Morale

Morale is a little confusing in the book. We’re trying to parse the information.
1st: There are two types of basic morale checks. Morale to determine whether monsters run or flee (and I’m assuming this applies to mercenaries as well). Does this also apply to henchmen? Do they have a chance of fleeing during a fight?
2nd: Morale rolls to determine whether a henchman leaves their employer’s service.
Now, for monsters and mercs, morale scores are pretty straightforward. They go from -6 to +4. Unless absolutely cornered, -6 won’t fight. And, +4 fights on without any need for a roll. Great. Makes sense.
Where things get confusing is the 2nd area of Morale checks.
Each henchman has a morale score: employer’s charisma + leveling up - any calamities. These are permanent adjustments.
Additionally, someone who rolls “Fanatically Loyal” gets +2 to ALL morale rolls. And, as far as I can tell, an “Accept with elan” result when initially hired gives them a permanent +1 (this is permanent right?).
The only negative is if someone rolls “Grudging Loyalty” gets -1 to their NEXT morale roll.
This final score can be modified up or down by the Judge’s discretion based on the treatment of the henchmen.
Ok. Sure. Makes sense.
My questions are:
Does the henchmen cap at +4 and -6 as well? If I have a +2 Charisma, +1 for accepting with Elan, and +1 for gaining a level, does that mean any further bonuses do not matter?
Does the henchmen use their morale scores to see if they flee also? Or, do they not roll morale checks to flee?
Do “loyalty” morale rolls function the same as other morale rolls (with a -6 they automatically leave and a +4 they automatically stay)?
Does the Command proficiency add to their loyalty Morale rolls or just to determine whether they go into danger or flee?
Anything I’m missing or misunderstanding?

To add fuel to the fire, if the morale modifiers only go to +4 do the extra bonuses get applied against any calamity modifers to offset them?

Before I answer these questions, I’m going to summarize all of the extant rules on morale from the rules.


Morale Scores:
All henchmen have a morale score, which is generally 0 plus the employer’s Charisma bonus or penalty. Charisma modifies the morale of henchmen. The average morale of any such henchmen will be 0, modified by the character’s Charisma bonus or penalty.
Cleric followers are completely loyal (morale +4).
Bladedancer followers are “fanatically loyal” and “need never check morale.”
Mercenaries have morale like henchmen, but mercenary morale is based on their training and equipment rather than the personal magnetism of their employers. Mercenaries may have additional bonuses or penalties to morale based on working conditions.
Monsters have a listing for morale, which represents how likely they are to fight or flee when in an encounter. Morale is rated from -6 to +4. A score of -6 indicates that the monster never fights (unless absolutely cornered), while a score of +4 indicates the monster will fight until killed, with no morale roll necessary in either case… The Judge may decide to apply bonuses or penalties to morale, with a range of -2 to +2, depending on the circumstances. These adjustments are never applied to monsters with morale of -6 or +4, because they are at the extremes.
When to Make Morale Rolls:
Morale rolls are made each time the henchman suffers a calamity. A calamity includes suffering an energy drain, a curse, a magical disease, or being nearly killed (Judge’s discretion). In addition, the Judge should make a morale roll for each henchman at the
end of each adventure whenever the henchman has leveled up, to determine if the henchman strikes off on his own or remains with the adventurer.
Modifiers to Morale Score:
A henchman’s morale score is permanently decreased by 1 each time he suffers a calamity, and permanently increased by 1 each time he gains a level while in the adventurer’s service.
Any henchmen and mercenaries hired by the fighter gain a +1 bonus to their morale score whenever he personally leads them.
Any henchmen and mercenaries hired by the bard gain a +1 bonus to their morale score if the bard is there to witness and record their deeds.
Hirelings on a wilderness adventure led by the explorer gain a +1 bonus to their morale score.
Command: The character has mastered the art of command. His authority inspires men to follow him into danger. The character’s henchmen and mercenaries receive a +2 bonus
to morale.
Leadership (G): The character is an inspirational authority figure who earns great loyalty. The base morale score of any domain he rules is increased by 1.
Modifiers to Morale Rolls:
Accept with Elan: The hireling’s morale rolls receive a bonus of +1.
Grudging Loyalty: If the character does not make any improvements to the terms of service, the henchman’s next loyalty roll will be at a -1 penalty.
Fanatic Loyalty means the henchman has become a dedicated and sworn servant of the character. All future morale rolls will be at +2.
Inspiring courage grants the bard’s allies within a 50’ radius a +1 bonus to attack throws, damage rolls, morale rolls (for monsters or NPCs allied with the bard).

