morale for monsters

[Winternight]

like Tonguez I do it with a Will Save. But I don't use any rules, just a guide of thumb.
Undeads, Constructs and Fanataics don't run.
Animals don't attack the players unless force to. (Steeds)
Humanoids stay as long they see a chance of winning. ( Maybe not the individual , but the group) Sometimes some of them are fleeing and a (former) comarade use his AoO on him.

Fleeing is very dangerous thru the AoO. You can't disengage from combat without danger.
3.0 and 3.5 prefer the last stand mentality.

 

[Plane Sailing]

If I did it, I'd use a CHA check, probably, reflecting the sense of self and confidence of the creature. If they had a leader, they would use the leaders CHA check rather than their own for as long as the leader is up, but start to scarper once the leader is down.

For the record, I think it was a mistake for WotC to miss out any mention of morale in terms of combat - to my recollection it isn't even mentioned, let alone rules included for it - and morale is actually the single most significant factor in almost every combat that takes place on the planet, from rutting deer to huge armies in conflict. Most battles should be decided on morale failure rather than upon cutting an opponent down.

As it is, there is nothing to discourage everything acting as simplistic automatons who fight until death every time.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Fleeing is very dangerous thru the AoO. You can't disengage from combat without danger.
3.0 and 3.5 prefer the last stand mentality.

Through the use of the withdraw option it is easier than it was in any previous version of D&D! You can withdraw without incurring an AoO unless you have to pass through the creatures reach. You will incur AoO if you have to withdraw through the threat areas of other creatures, but if you've let yourself get surrounded you only have yourself to blame anyway!

Cheers

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I think that a Will save would work pretty well for morale. Modifiers based on the odds of a fight would seem logical; +2 for outnumbering your enemy, +5 for double, +10 for triple , etc. Trigger teh save for the same reasons as previous editions - leader dies, loss of half the force. It would work pretty well.

I also agree with Plane Sailing. In 3.0/3.5 you can actually break from a fight safely, something you could never do in 1st ro 2nd edition.

That said, I generally wing it. My NPC's generally value their lives, and will run from a fight they are losing. I try to give them a way out - some sort of exit plan, much to the consternation of my players, who have come to rue the ability of enemies to escape to fight another day.

 

[thorny-bot]

Reading the PHB and your collective thoughts, then I tend to agree with those of you going down the WILL save route.

The way I run my games then I'm happy to have some rough pre-requisites as to why the monsters may consider running (where applicable of course). These would include amount of damage taken as a major reason to consider fleeing. With a high CON increasing HPS then arguably a FORTITUDE modifier is kind of built in there, as the need to flee is delayed anyway.

All I need now is to decide on a DC and some situation modifiers and I think I'm sorted.

Thanks guys this has helped me a lot.

 

[Tonguez]

Most battles should be decided on morale failure rather than upon cutting an opponent down.

Agreed entirely and in my homebrew Mass Combat system unless the leader can make a rally action (there are usually 4 actions per turn) a Morale check is required every turn...

 

[MadScientist]

Chainmail had a system that was based on a save mechanic. Generally any creature that went below 1/2 their HPs would have to make a save or route. The DC of the save was higher if more than half of the warband was dead or routing. (IRC the save DC was 13 if more than half of the warband was still fighting and 18 if more than half of the warband was down or routing.) Leaders could spend "comand points" to allow a figure to get another save (after failing) if they were within a certian distance. Leaders could also spend these points to give bonuses to the models saves.

To import this system to DnD I would probably make the save a Wil save and leave the save DC's where they are (13 if more than half of the NPCs allies are still fighting, 18 if less than that). If you wanted, the pressence of a "leader" NPC within 60 ft. could give a bonus to the save of maybe +2. You could also play with a "leader save bonus" that scales with decreasing distance between the NPC and their leader(s). Of course smart NPCs might well skillfuly withdraw from combat without ever actually routing.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I think the DCs should rise with CR ... other high-CR monsters will start to turn into "fanatics".