For example, a charismatic commander with a reputation for winning battles can infuse his or her men with a sense of confidence. Some factors that affect morale are intuitive.
Finally, a party with very low morale will start to suffer desertions. Morale also affects a party's march speed, as a less motivated party will move more slowly, as the men are not pushing themselves to their physical limit, and pause more frequently, as it waits for stragglers to catch up. Morale's greatest impact is on a party's behavior in battle, determining how aggressively troops engage the enemy, and how likely they are to break and run if they perceive the tide of battle turning against them. On the other hand, a commander who gives his men everything they want may find that they grow soft, and waiver before the enemy's charge. Elite troops may grumble and whine about the hardships of campaigning - but then stand together as one when the arrows start to fly. It is not the same thing as the troops' happiness.
Morale represents the ability and willingness of the troops in a party to summon up the endurance, bravery, and discipline they need to face the stresses of battle and the march.
