Creature Morale System

[Heretic]

 

Amazing system! For those not having noticed yet, the morale system simulates creatures scampering away if failing their morale check when overwhelmed, no longer will you see a pack of rats rushing you without retreat if you stomp them easily.

From a DM point of view, this also makes it all more fluid and credible to have creatures flee when you posses them. I played 20 minutes simulating battles in some Generic DM area like a kid having found a new toy.

 

[Rex]

Careful, certain people may consider such a system a Nerf because now they have to expend valuable spell duration chasing their XP.  On a serious note though, sounds Cool......definitly useful and atmosphere adding.  has that nice Skaven vs Goblin sound to it in a Warhammer game.  *Charge!.....*leadership rolls*  RETREAT!!!!*


~Rex 

[Heretic]

Skaven vs Goblin sound to it in a Warhammer game.  *Charge!.....*leadership rolls*  RETREAT!!!!*


~Rex 

Funny you mentioned that, as in my tests, I played out a pack of Wererats vs a Werewolf, and the lil' rat weasels scampered when they saw a lost fight, however these same weasels came to assist a Wererat Lord when I spawned him to proximity. I thought to myself: Skaven and warhammer as well. 

[Avatar6666]

Amazing system! For those not having noticed yet, the morale system simulates creatures scampering away if failing their morale check when overwhelmed, no longer will you see a pack of rats rushing you without retreat if you stomp them easily.

From a DM point of view, this also makes it all more fluid and credible to have creatures flee when you posses them. I played 20 minutes simulating battles in some Generic DM area like a kid having found a new toy.

 

This is an realy cool idea and i love it.

[Lyrithean]

I've pitched this a couple times.. I'm so happy to see it in game and can't wait to see it in action

[failed.bard]

Maria sent a helmed horror into a group of waifs, and watched them scatter in all directions.  It was beautiful.

[Grieyls]

Oh the irony....

Hey let's make some major coin, what's a good method? Ratting you say, allright then. I've got Great Cleave, this will be a cinch.

[delves down the sewers] Hey there are some [swing whack] Eh? .... They're all running away, I thought you said this was easy?

[Countess29]

Eww scaven so lame. I love the script would be nice if pc had to make it as well lol no more fighting to death death hoping for a last second crit mauhahah

[Vespertilio]

That would be interesting, low level pcs would probably run in appropriate fear from most MPCs when accounting for the ECL and conversely high level paladins would elicit an equally appropriate fear response for those MPCs which apply.

[Minstrel]

Question....

Will these creatures then return to stab people in the back if let to live?

Just wondering how Lawful Good it is of a Paladin to chase down and stab something that's begging for mercy.

[LawfulJoe]

Had zombies "Running" from me, more like a shambling turn away but they did not get far. Skeletons as well, running in fear. These are what are known as Mindless undead, without fear or strategy except to kill you the living. Would they get Morale checks? Seems inappropriate considering the lack of logical thought or even the desire to self preserve. Ghouls I could see having checks as they have a sort of animalistic mentality, but the animated dead, such as Zombies and skeletons, why would they run for their... Lives?

~LawfulJoe

[Heretic]

Soren will surely fix.

Amongst the things that wont (Not supposed to) have morale checks are mindless undead, like zombies and skeletons, constructs and slimes.

[Kendric98]

I had a bad guy in lucine fail his save but he only moved like an inch away on the screen standing next to a wall and turned his back to my char. It kind of reminds me of the mindless fear spell how people would get scared then act like they are brain dead. I was even able to go over to it and smack it to death and it just stood there. Oh and no it wasent traped.

[Pepchko]

Careful, certain people may consider such a system a Nerf because now they have to expend valuable spell duration chasing their XP.  On a serious note though, sounds Cool......definitly useful and atmosphere adding.  has that nice Skaven vs Goblin sound to it in a Warhammer game.  *Charge!.....*leadership rolls*  RETREAT!!!!*


~Rex 

I LOLed. i have a Skaven army

[Soren / Zarathustra217]

Concerning the zombies running, I wrongfully assumed they had a low intelligence score, but to my surprise, Bioware gave them all atleast a 10

I'll figure out how to best solve that.

[mayvind]

Concerning the zombies running, I wrongfully assumed they had a low intelligence score, but to my surprise, Bioware gave them all atleast a 10

I'll figure out how to best solve that.

We arent all dumb undead you know!

[KoopaFanatic]

I noticed the system in effect last night fighting zombies, and it was pretty interesting (if inappropriate for the adversary ).  I noticed one other thing that I think might be a bug in the system, though:  the zombies seemed to be immune to knockdown.  Most of the time I'd get the "Knockdown: Hit" message, and instead of falling the zombie would promptly turn around and shamble away.  It makes it pretty pointless to even attempt to keep them from fleeing.

[mayvind]

I noticed the system in effect last night fighting zombies, and it was pretty interesting (if inappropriate for the adversary ).  I noticed one other thing that I think might be a bug in the system, though:  the zombies seemed to be immune to knockdown.  Most of the time I'd get the "Knockdown: Hit" message, and instead of falling the zombie would promptly turn around and shamble away.  It makes it pretty pointless to even attempt to keep them from fleeing.

It is AI script thingy it been here for ages, specialy those demologist mage that keep run away after knockdown and casting spells.

[Sewerprince]

I saw this in effect yesterday in the crypts. I struck a couple undead down and saw a zombie trying to run away. And since I was home alone I narrated what he would've been saying.

"Shamble my bretheren! Shuffle your feet like never before! Lest you be smitten by this bard's lyrics of death and destruction!" *is then obliterated by an enchanted sickle to the back of the head*

 

[KoopaFanatic]

It is AI script thingy it been here for ages, specialy those demologist mage that keep run away after knockdown and casting spells.

Well, I've seen the run-despite-knockdown thing happen a lot with spellcasters -- especially vampire sorceresses in the Baratak ruins -- but I've never seen it happen so consistently with a more mundane monster.  (To put it another way, I've knocked down a lot of zombies since I started playing, and this was definitely different.)

[vlowe72]

I saw this in effect yesterday in the crypts. I struck a couple undead down and saw a zombie trying to run away. And since I was home alone I narrated what he would've been saying.

Actually... mindless things like zombies should not fail morale checks....?

[Bad_Bud]

I'd like to suggest that things with a CR above a certain amount should not run, regardless of circumstance.  It was kind of a chore last night when greater shadow spiders were running away because they felt oppressed.

[marlewebber]

Also certain creatures might flee from a certain spell?  Undead NPCs might run from light based spells?  Or living NPCs might flee from a Darkness spell, if they have no way to see.  One thing I've noticed is that if they are in the darkness they won't run, just simply stop fighting, so that might need some looking into.

[failed.bard]

  Darkness gimps the AI.  They'll just stand their getting attacked normally at times as well.  It's one of the reasons the spell is banned on some servers.

[LawfulJoe]

Hopefully we do not take Darkness away, pretty much makes my Drow's edge go bye bye. Darkness has aided in many an escape. It's a very useful ability