Morale
Used in Combat Moments where an enemy’s will to fight should matter, not just their HP. This is an optional tool, not a standing rule — most fights resolve on HP alone exactly as they always have. Morale is for the specific fight where the fiction says these foes would break before they’d die: a desperate ambush, a press-ganged conscript, a beast that’s more frightened than feral.
| Morale | State | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Steady | Holding the line, no cracks showing |
| 1 | Shaken | Doubt creeping in — a bad turn could break them |
| 2 | Breaking | Actively looking for a way out |
| 3 | Routed | They flee or surrender — the Combat Moment ends for them |
The GM sets the starting Morale from the fiction. It shifts toward Routed when something happens that should plausibly rattle this enemy — a Devastating hit lands, their leader falls, they’re suddenly and badly outnumbered. It shifts back toward Steady if something in the fiction rallies them — a commander’s shout, a turning tide.
Ending. Reaching Routed ends the fight for that creature (or that side) — they flee or surrender, independent of remaining HP.