Loyalty

Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 93

Loyalty is an optional rule you can use to determine how far an NPC party member will go to protect or assist the other members of the party (even those she doesn’t particularly like). An NPC party member who is abused or ignored is likely to abandon the party, whereas an NPC who owes a life characters or shares their goals might fight to the death for them. Loyalty can be roleplayed or represented by this rule.

Loyalty Score

An NPC’s loyalty is measured on a numerical scale from 0 to 20. The NPC’s maximum loyalty score is equal to the highest Charisma score among all adventurers in the party, and its starting loyalty score is half that number. If the highest Charisma score changes—perhaps a character dies or leaves the group-adjust the NPC’s loyalty score accordingly.

Tracking Loyalty

Keep track of an NPC’s loyalty score in secret so that the players won’t know for sure whether an NPC party member is loyal or disloyal (even if the NPC is currently under a player’s control).

An NPC’s loyalty score increases by 1d4 if other party members help the NPC achieve a goal tied to its bond. Likewise, an NPC’s loyalty score increases by 1d4 if the NPC is treated particularly well (for example, given a magic weapon as a gift) or rescued by another party member. An NPC’s loyalty score can never be raised above its maximum.

When other party members act in a manner that runs counter to the NPC’s alignment or bond, reduce the PC’s loyalty score by 1d4. Reduce the NPC’s loyalty score by 2d4 if the character is abused, misled, or endangered by other party members for purely selfish reasons.

An NPC whose loyalty score drops to 0 is no longer loyal to the party and might part ways with them. A loyalty score can never drop below 0.

An NPC with a loyalty score of 10 or higher risks life and limb to help fellow party members. If the NPC’s loyalty score is between 1 and 10, its loyalty is tenuous. An NPC whose loyalty drops to 0 no longer acts in the party’s best interests. The disloyal NPC either leaves the party (attacking characters who attempt to intervene) or works in secret to bring about the party’s downfall.