Saturday 15 December 2018

Morale for EMO




































Morale 
(extra ideas welcome)

Not just for fear, also following orders like 

dont loot
dont break lines if ppl taunting you
dont break lines if enemy seem to be disadvantaged
dont abuse prisoners
dont go native if left alone at outpost, etc
dont get drunk or stuff if bored in camp
dont blab secrets to prostitutes or your mum
dont take a bribe or better pay offer
dont listen to bad omens, propaganda, gossip

Typical Scores

These assume a leader
1 Frightened hopeless cowards
2 Naughty children
3 Angry housewives
4 Teen gang
5 Angry peasants
6 Drunken angry mob, untrained conscripts, bullies, kobolds
7 Green troops, peasant militia, typical predator, goblin
8 Experienced blooded trained professional troops, hobgoblin, bear
9 Veteran troops, bugbear, stirge, owl bear
10 Elite troops
11 Fanatics willing to die for cause
12 Beserkers, honey badgers, wolverine, rabid dog, undead

Roll for possibly panic if

Hero killed
First death
25% killed
50% killed
75% killed

Roll for Confusion or Hesitation if

leader killed or flees
ordered to face overwhelming odds or superior foes
allies or supporters flee
ordered to face cavalry or monsters charge
ordered to face fortification or disciplined shield wall or phalanx
face attack from artillery/magic/flyers and cant attack back same round

Confused troops stand about and spread out and stop moving together
Hesitating troops move slower and reluctant to engage or follow through on orders

Irregular troops
skirmishers, mobs, untrained, barbarian hordes
fight spread out with cloud formation
subject to confusion if fail to obey orders
scatter and flee if morale breaks into panic

Regular troops

fight in tight formation use teamwork
suffer hesitation if fail to obey orders
fighting withdrawal if morale breaks
 into panic first time

break into irregular mob and move away if morale breaks into second time
disperse and scatter or surrender if morale breaks into panic third time

Morale Modifiers

1 is minimum morale score 12 is the maximum
mods max is +4 or -4

Before Battle Mods 

+1+2+3 if have charismatic or heroic leader|
+1 Leader has skill of Leadership
+1 drunk, just fed a feast and very well rested
-1 if hungry or tired or sick
-2 if famished on not paid recently
+1 bonus pay or loot
+1 fresh from victory
-1 recent defeat

+1 listen to good omens, propaganda, gossip
-1 listen to bad omens, propaganda, gossip
+1 or -1 good or bad rep of commander
-1 troops out of condition, not drilled or had recent fights, no plan
+1 drilled and prepared for battle plan before fight with good plan
-1 enemy force equal or somewhat superior
-2 enemy force superior in numbers and ability
+1 enemy force generally inferior and smaller
+2 enemy force hopelessly inferior weaklings



During Battle Mods 
-1 currently hesitating
-2 currently confused
-1 leader lost
-1 champion lost


Leader rolls to

rally demoralized troops or restore lost morale
make formation change promptly/without hesitation
make a confused or hesitating unit obey



Comand Radius of Leaders
Fighter has CHA score
-elves dwarves halflings and gnomes as a fighter only for own race
Everyone else gets CHA bonus in battlefield inches
some skills can assist in this
-command skill adds level in battlefield inches

Thoughts
so far a mob of drunken cowards with a good leader telling them lies about good omens and promising cash and giving them a slap up feast could make them get a moral up enough to face sick starving soldiers who have not been paid and have a incompetent leaser

the soldiers would probably still win but morale might let the drunk mob win

i want to make a hybrid war game with simple unit tokens then some kind of narrative tables for heroes to help decide battle outcome from players view. Might not involve any actual of tokens or movement

Quick problem types

1 Unruly Allies
2 Officers
3 Camp Drama
4 Supply Troubles
5 Crime & Corruption
6 Rude Rumours
7 Holy hassles
8 Nature revolts
9 Monsters
10 Supernatural

d100 Things that go wrong before battle

01 Mercenaries or allies don't show up
02 Mercenaries or allies change sides
03 Mercenaries or allies demand a better deal

