The following is adapted from material written by Erik Growen for his now-defunct (and sadly not-mirrored-by-the-Wayback-Machine) Geocities website. Full credit to him for coming up with the idea of adding Morale as an attribute, though I use a different method for determining the starting value (at Character Generation, as with other Major Attributes) and how Morale is gained/lost.
New Major Attribute:
Morale
Morale (MO) is a new Major Attribute that measures a character’s attitude, mental wellbeing, coolness under fire and discipline.
Characters with a high Morale will fight hard, stay alert and follow orders effectively. Characters with a low morale will lack discipline and focus, will retreat from battle more often, display signs of stress and mental fatigue.
To determine Morale for a character, roll percentile dice as for any other Major Attribute. If the character was “drafted”, subtract 10 from the result.
A character with Morale less than 30 is considered “4-F” and may be re-rolled, however this value does not count against the recommended 180-point Major Attribute total described in the original rules.
Like Strength, a character’s current Morale can temporarily fluctuate during play. Unlike Strength, it can rise above the base score as well as dropping below it. As with a character’s Strength, base Morale should never be erased.
The following is a list of circumstances that can alter a character’s current Morale, often depending on their Alignment. The MD should feel free to add to this list as they feel fair and fit.
| EVENT | PAC | IDE | OPP | RIG | KAR | MAL | PSY |
| Caught in an Ambush situation | -10 | -10 | -10 | -5 | -5 | -15 | -5 |
| Witness an ally’s death | -10 | -10 | -5 | – | -5 | – | – |
| Cause an ally’s death | -20 | -15 | -10 | – | -10 | – | – |
| Witness an innocent’s death | -15 | -15 | -5 | – | -10 | – | – |
| Cause an innocent’s death | -25 | -20 | -10 | -5 | -15 | – | – |
| Witness a friend’s death | -15 | -15 | -10 | -5 | -10 | – | – |
| Cause an friend’s death | -25 | -25 | -20 | -5 | -15 | – | – |
| Kill an enemy | -10 | – | – | +5 | +10 | – | +10 |
| Burn a hamlet or village | -15 | -10 | – | – | – | – | +15 |
| Save an ally from danger | +5 | +10 | +5 | – | – | – | – |
| Save an innocent from danger | +10 | +10 | +5 | – | – | – | – |
| Save a friend from danger | +5 | +10 | +10 | – | +5 | – | – |
| Get saved by someone else | – | – | – | – | -5 | – | -5 |
| On the “good” side of a Turkey Shoot | – | – | – | +5 | +5 | – | +10 |
| Win a battle against a superior force | – | – | +5 | +10 | +15 | +5 | +5 |
| Forced to retreat/abandon objective | – | -5 | -5 | -15 | -20 | – | -5 |
| 2+ consecutive missions, little rest | -10 | -10 | -10 | -5 | -5 | -10 | -10 |
| 2+ consecutive missions, no rest | -15 | -15 | -15 | -10 | -10 | -15 | -15 |
| Kept awake all night | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 |
| Morale-sapping propaganda/broadcasts | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 |
| Morale-boosting event (e.g. USO show) | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 |
| Just returned from R&R | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 |
| Get “entertained” by a Mama-San | +15 | +10 | +10 | +5 | +5 | +15 | +10 |
| Abuse or torture an enemy or civilian | -50 | -40 | -30 | – | -20 | +10 | +15 |
| Forced to face Phobia (see “Phobias“) | -10 | -10 | -10 | -10 | -10 | -10 | -10 |
| Take drugs or get drunk | Varies (see “Drugs“) | ||||||
| Receive important letter/package | Varies (see “Letters From Home”) | ||||||
| Eat a Favorite Meal (see “Chow Time“) | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 |
| Eat a Despised Meal (see “Chow Time“) | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 |
| Forced to eat rations cold (no fires) | -5 | -5 | -5 | – | – | -5 | -5 |
| Just received a promotion (this month) | – | +5 | +10 | +5 | +5 | +10 | – |
Alignment Key: PAC – Pacifist, IDE – Idealistic, OPP – Opportunist, RIG – Righteous, KAR – Karmic, MAL – Malignant, PSY – Psychotic.
DESIGNER NOTES:
Below are Erik Growen’s original post on Morale from his RECON fansite, which I based my own rules (above) on, for the sake of comparison and full transparency.
Banjo's House Rules 