Morale House Rules

Another thing I said in a forum thread that I should probably remember (although I think I wrote about it here before as well:

1. Roll an extra Loyalty score (3d6) modified by employer's Charisma for hirelings/henchmen, as indicated in M&M. This determines any bonus or penalty to morale rolls.
2. Roll 2d6 reaction for enemy forces encountered, to see their starting morale.
3. In combat, use the damage roll as a morale test:
   • when an opponent or hireling is injured (individual test;)
   • the first time one side takes damage (test for all troops;)
   • when one side has been reduced to half, and again when reduced to one third;
   • when that damage roll results in the leader's death or incapacity.
4. Also make a 1d6 roll when one side witnesses overwhelming power on the opposition's side, such as high level magic;
5. For monsters, add the creature's hit die adjustment to their opponent's roll (goblins with 1-1 HD get a -1 to morale test;)
6. For individuals, phobias add to the roll (morale more likely to break) and obsessions or passions subtract from the roll (more likely to keep fighting;)
7. 5+ means morale breaks (usual result is retreat.) Adjusted roll of 7+ means they panic (flee without defending.)

In some circumstances, a roll of 1 may mean improved morale. For large groups, roll four extra dice to test morale. Each die represents 20% of the forces.