"By the Power of Greyskull"... a +1 bonus!

Battle Cries: By the power of Greyskull!

Riffing off +Reginald Mc Reynolds’ comment the other day on the article regarding Banter, I wanted to include a note about battle cries.

“Leeeroooy Jenkiiins!” was prepared to die for ultimate glory. Are you?

Battle cries are a huge part of the hero mythos. Call to your gods, homeland, people or yourself; for whatever you give your devotion, you have decided to lay it all on the line. Great battle cries need not be exciting or original at all. Among my favourites are those whose conviction in themselves is so great that they call on their own names. "Hot Pie!" in Game of Thrones and "Vicky!" from the Fistfull of Paintballs/For A Few Paintballs More episodes of Community are my absolute favourites. 

A simple call to your homeland might strengthen the resolve of your allies, stoke the fires of your own battle-lust or raise your flagging spirit to throw off a terrible magic spell. Like He-Man drawing his sword or Johnny Rico calling the troops to hold back the Bugs, you must set an example for your allies. It's a crucial time and every ounce of strength is important. More importantly, don't miss.

System: If a player has the conviction or motivation to perform great deeds, they can call out to it dramatically and apply a +1 bonus to hit or damage on an attack, or to make a save or check; additionally all allies gain a +4 bonus to morale. A character can summon this strength only once per day or game session, and only if they are in dire circumstances and their principles hold true.

Optional system: a battle cry roll that fails could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. Consider forcing allies to check their resolve if their brave warleader fails in his attack. Failed roll after battle cry require morale checks. Possibly also require a new d20.

"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" -- Johnny Rico, Starship Troopers.