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(TFT) Morale Reviewed
From: James Eckman <fugu@wenet.net>
Subject: (TFT) Re: Charge and this and that
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 19:06:59 -0700
> From: Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>
> Subject: Re: (TFT) Cavalry Charge Proposal
>
> The Treasure of the Silver Dragon has decent Morale rules and
> there are some in the Ships & Swords article in Space Gamer #24,
> page 11.
I don't have either, at least I don't think so. Is there a simple
summary you can give?
Thanks
Jim Eckman
Silver Dragon's morale is set up on single die roll system with modifiers.
XI. MORALE DIE ROLL
"Each time an opponent in an enemy group is downed make a die roll for
each remaining opponent. Each opponent will react according to the one die
roll made for him. This reaction may be for the combat round to follow the
current initiative roll or for another time period designated. Add one to
the roll for each opponent previously downed.
"Die Roll Reaction
1 - 3 Continues fighting, no reaction
4 Hesitates, will not engage voluntarily this turn,
but otherwise fights normally.
5 Hesitates, will not take any attack option this turn.
6 - 7 Break and run, will try to disengage and/or run off
map away from danger.
8+ Surrender - opponent drops to knees, drops weapons
and trys to surrender.
"An opponent who rolls a Break and Run will only Hesitate (no attack) for
one turn if he is the only one to have the Break and Run reaction. An
opponent who is Engaged when he rolls a Break and Run will try to Disengage
for two turns, if unsuccessful he will then continue to fight normally. An
opponent who isn't engaged will run from the map at every opportunity at top
speed, dropping all weapons and trying to avoid the adventuring group. Any
opponent or Character who leaves the combat map is considred out of the
battle and can't return."
This means that if you had a line of Barbarians up against a Roman Legion,
they might break in the skermish. 6 Barbarians. Barbarian #6 splats.
Barbarians #1 thru #5 roll 1 die. All roll under 4 except Barbarian #5 who
rolls a 5. I would roll morale check right after Forced Retreat in the Turn
Sequence & Option AM Page 2. The results are set as initiative is rolled,
so Barbarian #5 hesitates during movement and action this new turn.
Guess what. Barbarian #5 is Splat. Barbarians #1 thru #4 roll 1 die and
add 1 (for 2 dead). All roll under 4 except Barbarian #4 who rolls 5+1 or
6: Break and Run. But luckily for him he's the only one who is breaking, so
he just hesitates this next turn. (Does this mean he will also try to
Disengage?)
Next turn, there is no morale roll because no one is killed.
Well, now Barbarian #1 is splat. Barbarian #2 thru #4 roll 1 die and add 2
(for 3 dead). The results of the die and modifiers make it 6 and 7s. All
try to disengage next turn.
On next move it turns out that Barbarian #4 disengages, but the others
don't. For some reason the Romans don't engage Barbarian #4. The skirmish
resumes and no Barbarian goes splat. No morale rolls.
All Barbarians are still wanting to bolt out of there. They win inititive.
Barbarian #4 is not engaged and per the rules of low morale, he flees.
Barbarian #2 and #3 try again to disengage per their previous morale roll.
Barbarian #3 manages to disengage. Had he lived, he would have ran too.
Splat!
Barbarian #2 had just fought it out two rounds and was now settling in for a
long conflict. He has his morale shaken again. Barbarian #2 roll 1 die
and add 3 (for 4 dead). The results of the die and modifiers make it 8.
And he crumples to his knees and surrenders.
This will work for me. I think the Romans would be a bit more disciplined
and hold up longer. That is perhaps what the Soldier, etc. talents
suggested by Brett Slocum might be able to handle.
Also, this might work if the group is four to eight troopers, but what if
its 25? I don't think its set up for that. Perhaps a percentage system
worked into a chart? If you have 20 men, then every other one who drops
affects the roll.
The Space Gamer #24 article by Glenn Williams SHIPS AND SWORDS
"4.0 Leadership
"The function of a leaer is to keep everyone fighting in the situations
which will follow. Consequently, whenever a leader falls (slips, becomes
unconscious, or dies), all his troops must make a 3-die saving roll against
their own intelligence. Failure means they may only defend until they make
a saving roll during a plotting segment. A 17 or 18 means panic; the figure
dives off the ship (or flees) and is lost."
This becomes morale from a personal capacity, which can fluctuate from
character to character, but is set against the captain falling and not the
quantity of his fellow troopers. This means that 60% of their fellows
splat, but no one cares because the captain is everything.
-----------------------
I think what I will adapt for my future miniautres TFT games is a
combination of these two (probably in combination with some of the trooper
talents suggested in the list). The following is a tentative morale
concept:
For small groups with no charismatic leader, I would use the Silver Dragon
1D6 morale roll. For larger groups, I would use the Silver Drageon 1D6
morale matrix roll (an expanded chart that says as the Base # of troops goes
up, it takes more splats to break morale).
For a group that has a charismatic leader, or a highly trained and organized
group that has an ordinary leader (the Imperial Roman Legion at its height),
then the Naval Melee Morale would be appropriate. [This setting would
probably also invovle some new talents like LEADERSHIP, SOLDIER, perhaps
something like WILLPOWER.]
For a group that has a charismatic leader but are green or poorly paid or
already known low morale, or a mostly trained and organized group that has
an ordinary leader (the Roman Legion in its last days), then a combination
of the two might work. If the characters see a number of their fellows
fall, they start rolling 1D6. If they break, their leader can try to rally
them (perhaps an action option called RALLY.) Those who broke can make IQ
roll to gain control and those who surrender but aren't captured can roll to
see if they hesitate. If the leader drops, they make the IQ roll to see if
they fail and break. Perhaps those truly upset that the leader went down
may go BESERK.
Again, I would make all of the one group make the rolls, even player
characters. They can ignore the results because they are heroes, but at
least it give them the idea that there should be some reason all the others
are breaking around them.
Hail Melee
John Paul
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