In 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons, different optional rules are outlin𓂃ed for the Dungeon Master (DM) that could be included in campaigns, both short and long. One of these rules focuses on loyalty. More specifically, NPC party members' loyalty towards a group of adventures.

But what exactly is loyalty, and how could you measu🐷re it for an NPC? After all, they do whatever the DM wants, right? Well, this is a system to ensure that there are bonuses, as well as consequences, for how that NPC is treated, making the character feel more alive. It's perfect for setting up for some big story moments, good and bad.

What Is Loyalty In D&D?

Loyalty is an optional rule that DMs can choose to implement in their games. So it is in no way necessary to have if it doesn't seem to fit your campaign or how you are running it. But, if it is something that sounds like it would work for your group, it is a way of tracking the mindset of an NPC who is traveling with the group.

If an NPC remains loyal to the party, they will be helpful by fighting alongside the party, aiding with tasks and quests, and if they are extremely loyal, may even lay their life on the line for your party. This can create some epic moments that tug at the heartstrings of your players or 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:some cinematic ending for their beloved friend.

And, as you can imagine, if the party treats an NPC poorly by exhibiting abusive behavior toward them, treating them without any regard for their life or happiness, then that can lead the NPC to betray the party, sell them out, leave, etc.

How Does Loyalty Work?

There is a suggested system for tracking NPC loyalty. This is based on a numeric scale, ranging from zero to 20, the higher number being that the NPC is very loyal to the party and would sacrifice themselves for the players.

The NPC will have a maximum loyalty score equal to the party's highest Charisma score among the players. The NPC's starting loyalty would then be half of that number, allowing room for you to raise and lower the score from there.

The optional rule for loyalty is located in the Dungeon Master's Guide on page 93.

Tracking And Changing Loyalty

Now that you have your baseline for loyalty in the party, you'll want to begin keeping track of how it raises, lowers, or does both as time goes on.

If the party works together with the NPC and helps them reach a goal, gifts them wonderous items, or anything above and beyond just traveling and working together, you'll roll 1d4 and add the result to the NPC's loyalty score.

Likewise, if the party does something that upsets that NPC and goes against some of their core beliefs, then you will roll 1d4 and subtract that from the current loyalty score.

If the treatment the NPC receives is worse than this, you would instead roll 2d4 and subtract it. Here is a brief list of some of the things that would cau𝄹se that outcome:

• Abuse
• Misleading or misguiding the NPC
• Purposefully risking the NPC's life
• Hurting or endangering the NPC

Track NPC loyalty in secret. The party shouldn't know exactly where the loyalty lies with their NPC. Instead, the🀅y s🧔hould roleplay organically, not knowing which way the character is leaning.

Naturally, it is up to you as a DM to decide what else might add to or subtract from a loyalty score. You can have this based on quirks, ideals, alignments, backstory, or history with the party. While it is a rule with an official way to count and track loyalty points, the beautiful thing about D&D is you can alter the rule to best fit your needs.

Ways You Can Implement Loyalty In Your Game

While the book's main example is an NPC who travels with the party, there are, of course, other ways you can incorporate loyalty into your game.You can follow the book and have that 💯be the main way you address and deal with loyalty. You can apply it to NPCs the party talks with a lot and key figures, and depending on how gra꧅nd your adventure ♍is, you can apply it to towns, cities, and the like.

Following The Book

If you do have either 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a hireling or another kind of NPC following your group, fighting beside them, exploring with them, and so on, then following the book can be your best option. It will be a simple, straightforward guide to this NPC staying loyal🧸 and either working hard to help the party, or secretly working against the party.

Your biggest focus, if you're following the book, will then be to decide the consequences or rewards for the players and how they treat this character. The rewards don't have to be physical, but ideas for how the NPC will repay the party. As for consequences, here are a few ideas:

• The NPC tries to poison the party
• The NPC works with the villain, or the party's biggest threat, to arrange an ambush
• Reports the party to guards, police, whatever peacekeepers or law enforcement you have in the campaign
• Steals something of importance or value from the party before leaving

Even if you are following the book, you can still alter some of the rules. As an example, lets say that your party and NPC have been getting along well. There's been no ill-treatment or any reason for the NPC to dislike the player characters. But, in a quest they are u♛ndertaking, you present the party with a terrible situation.

They can save the NPC's family member or save another person, either important to the story oཧr the party and they choose the latter.

Instead of making that a 2d4 roll to decide the loyalty penalty, you have it instantly drop to zero. The party doesn't know, and the NPC can deceive them by saying nothing has change🌜d and they understand why the choice was made. Meanwhile, they begin plotting how they bring the party down.

Applying Loyalty To Non-Adventuring NPCs

Now, this is in no way saying you should track loyalty for every NPC your party comes across. But you can use it for people that the party is either in constant contact with or very important connections they have. In m🅠y campaign, the party was in direct contact with the Queen of their country. Their relationship was going well, but then the party carried out a heist against a casino that caused the death of several innocent people.

In this case, the Queen's loyalty toward the party dropped from regarding them highly to wanting to bring their relationship to a close. The party had saved her son's life, so she remained loyal enough not to immediately turn the party in but di♒smissed them as people she cou✱ld not rely on any further.

You, of course, don't have to use this only with royalty or political contacts, but can with any NPC that has a working relationship with the party. Or even 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a romantic relationship.

If there is an enchanter the party always goes to for magic items, there's no reason you can't have a loyalty counter in the background. Then, in a big battle, the enchanter can join and aid the party if they reach maximum loyalty. Or, if the party causes that loyalty to be low, the enchanter🐷 can join up with the villain the party is facing down.

Loyalty Of Large Populations

Maybe your party isn't questing with individuals, but instead hold positions of power in a large city, or even the country. In this case, you can avoid having loyalty counters with individuals and focus more on whether local populations would be loyal to them.

It can be tracked the same. Have a zero to 20 scale, rolling your d4's when some♍thing is done to bolster or hinder loyalty.

But, of course, that means that the benefits and consequences have to be more grand to match the circumstances. Do farmers go on strike, causing a famine? Do people sign up for your country's military after your party gives a rousing 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:wartime speech and promises benefits to volunteers? The bonuses and consequences are endless as they will have to apply to your campaign and what's currently happening.

Altering Loyalty Rules

It was touched on previously, but you can alter and change the rules to best apply to your game. While many players may not include loyalty at all, there may be aspects about it you think would be helpful in your campaign.

You can alter the scale it is tracked on, what causes loyalty shifts, and anything that makes your job as a DM easier. No D&D campaign is one size fits all, so the rules don't have to be either. Only you know what will and won't help you achieve your goals or hel🉐p your players. Or keep them in check.