BARGHEST: Kurt Hansen's Militia and the Law of Dogtown
The short version
BARGHEST is the private army of Colonel Kurt Hansen and the de facto law in Dogtown, the walled-off part of Night City's Pacifica district. It began in 2070 as a Militech unit that refused to leave after the Unification War, and it now sells weapons around the world.
On this page
What BARGHEST is#
BARGHEST is Kurt Hansen's private army, an international arms dealer and the police of Dogtown in one organization. It runs like a real army, with ranks and a chain of command. Hansen is still called 'Colonel', and his old squad mates sit at the top as his lieutenants.
It is also pragmatic. Non-veterans can reach the inner circle if they prove useful, and recruiting is wide: forgotten corporate veterans, mercenaries without contracts, renegade gangers and ordinary people at the end of their ropes.
How it started#
The unit started as Militech soldiers. During the Unification War, Hansen's squad claimed a large part of Pacifica and never put the weapons down, and BARGHEST declared independence from Militech. That territory became Dogtown.
Only six of that original squad remain. They are Hansen's most trusted men and they sit at the top of the pile.
How it makes money#
BARGHEST sits on a big stockpile of hardware left over from the war and sells it worldwide. Its factory, Hansen Armory, tests and modifies weapons, which come back painted in the militia's fluorescent yellow.
Smuggling is the other pillar. AVs drop equipment into Dogtown, and the militia built a protected tunnel out. Hansen says there are no taxes in Dogtown, but traders pay a 'registration fee' to do business in the market, and soldiers shake down civilians.
What is in the armory#
BARGHEST fields a lot of Militech machinery: Robot R Mk.2s, Minotaurs, Centaurs, Mobile Missile Systems, Behemoth MT-3s, a Basilisk and at least two Chimeras. In the air it has Wyverns, Octants, Manticores and a modified aerozep that patrols Dogtown.
BARGHEST has its own Prevention Unit, recognizable by its red armor. If V becomes wanted in Dogtown, the unit hunts them in place of the NCPD. A five-star wanted level still brings MaxTac, because the militia makes an exception for cyberpsychos.
Fixer's notes: BARGHEST at the table#
BARGHEST is one of the cleanest ready-made factions in the setting: a clear leader, a clear base, a uniform color and a trade you can plug into any plot. Pick them when you want a faction that is neither a corporation nor a street gang.
Opinion: Hansen sells himself as a protector, and the fee system tells you otherwise. Let your players pay the fee at the market, then let them find out what the fee is for. It is a better lesson than any briefing.
South American drug lords were the main inspiration for the militia and Hansen. For other crews in the city, see Night City gangs. The Voodoo Boys and Scavengers operate in Dogtown too, and sometimes do business with BARGHEST.
The name comes from a mythical monstrous dog, and Barghests were among the first enemies in The Witcher. For the expansion itself, see Phantom Liberty.
Spoilers What happens to Hansen
On the route where V rescues the President of the New United States and helps the FIA, Hansen is killed, and his lieutenants Chester Bennett and Jago Szabo fight for control.