# Loyalty *Source: Dungeon Master's Guide (2024) p. 89* Loyalty is an optional rule you can use to determine how far an NPC party member will go to protect or assist the characters (even those the NPC doesn't particularly like). An NPC party member 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. You can simply decide on an NPC's loyalty, or you can track a Loyalty Score using the following rules. ## 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. An NPC's Loyalty Score increases by `d4` if other party members help the NPC achieve a personal goal. Likewise, an NPC's Loyalty Score increases by `d4` 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 personality, reduce the NPC's Loyalty Score by `d4`. Reduce the NPC's Loyalty Score by `2d4` if the NPC is abused, misled, or endangered by other party members for purely selfish reasons. A Loyalty Score can never drop below 0. ## Meaning of Loyalty An NPC with a Loyalty Score of 10 or higher risks anything to help fellow party members. An NPC whose Loyalty Score is between 1 and 10 is tenuously faithful to the party. An NPC whose Loyalty Score 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. ## Crew Loyalty and Mutiny If the characters own or operate a sailing ship or similar vessel, you can use these rules to track the loyalty of individual crew members or the ship's crew as a whole. If at least half the crew's Loyalty Scores drop to 0 during a voyage, the crew turns [Hostile](Mechanics/CLI/rules/variant-rules/hostile-attitude-xphb.md) and stages a mutiny. If the ship is berthed, disloyal crew members leave the ship and never return.