Topic: Reaction Rolls

[Arioch]

Hi!
What method do you normally use to see how creatures/NPCs encountered by the party react?  I'm not talking about "major" NPCs or Villains but more of random encounters, minor NPCs and general population.
Also, I think I remember seeing an actual NPCs reaction table somewhere, but I cannot remember on which book it was, any idea?

[intothatdarkness]

I don't tend to use reaction rolls, personally. There may have been one in RoCo I, but I don't remember for sure.

[GrumpyOldFart]

If I'm totally stumped and there's a wide enough variation in reaction to justify it, I may roll a percentile as a rough guide to generally positive/generally negative. Most times I play it by ear according to what helps the scenario along.

If you do something like that, the bell curve RoCo I used for stats is a good guide. Reactions, like most things, will tend to group toward the average rather than the extremes.

[markc]

 In general I use the NPC's goals and attitudes as a basis towards the PC's. IMHO in my game it is not something that can generally just be relegated to a dice roll, unless it is some sort of RR vs something.
MDC


 I should add that NPC's in general know nothing about the PC's and a good GM will keep that info in mind.

[yammahoper]

Old DMG NPC Reaction Table, slightly altered, but the idea originates there.

[arakish]

If I'm totally stumped and there's a wide enough variation in reaction to justify it, I may roll a percentile as a rough guide to generally positive/generally negative. Most times I play it by ear according to what helps the scenario along.

If you do something like that, the bell curve RoCo I used for stats is a good guide. Reactions, like most things, will tend to group toward the average rather than the extremes.

In general I use the NPC's goals and attitudes as a basis towards the PC's. IMHO in my game it is not something that can generally just be relegated to a dice roll, unless it is some sort of RR vs something.
MDC


 I should add that NPC's in general know nothing about the PC's and a good GM will keep that info in mind.

Like the two quoted above, I tend to just wing it using the above as guidelines.  If I am truly stumped, like GOF, I use d% to get a positive/indifferent/negative idea.

rmfr

[providence13]

I sometimes use reaction rolls and sometimes I don't.
Most of the time I wing it.
But I always try to keep in mind the situation at hand.
If the PC's mildly insult a shop keep, he might overlook it. This guy wants to sell his goods and may allow a bit more leeway than someone who doesn't want anything from you.
 Or depending on the seller/buyer, he may act aloof. Looking at the PC's tattered clothes, "You may find other shops are more accommodating to your price range." A mild insult (reverse psych) might give him a better profit.

If you are annoying to your server at a restaurant, they won't show it; not a professional server.  That's not easy to do..

Being even mildly insulting or uncooperative to the gate guard for The City, may yield a harsh reaction indeed.

I also try to roll when my feelings are strong about an issue.
Sometimes the players aggravate me. I human. When they are really annoying, I'll leave it up to chance.
...Let's see, they didn't take notes on the past NPC interactions, failed to remember the contacts they have (written on their sheets!) in this city and are inquiring about illegal herbs to an off-duty guard in a lawful area; not buying him a drink.. 75+% chance it's reported, 20% that he tells them to get lost, 5% he actually helps.

My sliding scale is usually in blocks of 25%, with variables.

[Arioch]

Old DMG NPC Reaction Table, slightly altered, but the idea originates there.

the ad&d one?

[yammahoper]

Old DMG NPC Reaction Table, slightly altered, but the idea originates there.

the ad&d one?

Yep. 

Another great table from that tome is the material save table.  Has provided me with so very much joy as a GM to whip out after fire/cold balling a party.

[Arioch]

Yep. 

Another great table from that tome is the material save table.  Has provided me with so very much joy as a GM to whip out after fire/cold balling a party.

I used to merge ad&d and RM stuff too, back when I started playing rolemaster, so that could be the table I was thinking of! 

[yammahoper]

I had what seemed an advantage of not starting with ADnD, but getting the DMG and Players Guide years after I started gaming (about five).  The DMG remains a memory of great fun to read.  And that font...