04 Minority among troops revolt at mistreatment from majority
05 Troops murdering commanders and threaten revolt
06 Troops riot and fight each other damaging camp
07 Troops get drunk and disorderly
08 Troops get horrible vd rendering many too sick to fight
09 Troops deserting out of control every night
10 Some of troops hopelessly undisciplined and overconfident
11 Officer sold commission and a useless one takes place
12 Incompetent delusional noble demands command roll in battle
13 Leader is ill and not on top of game, needs help to see battle and stand
14 Rival officers take unreasonable risks and ruin plans
15 Officer blabbed plans to a lover
16 Officer is a cultist or witch
17 Officer dies of plague
18 Officer has been struck with madness
19 Officer serves a foreign power in secret
20 Officer panics at bad omen
21 Plague outbreak on camp
22 Mascot dies or runs away
23 Mascot is an imp up to sabotage
24 Banner accidentally ruined or soiled shamefully
25 Musicians die or run away needing incompetent replacements
26 Bad omen panics the camp
27 Good omen makes camp over confident
28 Rain floods camp and ruins defences
29 Animals die from disease or flee
30 Some creature killing personnel inside the camp
31 Fire burns supplies
32 Important equipment fails
33 Food spoiled by mould and vermin
34 Supplies late short on ammunition
35 Supply train ambushed by bandits or enemies
36 Merchants demand advance payment now
37 Supply train has been cut off by disaster
38 Supplies late men and animals hungry
39 Unauthorised camp followers stir up fights and trouble
40 Unauthorised camp followers in trouble are some troops awol helping them
41 Payroll stolen
42 Criminals sold supplies
43 Assassin killed a leader
44 Spies stole plans
45 Raconteur demoralising personnel
46 Officer sold supplies to pay gambling debts
47 Corrupt personnel purloining funds and flee
48 Criminal stole officers personal items, weapons and cash
49 Scandal of corruption causes unrest
50 Thieves guild operating openly in camp skimming everything and peddling vice
51 Rumours that homeland under threat alarms troops

52 Troops believe leaders have planned to sacrifice them for strategic reasons
53 Troops believe support and allies disloyal
54 Troops believe enemy has huge allied force coming
55 Troops believe enemy aided by witches and scared
56 Troops believe their is hidden wealth in area and many plan to go treasure hunting
57 Troops believe enemy has a secret weapon that puts them at risk
58 Troops believe officers are deceiving them about forces they face
59 Troops believe officers want to see most men die to afford payroll costs
60 Troops seem to have sympathy for enemy and might be unwilling to mistreat them
61 Priest declares gods need a special sacrifice to gain their favour
62 Priest needs a few days of rituals to get divine approval
63 Gods require to be appeased with some special action or the army will fail
64 Priest denounces competent officer
65 Priest clamps down on vice in camp upsetting the troops
66 Priests insist on marching out on battlefield and sure gods will protect them
67 Priests spreading gloom and doom demozalizing troops
68 Priests declare food and booze from camp supplies needed for sacrifice
69 Priests annoy officers with omens and warnings and offer their command advice
70 Priests murdered causing unrest
71 Storms for several days delay battle and limit movement

72 Battlefield floods and becomes swampy mess
73 A natural feature helps enemy hide forces from army for a ambush
74 A rock or mudslide or flood divides force
75 Waters rise making crossings harder
76 Local water dries up making supplies limited
77 Mosquitoes and leeches torment troops and spread disease
78 Volcanic vent releases steam and boiling mud alarming troops
79 River breaks its banks during rain and moves
80 Forest fire causes panic
81 Road collapses into sinkhole cave complex
82 Trees vegetation grows supernaturally changing terrain overnight
83 Hills and great stones arise from the earth changing terrain overnight
84 Some monster killing livestock and camp supporters
85 Local dungeon tempting troops to go awol
86 Local dungeon raiding camp and killing scouts
87 Rotgrubs in camp killing troops
88 Giant rats swarm in camp
89 Local cult hostile to army harass camp
90 Non human army offended and suspicious of strangers
91 Lycanthropy breaks out in army
92 Camp is on haunted burial ground

93 Local spirits object to presence in area
94 Doppelgangers among command
95 Dryads lure away troops

96 Vampire preying on camp
97 Rust monsters eat weapon baggage and metal goods then run away
98 Hungry dragon raids camp picking off stragglers by night
99 Camp on slumbering kaiju
100
 Vision of deity witnessed by both sides

2 comments:

  1. Seems like there are two types of Morale on that list at the top - Berserkers and Honeybadgers will never take a bribe, but will always attack weak-looking enemies. Cowards will be very unlikely to break out of formation except to retreat, but will always take bribes. Might be worth having "Bravery" and "Discipline" as two seperate stats. Or just add exceptions where needed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. I read this too and someone else came at it from opposite end. Discipline and morale as separate rolls possible

      Delete

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