revealed so far. The skills are detailed on the Mercenaries' pages Raheir, Subo, Aldkin and Varyana.

Aldkin Skill Tree
Raheir Skill Tree
Varyana Skill Tree

As you adventure more with your Mercenary you'll get skill points via the Rapport system (explained below). Ten levels in total and when you hit each of the ten ranks you'll not only get a reward but also a point to spend in your Merc's skill tree.

As well as the role of fighter there may be more involved with Diablo 4's Mercenaries as also mentioned in the files datamined back in 2023 are Merc 'Professions' and 'Crafting'. No specific professions are named but perhaps Mercenaries will be trainable in one of the existing professions so that they can perform that crafting service for you out in the field.

If your Merc dies, they will take the knee and wait to be resurrected. Your Reinforcement Merc can still appear during this time.

Reinforcement

If you don't want a Hired Mercenary with you constantly there is a feature that allows you to call them into the fray temporarily as a reinforcement. It must be a different Merc to your Hired Merc.

Reinforcements will emerge during combat and execute a pre-determined skill at an opportunity of your choosing. You select a Mercenary skill and attach it to one of your own so when you use that skill your Mercenary will appear and perform their skill and then disappear. You can also set the Reinforcement to appear when a certain situation occurs such as you become crowd-controlled or you Evade.

There is a cooldown attached to these Reinforcements.


Pick Merc Skill	Select Player Trigger
Varyana appears and Whirlwinds

Rapport

Rapport builds like the seasonal reputation system, strengthening as you complete objectives and fight alongside each Mercenary. As your Rapport grows, you unlock upgrades, skill points, rewards, and improved bartering options. The stronger your connection, the more powerful the Mercenary becomes, with rewards including passive bonuses like increased Pale Mark earnings for Trade Agreements and Bartering.

Using a Reinforcement Merc will also earn Rapport but not as much as when you have a Hired Mercenary with you.

Rapport Reward Tier 6

Rapport Reward Tier 8

Mercenary Currency

A new currency, Pale Marks, can be earned as you play with your Mercenary and also rewarded through the Rapport system. Pale Marks can then be used to buy gear at a Vendor in the Mercenary Den.

Once you have earned a Rank of 5 Rapport with them you can begin Bartering for items or purchasing Trade Agreements.