Enchanted Nimbus #15

Jun 28, 2025

Welcome back aboard the Enchanted Nimbus! I hope everyone has had a good month we got trapped in a heat dome here in at the end of the month and it was hot! This month’s newsletter has a blog on monster morale and how to use morale failures as an opportunity to change up the game. As usual, we have a round-up of latest OSR-style news, blogs articles and videos from other creators. And lastly the continuation of my recent reads & listens!

Feature: Morale & the Manifestation of Fear

One thing I really enjoy about old-school games is the monster morale score. Its a system that has largely been eschewed in modern systems which generally prefer to be hack-and-slash fests until the last hit point is erased. But you can certainly use them in modern systems without any issue (and I think you should).

When the morale breaks, the monsters decide that the fight is over for them. It is at this point that they go into self preservation mode and try any tactic to live to fight another day. While the most obvious answer is to simply run away, I think its worthwhile to give some consideration to other ways the monsters might try to save themselves.

Begging for Mercy:

If the monsters feel overwhelmed by the party’s might, they might simply chose to grovel. They will throw down their arms and hope the PCs will spare their lives. I like this one because it gives the party a decision: do they show mercy, take a prisoner, or execute the surrendering foe? That choice can have a real impact on the adventuring session (and possibly campaign if the NPC becomes significant enough). Obviously, this is a tactic reserved for creatures with the sentience and ability to ask for forgiveness.

Panic and Self-Preservation:

Instead of a coordinated retreat, a group of creatures might decide to turn on each other. Maybe they blame their leader for the botched ambush. They could break ranks and scatter in different directions (which way to the party pursue?) Or they could even start fighting among themselves creating a whole new set of chaos and unpredictable situation for the PCs. This tactic would be used by individualistic type creatures (bandits, or other cut throats).

Distractions:

When trying to flee, the creature might seek to make a distraction to divert the party’s attention and make their escape easier. In this case, you can think of the carrot and the stick. Under the carrot method, the creature is using an enticing distraction. Maybe the ogre throws down its sack of gold to reduce its encumbrance and increase its odds of escape. While you might think that the party would just chose to pursue and return later for the gold, think about what dangers could lurk for the party if they chose that pursuit.

Under the stick method, the creature might spring a more dastardly distraction on the players. Perhaps they spring a trap on their way out, or maybe they uncage a ravenous beast. Either way, think about an immediate threat that the party has to deal with that affords the creature an escape route.

Obstacles:

Creatures in dire straights are likely to take some risky or ruthless maneuvers to try and save themselves. Maybe the monster knocks over a cart creating an obstacle, or perhaps they partially collapse the tunnel behind them. The are good methods to slow down the party’s pursuit. Lastly, some creatures might even decide to sacrifice one of their own to buy time for their own escape.

Final Thoughts

When thinking about failed creature morale, think about how you can make the current situation more interesting for the game fiction. Some monsters will use different tactics based on their personalities, intelligence, and other innate characteristics. All of these differences make for an interesting game and for some interesting choices for the party in the heat of the moment.

Articles, Blogs & News

Dwiz over at A Knight at the Opera reviews initiative methods for your game.
Chris McDowall talks about running one-shots using the Mythic Bastionland RPG.
Ktrey at d4 caltrops put out two d100 lists: Hireling Hobbies or PC Pastimes, and Pecuniary Problems, Awful Arrears, & Delinquent Debts
Dyson Logos makes tons of amazing maps and publishes them for free on his blog. My favorites this month: Shrine on the Mosswater and Tower Ruins both make for great quick points of interests in a hex.
Over at Monsters and Manuals David discusses DMing Styles.
W.F. Smith discusses how your D&D languages imply a specific setting.

Recent Reads & Listens

River of Stars - Guy Gavriel Kay
- A sequel to Under Heaven, a book we reviewed last time, we jump ahead in time a couple of hundred of years. Milit
  ary might and skill has fallen out of favor in the imperial court and has been replaced by endless bureaucrats. When the empire is thrust into a struggle for its existence, they look to the son of a low-ranking bureaucrat who dreamed of being a military hero.
- Like all GGK books the story is beautifully written. Its a story about honor, and dealing with loss. The tension between the a beloved military leader and the danger that poses to a sitting emperor. Great plot with a frustratingly logical ending. Definitely one of my favorite books from GGK’s writings in the 00’s-10’s.
- Rating: 8/10
Golden Son - Pierce Brown
- Book two of the Red Rising series follows are protagonist as he gets deeply entrenched with his enemies amongst “gold” society. Tensions ratchet up between Darrow’s patron and the sovereign of the whole society.
- Like the first book, Golden Sun is filled with betrayals, twists and turns. Not the most elegant novel I’ve read, but its hard to deny the action and the hooks that induce page turning.
- Rating: 7/10

Videos

Daniel at Bandit’s Keep discussing the importance of procedures in your D&D game:

Ben at Questing Beast reviews The Perilous Void, a galaxy building sourcebook for RPGs (worth mentioning because we see so few good Sci-Fi resources):