Morale Checks in Mongoose Traveller 2E?

RSherman17

Mongoose
All,

Still getting used to the new Mongoose Traveller 2E version. In the old school CT version I believe morale check was thrown when the opposing side lost > 20% of their men you had to roll 7+ with a leadership DM , tactics etc... Megatraveller had NPC Morale checks and the difficulty of the task went up as they had 25% casualty rate , 50% etc.... I have been checking the Mongoose rules and haven't seen a morale check ? Did I miss this somewhere in the new core manual [ 2022 or the 2018 version ? ] I do see a leadership check [ Shouting an order as 8+ or rallying troops 10+ ] but under what conditions ? 25% casualty rate...? 50% ? To me it seems like when a NPC fails their morale check of 7+ , a leader can rally... Its not very clear here and would love to see an example or see how other GM's /referees adjudicate this.

Thanks in advance for any comments/ideas. - Rick.
 
I don't think morale made it in to MongTrav. Which is kind of a shame, but I either judge it on the fly or roll off memory (of D&D ironically, not Classic, though I see Classic is straightforward enough I should just use it).

A question in return, if I may. In The Traveller Book morale can be read as applying even to player parties. Did you or anyone you know of actually roll that way, or was it only for NPCs?
 
Saladman said:
A question in return, if I may. In The Traveller Book morale can be read as applying even to player parties. Did you or anyone you know of actually roll that way, or was it only for NPCs?

The Traveller Book was my first experience with sci-fi RPGs (right after Moldvay Basic D&D). I never rolled morale for PCs nor asked them to. I did give them warnings when they were in danger of serious consequences because I figured any PC with a few terms under their belt could read the room as it were. But I agree, it could be read that players could be required to make a morale check. That just felt totally wrong.

To the OP, I don’t really use morale in Traveller. I do set a threshold for PC enemies where they’ll break and run or surrender or whatever. But it’s just instinct because in a sci-fi environment there’s just so many variables. Sometimes it’s combat damage, some times it’s area based, sometimes it’s situational. But I find if I think about the combatants and their goals a little bit it’s easy to determine when the NPCs will break.
 
I think it comes down to more a question of involuntary actions.

If the character is plainly terrorized, it's either flight or fight, with a possibly a third reaction being paralyzed.

Not likely in Traveller that you will meet either a dragon or Nyarlathotep.


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You can roleplay morale. Trained military troops usually have a much better morale than a bunch civilian militia for example. I personally would not need any rule with hard figures for that.
 
Saladman said:
I don't think morale made it in to MongTrav. Which is kind of a shame, but I either judge it on the fly or roll off memory (of D&D ironically, not Classic, though I see Classic is straightforward enough I should just use it).

A question in return, if I may. In The Traveller Book morale can be read as applying even to player parties. Did you or anyone you know of actually roll that way, or was it only for NPCs?

I only intended this to be applied to NPC's. As Reisender had mentioned disciplined troops will get a modifier w/ a leader that has tactical skill / leadership skill , multiple terms in the military etc... I basically was looking to adjudicate when the bad guys decided that they'd had enough and break and run , or stand... [ If I were to use the Roll 2D and look for 7+ to stand per CT rules , its winds up being very close to what is listed in the Traveller Companion. ] So, for battle hardened troops they get a +2, + any other tactical/leadership DM's. For regular goons, they would have to roll 7+ on 2D6 if they take > 20% casualties. Thx everyone for the comments and ideas. Seems like my solution isn't that far off of what is listed in the rules.

-Rick
 
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