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Breaking Morale
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7758925" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>Of the systems I'm currently GMing, all has some form of morale mechanic and all but one has that player-side as well as GM-side.</p><p></p><p>Classic Traveller (1977) has morale rules for combat that apply equally to PCs and NPCs.</p><p></p><p>Prince Valiant (1989) doesn't have a discrete moral subsystem, but in various circumstances can require a successful check for a PC to engage with an enemy (or to engage without suffering a penalty), and also has rules for the emotional state of a character affecting resolution (fear imposes penalties; fighting for a passionate cause grants bonuses).</p><p></p><p>Burning Wheel (2005 - I use a version of Revised) uses a Steel attribute for both PCs and GM-controlled characters and creatures - a failed check allows the player to choose the response from a list, which includes standing and drooling, running screaming, swooning, or falling to one's knees to beg for mercy.</p><p></p><p>Marvel Heroic RP/Cortex+ Heroic (2012) allows for three categories of stress to be inflicted - Physical, Mental and Emotional - on both PCs and NPCs. Emotional stress can include fear. As well as stress, characters can also suffer similarly-rated Complications, which might include fearful or phobic or other emotional responses.</p><p></p><p>D&D 4e has rules for using Intimidate to affect the willingness of NPCs/monsters to fight, but there is no comparable mechanic to force PCs to check morale. Individual monsters can have non-magical fear effects - eg a Tyrant Fang Drake (= T-Rex) can stun a PC with its roar - but they are relatively uncommon.</p><p></p><p>Whether morale rules are a problematic burden on player agency depends heavily on how they work as a mechanic, how they are integrated into other elements of the system, and also what methods the GM uses to establish downstream consequences of the PCs succubming to their fear.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7758925, member: 42582"] Of the systems I'm currently GMing, all has some form of morale mechanic and all but one has that player-side as well as GM-side. Classic Traveller (1977) has morale rules for combat that apply equally to PCs and NPCs. Prince Valiant (1989) doesn't have a discrete moral subsystem, but in various circumstances can require a successful check for a PC to engage with an enemy (or to engage without suffering a penalty), and also has rules for the emotional state of a character affecting resolution (fear imposes penalties; fighting for a passionate cause grants bonuses). Burning Wheel (2005 - I use a version of Revised) uses a Steel attribute for both PCs and GM-controlled characters and creatures - a failed check allows the player to choose the response from a list, which includes standing and drooling, running screaming, swooning, or falling to one's knees to beg for mercy. Marvel Heroic RP/Cortex+ Heroic (2012) allows for three categories of stress to be inflicted - Physical, Mental and Emotional - on both PCs and NPCs. Emotional stress can include fear. As well as stress, characters can also suffer similarly-rated Complications, which might include fearful or phobic or other emotional responses. D&D 4e has rules for using Intimidate to affect the willingness of NPCs/monsters to fight, but there is no comparable mechanic to force PCs to check morale. Individual monsters can have non-magical fear effects - eg a Tyrant Fang Drake (= T-Rex) can stun a PC with its roar - but they are relatively uncommon. Whether morale rules are a problematic burden on player agency depends heavily on how they work as a mechanic, how they are integrated into other elements of the system, and also what methods the GM uses to establish downstream consequences of the PCs succubming to their fear. [/QUOTE]
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