Morale is a little confusing in the book. We’re trying to parse the information.
APM: I apologize that I didn’t do a better job of explaining it.
There are two types of basic morale checks. 1st, Morale to determine whether monsters run or flee (and I’m assuming this applies to mercenaries as well). 2nd, Morale rolls to determine whether a henchman leaves their employer’s service.
APM: Yes, there are two types of morale checks - a check to determine steadiness in battle and a check to determine continued service (loyalty).
Does this also apply to henchmen? Do they have a chance of fleeing during a fight?
APM: Yes. All non-player characters are susceptible to both types of morale checks. However, any creature whose morale score is +4 or greater does not need to make morale rolls. Any creature whose morale score is -6 or lower always fails morale rolls.
Now, for monsters and mercs, morale scores are pretty straightforward. They go from -6 to +4. Unless absolutely cornered, -6 won’t fight. And, +4 fights on without any need for a roll. Great. Makes sense.
APM: Yes, that’s correct. Note that henchmen’s morale score will normally range from -3 to +3. A henchman hired by an 18 CHR character with Command proficiency would start with +5. Mercenaries generally range from -2 to +2. With Command, a mercenary could get to +4.
Each henchman has a morale score: employer’s charisma + leveling up - any calamities. These are permanent adjustments.
APM: That’s correct. A henchman’s morale score will adjust over time.
Additionally, someone who rolls “Fanatically Loyal” gets +2 to ALL morale rolls. And, as far as I can tell, an “Accept with elan” result when initially hired gives them a permanent +1 (this is permanent right?).
APM: That’s correct. While I called this a bonus to all morale rolls, it is effectively a bonus to morale score.
The only negative is if someone rolls “Grudging Loyalty” gets -1 to their NEXT morale roll. This final score can be modified up or down by the Judge’s discretion based on the treatment of the henchmen.
APM: That’s correct. Note that this would be a change to the morale score, rather than an adjustment to the morale roll.
My questions are:
Does the henchmen cap at +4 and -6 as well? If I have a +2 Charisma, +1 for accepting with Elan, and +1 for gaining a level, does that mean any further bonuses do not matter?
APM: No, morale does not cap. The +4 to -6 range listed for monsters just represents the base range for monsters. In theory there’s no reason morale couldn’t be higher than +4 or lower than -6.
Does the henchmen use their morale scores to see if they flee also? Or, do they not roll morale checks to flee?
APM: The henchman does use his morale score to see if he flees, yes.
Do “loyalty” morale rolls function the same as other morale rolls (with a -6 they automatically leave and a +4 they automatically stay)?
APM: Correct. At +4 morale or higher you don’t need to roll morale.
Does the Command proficiency add to their loyalty Morale rolls or just to determine whether they go into danger or flee?
APM: Command proficiency increases the morale score for all purposes.
Anything I’m missing or misunderstanding?
APM: No, I don’t think so.

EXAMPLE:
Marcus (CHA 14, Command proficiency) hires a henchman. The henchman accepts with Elan. His morale score is +1 (CHA) +2 (Command) +1 (Accepted with Elan) = +4. During the first session, the henchman is reduced to half hit points. Normally this would trigger a morale roll, but the henchman’s morale is +4, so he dosn’t need to roll.
Unfortunately the battle goes badly and the henchman is reduced to 0hp. He recovers back in town with gruesome scars. This is a calamity, reducing the henchman’s morale score by 1, down to +3. He has suffered a calamity, so he must make a morale roll. The roll is a 6 +3 = 9. He remains loyal to Marcus.
On the next adventure, the henchman is again reduced to 50% hit points. Because his morale score is now only +3, he must make a morale roll. Unfortunately the dice roll is only 2, modified by +3 to 5, resulting in a Fighting Withdrawal.
After the battle, Marcus is enraged at his henchman’s cowardice, and humiliates him in front of the rest of the adventurers. The Judge rules that this is enough to reduce his morale score by a further point, down to +2.
At the end of the adventure, the henchman levels up. This increases his morale score by +1, to +3. Because he leveled, he rolls on the Henchmen Loyalty table. He rolls a 4 +3 =7, resulting in Grudging Loyalty. His next loyalty roll will be at -1. His Morale score remains +3 for other purposes.

That helps a ton! I’ll re-post this for my players.

Which edition had Henchmen make morale checks at the end of an adventure? Having Henchmen make both types seems extreme. Hirelings, sure.

B/X had retainers (henchmen) make morale checks at the end of every adventure, as I recall. I found that too punitive in play and changed it to calamities or leveling.

Ahh, I wasn’t parsing the difference between “2nd, Morale rolls to determine whether a henchman leaves their employer’s service.” and “Morale checks at the end of every adventure”.