ExploderWizard
Hero
Well yes, when I use the term "morale" here I mean it in the everyday sense, not in the pre-3E rules-specific sense.
Please define morale in the everyday sense. I wasn't using any particular rules regarding morale, just the basic premise that PC's always have a right to choose thier fate regardless of the odds and NPC's may or may not.
If things go bad for the PC's they might opt to run, or surrender if escape looks to be impossible. This is a decision that gets made before HP reach 0. The PC's may just decide to grit thier teeth and fight till the bitter end. If morale is rolled into HP and the DM decides that the PC's surrender at 0, the decision to fight to the last breath has been taken from the PC's.
The biggest game killer of all time for any RPG is the DM trying to tell the PC's what they do.