Loyalty is a mechanic representing an NPCs commitment to the PCs--or, in some cases, to other NPCs.[1] A Loyalty Rating is how loyal a character currently is, and a Loyalty Check is a test of said loyalty.
Loyalty checks are sometimes made in secret, and come into play whenever a hireling is in mortal danger, or when violating the hirer's trust is wise, profitable, or an easy thing to do.
Loyalty Process[]
- Make a regular 3d6 roll with the hireling, adding bonuses or penalties from the situation. This roll is the NPCs Loyalty Rating, working similarly to a skill or attribute.[1] A high Loyalty Rating means a more loyal hireling.
- (i.e. offering a huge business opportunity, saving an NPC from danger, coercing them into join your pirate crew, etc).
- As per usual in NPC reactions and personalities, loyalty should only be randomized like this if it is appropriate to do so.
- (i.e. offering a huge business opportunity, saving an NPC from danger, coercing them into join your pirate crew, etc).
- In informal situations, or in dire circumstances, potential hirelings might lie about their feats and skill.
- Loyalty can increase or decrease over time--see Changes in Loyalty below.
These Are The Best Candidates?[]
Note that Loyalty Ratings need not (and should not) be randomized every time. Sometimes it just makes more sense to have NPCs start at Neutral and gain bonuses or penalties from the PCs actions throughout the campaign.
Keep in mind that the players may or may not want to interview a series of hirelings to determine their skills and loyalties. If you're playing a roleplay-focused, heavy social engineering adventure, interviewing hirelings is part of the adventure!
Loyalty Table[]
This is technically a subsection of the Reactions Table, but is here for completeness.
| Roll | Reaction | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0- | Disastrous | The NPC hates the PCs or is in the pay of their enemies, and takes the first good chance to betray them. |
| 1-3 | Very Bad | The NPC dislikes the PCs, and will leave their service (probably taking everything he can carry) or sell them out as soon as possible. |
| 4-6 | Bad | The NPC has no respect for the PCs. He leaves or betrays them given even moderate temptation, and is a sluggish worker. |
| 7-9 | Poor | The NPC is unimpressed with the PCs or dislikes the job; he thinks he’s overworked and underpaid. He’ll probably betray them if offered enough, and would certainly take a “better” job if he thought he had one. |
| 10-12 | Neutral | The NPC views the PCs as “just another boss,” and this is just another job. He works hard enough to keep them happy, but no harder. He does not leave unless he is sure the new job is better, and does not betray them unless the temptation is very strong. |
| 13-15 | Good | The NPC likes the PCs or the job. He is loyal, works hard, and accepts any reasonable hazard that the PCs accept. |
| 16-18 | Very Good | The NPC works very hard, and risks his life if need be. Under most circumstances, he puts the PCs’ interests ahead of his own. |
| 19 | Excellent | The NPC worships the PCs or their cause, works incredibly hard, puts the PCs’ interests ahead of his own at all times, and would even die for them. |
Changes in Loyalty[]
Challenges to a hireling's trust (or, offers of a better deal) can change a hireling's loyalty.
| Event | Modifier | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Higher Pay[2] | +1/ 10%+ | Good pay improves loyalty--both in satisfaction at the job and in having a more competitive rate than other employers. If the hirelings' pay exceeds the norm for his job, whether it’s a “salary” or a share in loot, this improves overall loyalty by +1 per 10% over the norm. This bonus persists for a month after the extra pay ceases. (This factor also affects slaves, if they are allowed their own possessions.) |
| Great Danger[2] | -1 / event | Whenever a noncombatant hireling is exposed to a combat situation, check loyalty. Failure gives -1 to loyalty for a week. Repetitions might have a permanent effect.[2] For "low combat" followers like dungeoneering torchbearers, it may be wise to only roll a Loyalty Check when the hireling was in danger and wasn't swiftly protected by the party. Particularly competent protection may even provide a bonus to loyalty. |
| Rescue[2] | Rescue: If the PCs risk their lives (or the mission) to rescue the hireling, make a reaction roll at +3 or more, depending on the nature of the rescue. A “Good” or better reaction means the hireling is grateful. His loyalty becomes the result of the roll or his original loyalty – whichever is higher. If one of the PCs was seriously injured or killed in the rescue, the GM should consider adding a permanent loyalty bonus on top of this! | |
| Employers' Competence[2] | Employers’ Competence: Loyalty of a “continuing” hireling might change by one point at the end of an adventure, based on the party’s performance. A botched mission reduces loyalty; great success increases it. This modifier is permanent. | |
| Length of Service[2] | After each year, make a loyalty check. A success gives a permanent +1 to loyalty. Thus, the best hirelings become better . . . but poor ones are unlikely to improve much. |
Changes in Loyalty covers other factors which can permanently increase it:
- Rescue involves a B494 roll which can replace loyalty with the result if it is higher. For people without reaction modifies this means on a roll of 17 or 18, the +3 bonus would result in Loyalty 20.
- Length of Service can also cause this, a permanent +1
Passing checks automatically at 20 implies that it is not automatic at 18 or 19 even though this means all rolls will be "equal or less".
- this probably means critical failure rules (18s always fail) apply
- after all it mentions "16+" loyalty who are forgiven for betrayal go up by +1, which means 17 can fail. Unless that means only 18 fails on a 17.
Employers' Competence: Botched Mission is the only way to reduce loyalty outright without a check (Great Danger requires a check to lose it, which doesn't apply to 20+)
Unclear if that applies to SM
Genre and Drama[]
Try not to make NPCs disloyal unless the PCs have been mean, or the NPCs have been in far too much danger, or both. Loyalty is a mechanic, meant to provide perks for well-behaved, heroic, and social PCs, and to penalize PCs for poor decisions with their hirelings.
That being said, highly dramatic adventures should have challenges of loyalty as part of the narrative itself--dark secrets, misplaced trusts, and evil twins abound!
Mentions[]
- B518-519 mentions that Loyalty is 20 for Slave Mentality and no Reaction Roll is needed.[1]
- Otherwise Loyalty of Slaves modifier to Loyalty of Hirelings is used to determine what to roll against on the Loyalty Check.
- It is effectively possible to produce the same outcome as Slave Mentality (Loyalty 20) if a perfect 18 is rolled on the initial LOH roll, and the slave was abused previously (roll 10 on LOS roll) and they're treated with kindness on 1st week.
See Also[]
- Morale, Basic Set: Campaigns, p.561