Loyalty is used to determine how far an NPC will go to help or hinder the PCs. An NPC who is abused or ignored is likely to abandon or betray the party, whereas an NPC who owes a life debt to the characters or shares their goals might fight to the death for them.
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.
Tracking Loyalty
An NPC’s loyalty score increases by 1d4 if PCs 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 a PC. An NPC’s loyalty score can never be raised above its maximum.
When PCs act in a manner that runs counter to the NPC’s alignment or bond, the NPC’s loyalty score is reduced by 1d4. Reduce the NPC’s loyalty score by 2d4 if the character is abused, misled, or endangered by PCs 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 the PCs. If the NPC’s loyalty score is between 1 and 10, their loyalty is tenuous. An NPC whose loyalty drops to 0 no longer acts in the party’s best interests. The NPC may take actions against the PCs.
Insight
In general, the PCs will not know how loyal an NPC is at any given time. However, the player can roll an insight check to try to determine an NPC's loyalty or intentions.
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