Battlefield orders

[X-Alamie/CA (Marco)]

What does it happen, during a battle, if a unit fails his check after having been received an order?

say...I command an armsmen unit to Hold (DC and Bjorn rolls a 2. Should they retreat or attack the enemy? or anithing else?

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

I think you will find that it depends on the situation. A failure on a check doesn't mean they do the exact opposite - after all, failing to open a lock doesn't necessarily mean the tools break in it (lame example, I know).
Had the unit rolled a 1, then perhaps they would do something completely counter-productive - but by failing an order as simple as that, they most likely just mill about in the same spot, trying to form ranks and doing a horrid job of it.

The "Hold" order gives the unit +2 bonus to Morale for the purpose of avoiding routs until it’s next action - you can be pretty sure they won't get that bonus making them more prone to breaking when engaging the enemy. Also, if you try to give them any other order (or try to order them to hold again) it will increase the DC of the check by 2 (but that increase always apply every time you try to issue another order to the same unit).

Did that make sense?

[X-Elinie/RiD (Niels)]

There is no rule that a natural 1 is disastrous on skillchecks... Well, commonly atleast. Remember you still add your flat skill plus modifiers. You can, in some cases, have a skill so high, that no matter the roll you always succeed.

However, failing by a certain margin can be disastrous.

As for failing an order check, it might simply mean that the unit does not get the order and is left to the reasoning of the local officer. If all other units begin charging across the field, then he might follow suit, if it makes sense.

If they all retreat, then he will probably also follow.

If they are archers, then they will probably start shooting enemies that get close.

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

You have to remember that the morale check for battlefield orders functions as a character saving throw. A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure.

[X-Elinie/RiD (Niels)]

You have to remember that the morale check for battlefield orders functions as a character saving throw. A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure.

Tsk! - You Dare Refute Me With Logic?!

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

You have to remember that the morale check for battlefield orders functions as a character saving throw. A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure.

Tsk! - You Dare Refute Me With Logic?!

Actually I was terrified... but the truth must come out! 

[X-Osoerde (Alan)]

I wouldn't worry about this too much.

The battle rules are in need of revision and at the moment, Bjorn is using a highly abstracted system anyways.