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Old 01-23-2011, 10:33 PM   #1
Jason
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Default Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

Does anyone here actually make (or play in a game that uses) Reaction Rolls for NPCs? I tend not to just because my players tend to approach interactions with either extremely sensibly or extremely inanely, so I calibrate NPC reactions according to what seems most obvious. The downside to this, though, is that my players end up feeling like they spent points on Charisma and Status for nothing, as they never see an obvious mechanical benefit. (I try to keep it in mind when roleplaying, but it is easy to forget...)
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Old 01-23-2011, 10:38 PM   #2
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

Yes, I make NPC reaction rolls.
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Old 01-23-2011, 11:12 PM   #3
Jason
 
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

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Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Yes, I make NPC reaction rolls.
Often? Do you feel like it adds a lot to the game?
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Old 01-23-2011, 11:49 PM   #4
Rocket Man
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

It's a decent guide when a brand new NPC is coming into the game, especially if:

1) It's a minor character

or

2) There's a decent chance the person would be suspicious of the PC or whom they appear to be. (If the angel looks like a typical solid citizen, and the NPC is a homeless 14-year-old who's been knocked around by the cops, a roll may be called for.)

Most of the time, I just generally go with what makes sense -- but "makes sense" can include factoring the apparent Status, charm and Role into the equation, with or without a reaction roll.
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Old 01-24-2011, 05:55 AM   #5
JCD
 
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

Well, remind the Belseraph that he has a Bvlgari watch and an Armani suit, while the Impudite of Uselessness is making due with Wal Mart cast offs. Mention to the Lilith that she get's cutsies to the front of the line not for her winning personality but for her winning personalities.

I think the best answer for you is this: if your players are complaining, you probably aren't giving it enough weight. I would run a few scenarios where status, charisma and cash ARE important.

Examples:

Cops treating a high status fellow better.

At clubs, charismatic and high status types get cuts while the others get to cool their heels...and even more dramatically, if (when) the PCs try to get their disreputable/ugly friends in WITH them, THEY get to cool their heels too. Properly tricked out Impudites and Lilim never seem to lack opportunities for Essence and Geases...

Have a high status business type get offered potentially useful 'business' (i.e. adventuring opportunities) that aren't offered to the slobs of the game.

***

But to answer your question: I tend to use the reaction rolls when I am approaching an NPC cold and have no idea HOW he will react.
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Old 01-24-2011, 07:50 AM   #6
Azel
 
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

Religiously.

The reasons are well illustrated above. Essentially they help me GM personalities and social factions. Also, I interpret the game world using two social frameworks -- the human and the celestial -- to constrain what would normally be destabilizing aliens with superpowers.

In my current human-centric campaign (sorta horror in mood with a thick veneer of quotidian banality and a dash of comedic cattiness...) I had to flesh out character co-workers fast. The dice entertained me because they made a group of "the cool, mean girls" detest the nerdy husband PC, but adore the creative professional wife PC. Thus this married couple starts to have varying interpersonal dynamics which helped flesh out the color of the session.

NPCs are only as interesting as characterization behind them. And just as writers finds their characters writing the story for them, GMs with full bodied NPCs can find a similar creative process occur. This helps spawn plot hooks and side quests; indispensable tools to keep PCs from boredom and mischief.
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Old 01-24-2011, 11:42 AM   #7
Jason
 
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

Okay, you've sold me. Thanks for the replies! I'm most persuaded by the thought that it will make it easier to generate NPC personalities on the fly...
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Old 01-25-2011, 12:03 AM   #8
Azel
 
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

This is where I will add another comment. I know AD&D's companion magazine, Dragon, has had articles on how to roll random personality traits for Off-the-Cuff NPCs (that's actually the title of one of the articles, btw). I am pretty confident that SJG's companion magazine, Pyramid, will have similar articles as well. (Perhaps not IN specific, however that itself would make a great online article for the future.)

Personality traits are different from personal reactions. But they work together to create fun dynamics with your PCs. i.e. A notoriously violent and angry person who instantly believes the PC to be their new best friend (CD 6) already writes itself. This way you have at least two NPC "stats" that creates basic persona framework. (It also helps statistic creation when you have to upgrade NPC with a real character sheet.)

PS: The Discord Table might substitute nicely for such a random personality traits table. Never tried it, might have too many negative traits on it. But the table framework should be useful for any personal GM creativity.
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Old 01-25-2011, 05:39 AM   #9
Jason
 
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

Quote:
Originally Posted by Azel View Post
This is where I will add another comment. I know AD&D's companion magazine, Dragon, has had articles on how to roll random personality traits for Off-the-Cuff NPCs (that's actually the title of one of the articles, btw). I am pretty confident that SJG's companion magazine, Pyramid, will have similar articles as well. (Perhaps not IN specific, however that itself would make a great online article for the future.)
Now that you mention it, I could pretty easily see a reaction roll requiring all three dice of the d666, with one representing selfishness-selflessness (1-6), one representing less-more respect for local laws (1-6), and the CD representing the favorability of the reaction. (Yes, I actually do like the old D&D alignment system, for the most part...)
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Old 01-25-2011, 05:58 AM   #10
JCD
 
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Default Re: Charisma, Status, and Reaction Rolls

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Originally Posted by Jason View Post
(Yes, I actually do like the old D&D alignment system, for the most part...)

Well, I'm sure you have some redeeming traits too...* ;-)



*That said, the best treatment of it I've seen was in the Planescape universe. Not that it was great but it was...acceptable.
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