Morale Test

My youngest and I having played quite a few games of RoSD, we wanted to introduce a little variety into the enemy's actions.

I tried making up some special movement rules for certain creatures, and whilst they worked well, they are time-consuming to write, and obviously need to be read through each time such a creature activates.

We were casting around for another idea, and hit on that of a "morale test".  

The idea is that enemy creatures will acquire stress markers when certain things happen (sometimes scenario specific), and when a creature with at least one stress marker activates, it must make a morale test, whose TN level depends on the degree of stress it is under.  Creatures use their Will as a morale modifiers, and some may be immune to morale tests entirely.  If the creature succeeds, it will act as normal.  If it fails, it will act in a different way.  Most creatures will have standard reactions as listed below, but some creatures may have specific reactions, or have reactions which are scenario-dependent.

Morale failure does not signify running away, it may encourage creatures to regroup, or to seek cover, or to move to protect key locations.

We'll see if this works...

 

Morale markers

A creature acquires (n) stress markers for each of the following causes, unless it is Immune to Morale.  A creature with the Animal or Undead trait is always Immune to Morale.

One effect can produce several causes (for example : an attack that causes an previously unharmed creature to drop to less than a quarter of its wounds, will cause 3 stress markers (1 for being wounded, 1 for being reduced to less than half wounds, 1 for being reduced to less than a quarter).

 

-  It is shot at (1) 

-  It is wounded (1)

-  Another creature is killed within 12" and line of sight, and its starting health score was equal or higher (1)

-  It is reduced to less than half of its wounds (1)

-  It is reduced to less than a quarter of its wounds (1)

-  A heroic figure is reduced to 0 Health within 12" and line of sight (-1)

Morale test

A creature with at least one stress marker must, when it activates, make a morale test.

The basic TN is 6.

If a unit has one stress marker, the TN is 7 (6+1).  If it has two, TN is 9 (6+2+1).  If it has three, TN is 12 (6+3+2+1) and so on.

The creature rolls 1d20 and adds its Will.  It then removes 1 stress marker.

If the morale test succeeds, the creature acts as normal.

Failed morale test

If the morale test is failed, the creature will follow the specific reactions for the scenario or for its creature type, if these exist.  If not, standard reactions are as follows, depending on the number of stress markers remaining on the creature.

Any reaction that involves movement, means use all available movement actions unless otherwise stated (including if a shoot action is available).  Any reaction that is not possible (for example, there are no remaining friends) means any action is lost.  Any movement that takes a creature over a board edge causes it to leave the game, unless the scenario forbids it.

If a creature moves towards the closest friend and can reach him, he will use all remaining movement to position behind that friend. 

Any reference to an enemy, means an enemy within LOS.  Any reference to a friend, does not require LOS.

0 Stress Markers : 

Not In Combat : move directly towards the closest friend.  If that friend is in combat, use any remaining actions to fight.  If not, shoot if armed with a missile weapon and a target is available.

In Combat : fight.  If victorious, push back enemy 1" (or step back 1" if impossible), then move directly towards the closest friend, deviating only to avoid giving the defeated enemy the possibility to force combat.

 

1 Stress Marker : 

Not in Combat : move directly towards the closest friend who is not in combat.  If no such friend exists, move towards the closest target point; if none exists, move towards the best cover that can be reached.  If no cover is within reach, move directly away from the closest enemy.  Then shoot if armed with a missile weapon and a target is available.

In Combat : fight; then if victorious, push back enemy 1" (or step back 1" if impossible) then move directly towards the closest friend that is not in combat, deviating only to avoid giving the defeated enemy the possibility to force combat.

2 Stress Markers : 

Not in Combat : move directly towards the closest friend that it is possible to reach, without getting closer to any enemy.  If no such friend exists, move towards the best cover that can be reached, without getting closer to any enemy.  If no cover is within reach, move towards the closest target point; if none exists, move directly away from the closest enemy.  Then shoot if armed with a missile weapon and a target is available.

In Combat :  fight; then if victorious, push back enemy 1" (or step back 1" if impossible) then move directly away from the combat.

 

3 Stress Markers : 

Not in Combat : move towards the best cover that can be reached, that is not within 6" of an enemy.  If armed with a missile weapon, consider the best cover within reach of one move action, and then shoot if a target is available.  If no such cover is within reach, move towards the closest target point with no enemy within 6" of it; if none exists, move directly away from the closest enemy.

In Combat : fight; then if victorious, push back enemy 1" (or step back 1" if impossible) then move directly away from the combat

 

4+ Stress Markers : 

Not in Combat : move directly away from the closest enemy.  Use the second action to shoot if armed with a missile weapon and a target is available.

In Combat : fight; then if victorious, push back enemy 1" (or step back 1" if impossible) then move directly away from the combat