Adding a Morale Mechanic to Dungeons & Dragons 5e

I am not new to the concept of role playing games, but I am relatively new to the Dungeons & Dragons 5e core rules set. And, while there are many things I like about the game, like the advantage mechanic, the inspiration mechanic, and the inclusion of backgrounds, there are also some things I don’t like, the challenge rating system for example. And, while I believe that the Fifth Edition is a solid edition, there is something I miss from my Basic rules set… The morale mechanic.

The morale check was an optional rule included in the Rules Cyclopedia (as well as the boxed sets) which gave the DM a quick (and random) way to decide how sentient monsters (not including the undead who always fight to the death) react during combat encounters and other life threatening situations. The DM would roll 2d6 against a creatures morale score (essentially a measure of a creatures courage and loyalty). If the roll was equal to or less than the morale score the monster continues combat. If the roll was greater than the monsters morale score the monster would flee or surrender.

Being optional, the morale score didn’t supplant good role play. The DM had the option to decide that any monster could retreat, surrender or fight to the death at their discretion, but it added an element of chance to the game. Let’s face it, not all sentient monsters are going to fight to the death during every encounter. Monsters want to live just as much as the players do. They will retreat or surrender in order to save their own skins too! The beauty of the morale checks was that it let the dice decide, this worked especially well for monsters of the chaotic bent. Monsters with a chaotic world view are apt to do anything by nature, and the morale check addressed this from encounter to encounter nicely.

I was honestly surprised to find that a morale check mechanic was not included in the Dungeons & Dragons 5e rules set. But, I’m thinking about adding my own, and I don’t think it’s going to be that hard.

Since monsters and NPC’s don’t have morale scores assigned to them in the Monster Manual, the hardest part will be assigning a morale score. But don’t worry, this sounds harder than it actually is. The Rules Cyclopedia actually includes a table for doing exactly this. Simply compare what you know about the monster and its personality to the table below and assign the appropriate morale score

Morale Scores Table:

• Abjectly cowardly                                                     2 (always runs away)
• Easily frightened or very cautious                       3-5
• Unmotivated                                                             6
• Disinterested                                                            7
• Normal/ Unknown                                                   8
• Brave, determined, or stubborn                            9-11
• Suicidally brave, berserk, or undead                    12 (always fights to the death)

And, if you have absolutely no idea as to the monsters personality type or motivation you can leave it completely up to chance and roll 2d6, with the resulting roll being the monsters morale score. Once you have assigned a morale score to your NPC or monster simply follow the morale check rules as included in the Rules Cyclopedia (pg 103). I have summarized them below for your convenience:

How to Check Morale: 

Roll 2d6 against a creatures morale score. If the roll is equal to or less than the morale score the monster continues combat. If the roll is greater than the monsters morale score the monster would flee or surrender.

When to Check Morale:

The DM never has to check morale for a creature with a morale score of 2 or 12. A creature with a morale of 2 will always flee, and a creature with a morale score of 12 will always fight to the death. For creatures with a morale score from 3 to 11 the DM makes morale checks at the following times:

• At the Start of an Evasion – When a group tries to evade an encounter the DM rolls to see if the creatures give chase.
• During a Chase – Every five combat rounds success means that the creatures continue to give chase, and failure means  that they break the chase off.
• In Combat – When a creature is first hit taking 1 or more points of damage.
• In Combat – When the creature is reduced to one-quarter (or less) of its starting hit points.
• In Combat – When the first death takes place. The DM makes one morale roll for the remaining creatures to see if they wish to continue.
• In Combat – When half of the creatures are not free to act (because they are dead, asleep, controlled, etc.).

Remember, the suggestions above are merely that… Suggestions. At any point, the DM can choose to ignore the morale check entirely and gauge the morale of a creature based on the situation, the nature of the creature, or any other factors that they deem relevant.

So that’s the morale check mechanic I have adapted from the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia and added to my 5e game. If you decide to try it, let me know what you think. How does it work for you? Have you added any additional tweaks? Have you added an entirely different morale check mechanic? As always, let me know in the comments!

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