COMMUNITIES

Player characters working together are a Group. 
Players can recruit NPCs to their Group via a Recruitment Check. 
If a Group grows to a combined total of 13 or more PCs and NPCs, it becomes a Community. 
Communities require regular Morale Checks to ensure they have the cohesion to remain together. Morale Checks are usually required weekly, but the exact cadence is up to the GM and the campaign being played.
Groups do not require Morale Checks.

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RECRUITMENT

RECRUITMENT CHECKS

While the recruitment Check mechanic remains the same, depending on how the player Fills in the Gaps, NPCs are Recruited into one of three different roles - Cohort, Conscript, or Convert.
A Recruitment Check uses a skill that appropriately aligns with the approach the PCs are taking, such as Barter, Psychology*, or Tactics*. 
Recruitment Checks can be influenced by the First Impression a player made on them (see First Impressions on page xx). 
No matter how NPCs are being recruited, each Community must make a Morale Check regularly to ensure it remains cohesive. 

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COHORTS

These NPCs have a shared interest or goal in common with the PC that is furthered by working together.
Success (9-13): The NPC joins until the next community Morale Check.
Wild Success (14+): The NPC becomes a Cohort immediately.
Moment of High Insight (6+6): Not only does the NPC join but the PC may choose to take them as an Apprentice (see below).
Failure (4-8): The NPC does not join. A Recruitment Check may only be attempted again if circumstances change.
Dire Failure (0-3): The NPC has no interest in joining the PCs.
Moment of Low Insight (1+1): The NPC is alienated or offended by the attempt. It is possible that there is some escalation or tension that could include a violent rejection of the offer.

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CONSCRIPTS

These NPCs are forced into service through coercion, threats, or leverage. The PCs must present a credible threat for Conscription to work.
Success (9-13): The NPC is Conscripted under duress. They will follow orders, regardless of individual feelings, until the next Morale Check.
Wild Success (14+): The NPC joins willingly and becomes a committed and loyal follower.
Moment of High Insight (6+6): Not only does the NPC join but the PC may choose to take them as an Apprentice (see below).
Failure (4-8): The NPC may appear to comply but will attempt to escape at the first opportunity.
Dire Failure (0-3): The NPC steadfastly refuses to join.
Moment of Low Insight (1+1): The NPC is so unwilling to join that they might become hostile or violent

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CONVERTS

These NPCs are recruited through a shared belief, ideology. Whether they are being promised answers, direction, or security, they ultimately join because they believe in the message or vision presented by the PC.
Success (9-13): NPC joins as a Convert but will wait to see the outcome of the first Morale Check before really committing.
Wild Success (14+): The NPC becomes a committed believer and follower.
Moment of High Insight (6+6): Not only does the NPC join but the PC may choose to take them as an Apprentice (see below).
Failure (4-8): The NPC has no interest in joining. If the players can Fill in the Gaps as to how they are taking a different approach, they may attempt another Recruitment Check to win the NPC over. 
Dire Failure (0-3): The NPC becomes wary and will attempt to distance themselves from the player.
Moment of Low Insight (1+1): The NPC is so unwilling to join that they might become hostile or violent.

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APPRENTICES

If a player gets a Wild Success or Moment of High Insight on a Recruitment Check, they may recruit the NPC as their Apprentice. 
It is also possible for a player to seek out a specific NPC and make a deliberate Recruitment attempt. 
Once recruited, an Apprentice can undertake tasks and activities on behalf of or act as the proxy for a player character. 
Once recruited, the player should give the Apprentice a name (if they don’t already have one), roll 2d6 on both the Motivation and Complication tables, and then work with the GM to Fill in the Gaps on the Apprentice’s background.
The player has 3 CDP to spend on raising the RAPID Range Attributes of the Apprentice (see Character Development Points on page xx).
They should pick a setting appropriate Profession for them (see Table 8: Profession & Vocational Skills on page xx) and get 5 CDP to spend on raising their skills.
Over the course of one month of game time, the player can train their Apprentice in any single skill that the player has, to one level lower than the player. This means if the player has level 3 in a skill, they can train their Apprentice to level 2. 
If a character receives Character Development Points as part of game progression, the player may choose to spend them on their Apprentice. See Character Evolution on page xx.
A player character can only have one Apprentice at any time. 

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MORALE CHECKS & COMMUNITIES

For each week that passes in the game, a community must make a successful Morale check to ensure they maintain the cohesion required to stay together. 
Morale checks are made at the beginning of the week. The outcome of the check might potentially outline the steps leadership will need to take in order to ensure the continued wellbeing of the community. 
A worksheet to make tracking community resources and morale easier is available for download at XeroSumGames.com/SRD.

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Morale Checks

Whether it is an NPC or PC, it is assumed that there is an acknowledged and recognized community leader who will make the check using any AMods or SMods that might be appropriate.
If there are a group of characters who are viewed as leaders in equal standing, they may make a Group Check. 
Each Morale Check has six modifiers that are related to the tasks, activities, and roles required to ensure a community has everything they need to survive - Fed, Clothed, Mood Around the Campfire, Enough Hands, A Clear Voice, and Someone to Watch Over Me. See Morale Check Modifiers on page xx.
Two of these modifiers - Fed and Clothed - are derived from their own checks made prior to the Morale Check (See Community Structure on page xx). The other modifiers require no dice check but are as a result of the organizational structure and health of the community.
Failed Morale Checks will result in members leaving, further impacting the morale of the community in future checks.
After three consecutive failures, a community will have degraded to the point of immediately and irreconcilably falling apart and dissolving. Fast acting leaders may retain remnants of the group or specific members.
Any leader wishing to unite or retain fragments of a dissolving community will need to make an immediate Morale Check as part of this attempt, using the result of the preceding Morale Check as the Mood Around the Campfire CMod. 

 

MAKING A MORALE CHECK

A Morale check is 2d6 + AMod + SMod of the character making the check + CMods for Mood Around the Campfire, Fed, Clothed, Enough Hands, A Clear Voice, and Someone to Watch Over Me modifiers.

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MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

Success (9-13): Morale remains steady. There is 0 CMod for the next Morale Check.
Wild Success (14+): Morale stays strong or improves. There is a +1 CMod on the next Morale Check. 
Moment of High Insight (6+6): Belief in leadership and the community itself is high. There is a +2 CMod on the next Morale Check.
Failure (4-8): Morale is slipping. Unless they are stopped, 25% of the community will leave in the next week. There is a -1 CMod to the following Morale Check. 
Dire Failure (0-3): The morale of the community collapses. There are major consequences with 50% of the community leaving in the next week. There is -2 CMod on the next Morale Check.
Moment of Low Insight (1+1): There is infighting, rioting, outbreaks of anger or violence for the following week with 75% of the community leaving. There is a -3 CMod on the next Morale Check.

 

MORALE CHECK MODIFIERS

MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

While the recruitment C

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MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

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MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

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MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

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MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

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MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

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MORALE CHECK OUTCOMES

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