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Old 12-15-2017, 06:15 AM   #1
Rasputin
 
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Default Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

What character traits (disadvantages, mostly) should affect morale checks in combat, and how much?

I’ll start the ball with Cowardice improving reaction rolls (or Will rolls, if you prefer; the difference isn’t much), since that’s pretty much the definition of Cowardice, while Overconfidence and Stubbornness should lower this roll. Amount of Cowardice and Overconfidence are the numbers keyed to the Fright Check penalty for Cowardice based on self-control level, sign reversed for Cowardice; a straight -2 for Stubbornness, or the self-control roll penalty again if you’re using the version in the DFRPG.

Any others? Am I missing something?
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Old 12-15-2017, 09:17 AM   #2
Kelly Pedersen
 
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

A Sense of Duty towards anyone else in the combat should give a bonus, which I'd peg at +2 if it involved just one other person, or +3 if it covered the majority of the other people.

A Higher Purpose involving staying in the fight should give +1, or +1/level if you're using the levelled version.

Daredevil should give a bonus, probably +3.

On the Edge should give a healthy bonus, again call it +3, but probably at the cost of requiring some risk-taking behavior to claim the full bonus.
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Old 12-15-2017, 09:19 AM   #3
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

+3 sounds about right for Fanaticism, too. Not sure about Fearlessness and Unfazeable; morale rolls aren't exactly the same as Fright Checks, but they're not unrelated. Maybe half the level for the former and +2 for the latter? And a corresponding +1 for Combat Reflexes?
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Old 12-15-2017, 10:23 AM   #4
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

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Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
A Sense of Duty towards anyone else in the combat should give a bonus, which I'd peg at +2 if it involved just one other person, or +3 if it covered the majority of the other people.

A Higher Purpose involving staying in the fight should give +1, or +1/level if you're using the levelled version.

Daredevil should give a bonus, probably +3.

On the Edge should give a healthy bonus, again call it +3, but probably at the cost of requiring some risk-taking behavior to claim the full bonus.
You need to flip the signs for all those, since running away means rolling a 13 or higher on a reaction, though those are good ones.
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Old 12-15-2017, 10:30 AM   #5
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

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Originally Posted by JoelSammallahti View Post
+3 sounds about right for Fanaticism, too. Not sure about Fearlessness and Unfazeable; morale rolls aren't exactly the same as Fright Checks, but they're not unrelated. Maybe half the level for the former and +2 for the latter? And a corresponding +1 for Combat Reflexes?
Again, flip the signs, but a good catch on Fanaticism, if it's a related cause. Bonuses to Fright Checks or anything else related to them, however, I'm on the edge about. A Fright Check is basically a momentary reaction that something irrationally is going to kill you. A morale roll (or, more technically, a reaction roll for Potential Combat while already in combat), however, is a reaction to taking harm in a fight, and it isn't an irrational fear, since you or your side has already taken some harm. Including Combat Reflexes, Fearfulness, and Fearlessness means that many trained fighters are going to stay in fights they're losing and know they're losing. That sounds off.
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Last edited by Rasputin; 12-16-2017 at 11:49 AM.
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Old 12-15-2017, 10:44 AM   #6
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

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Originally Posted by Rasputin View Post
You need to flip the signs for all those, since running away means rolling a 13 or higher on a reaction, though those are good ones.
Ah, yes, I had forgotten these are reaction rolls, the one place in GURPS where you want to roll high instead of low. :/
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Old 12-17-2017, 01:46 AM   #7
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

Yep, you're right.
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Old 12-17-2017, 03:40 AM   #8
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

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Originally Posted by Rasputin View Post
Including Combat Reflexes, Fearfulness, and Fearlessness means that many trained fighters are going to stay in fights they're losing and know they're losing. That sounds off.
Units that break and run are more likely to get wiped out then ones that stand firm. If you stand you might convince the orcs attacking that yes they'll win but half of them will die so maybe they should back off. Or if you are professionals you trust that you wouldn't been ordered to hold here unless it is needed overall. You can decide to retreat without failing a morale roll but it is a reasoned decision not you break and run even if you didn't intend to.
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Old 12-17-2017, 05:20 AM   #9
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Default Re: Traits affecting morale rolls in combat

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Units that break and run are more likely to get wiped out then ones that stand firm. If you stand you might convince the orcs attacking that yes they'll win but half of them will die so maybe they should back off. Or if you are professionals you trust that you wouldn't been ordered to hold here unless it is needed overall. You can decide to retreat without failing a morale roll but it is a reasoned decision not you break and run even if you didn't intend to.
For the unit as a whole, sure that is usually the case, but it is far from certain that it applies to the one who runs first. Especially if that person can run fast.

For better results, one should probably split it into two parts. One part similiar to fright checks which can result in irrational behaviour and another for how willing the soldiers are to take risks at their own expense.
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