[RandalThor]

If I'm totally stumped and there's a wide enough variation in reaction to justify it, I may roll a percentile as a rough guide to generally positive/generally negative. Most times I play it by ear according to what helps the scenario along.

I do something like this; generally creatures will act in a predetermiend manner. (Even wild animals - which many believe act chaotically for some reason, which is not true, actually - act fairly predictably.) But, once in a while, a little choas and fun is desired, so I will roll and that will give me some idea of the reaction. Like high meaning favorable and low meaning un-favorable. And I would go from there.

[GrumpyOldFart]

Exactly. A pack of wolves acts like a pack of wolves much more often than not, so I don't put them in my setting unless creatures who act like wolves is part of the setting/scenario I'm trying to create. Granted, sometimes wolves will act in unexpected ways, although it's much more common in a single wolf than in a pack. If you encountered a wolf and its behavior was unusual, chances are good that the very things about its behavior that were odd are clues to how the setting/scenario works. In other words, that wolf's behavior probably isn't actually all that strange, once you know the reasons for it.

[markc]

 I think that GrumpyOldFart has a good point. In RL most animals do not attack groups of humans unless they know they can get away with it. Some animals have tactics or should I say animal instincts to overcome groups of creatures. I am thinking of wolves that can lure targets out of a group and then the pack can set upon them or the tiger in the jungle that awaits in ambush by a trail and then ambushes the weakest target and tries to get away with it meal in the confusion. IMHO knowing how and why animals and other creatures in your game react towards specific situations is very important.


 Some good questions:
1) Are they afraid of fire?
2) Do they mind groups?
3) Do they act naturally or is some force guiding and informing them?
4) Are they intelligent, semi-intelligent or mad animals?
5) Are they protecting their young or something else very important?


 I thank that is a good start.
MDC   

[RandalThor]

Basically, Arioch, how an animal/creature reacts is not random - there are reasons whether we learn of them or not. They all have motivations, fears, instincts, intellectual curiosity (to one degree or another), and all that can change with the time of day, season, and if they have already eaten. (The latter primarily for carnivores, of course.)

So I start with an understanding of both the animals/creatures around, and decide if I want something a little weird or gonzo. If so, then I will - generally before hand, as most of my "random encounters" are rolled well ahead of time so I have some time to make them interesting and not feel like random encounters, but a natural part of the flow of the adventure - roll a random reaction taking into concieration all the variables I realize (I am sure there are many I miss). That will determine the reaction; so you can have a bangled tigeress somehow come to think of one of the PCs as her cub and treat him appropriately. (Going for gonzo here, of course.)

[Arioch]

Well, the reaction table I had in mind is quite generic, so when you roll you'll always have to adapt the outcome to the monster encountered and on the situation.
So yes, an "hostile" orc warband will obvioulsy act in a very different manner than an hostile lone wolf or an hostile merchant. 

[GrumpyOldFart]

How would a "hostile" herd of deer act? 

[intothatdarkness]

How would a "hostile" herd of deer act? 

10 LA Trample/Stomp crits (assuming that there were 10 deer in the herd)...

That said, I do use "random" encounters, but only in terms of what/who the party encounters. Never saw a need for reaction tables, honestly, as the party tends to react (run away, plan ambush, ignore) in short order. Bandits will usually attack if they have numbers, run or ignore/avoid if they don't, patrols will investigate or ignore depending on location, and so on. What's going on with the party also plays a role (in other words, how nice am I feeling...).

[GrumpyOldFart]

There is that. Often as not a "random" encounter in my game happens for the specific purpose of shaking the players out of their complacency.

It's "random" in the sense that I may not know what they're facing until mere seconds before they do...

[Arioch]

How would a "hostile" herd of deer act? 

10 LA Trample/Stomp crits (assuming that there were 10 deer in the herd)...

Lol