Large Reaction Bonuses

[AlexanderHowl]

Within GURPS, it is actually fairly easy to get a large reaction bonus. A character with Appearance (Beautiful/Handsome), Charisma 5, and Voice usually receives a +9/+11 to any reaction roll, and it only costs 47 CP. While it is possible to get higher bonuses, they usually require a high CP cost and/or specialized circumstances.

A character with a +9/+11 to reaction rolls should probably have an easy time with things, since their average reaction is Excellent. While some NPCs will have predetermined reactions due to their disadvantages and/or quirks, the majority of NPCs should have more random reactions (except if the PC acts atrociously, possesses disadvantages that make them less accepted, or there is a massive difference in Status). The PC probably will not be able to get away with murder, but they can likely talk their way out of most circumstances. For example, most potential combat situations will have a potential enemy offering to help or even join the PCs.

While every role can benefit from reaction bonuses, the Face is the natural beneficiary of large reaction bonuses. Of course, a Face should have a talent or two, as well a social skills, to support their role. A Face that specializes in investigation should probably have Talker 4 while a Face that specializes in seduction should probably have Allure 4.

So, the question is, what is the best and worst experiences that you have had with characters with large reaction bonuses? In my own case, I have oftenn used NPCs to blind an entire party to being ambushed through using large reaction bonuses combined with Sex Appeal. Is there any reason to not allow such characters?

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

A character with a +9/+11 to reaction rolls should probably have an easy time with things, since their average reaction is Excellent.

This seems quite reasonable to me.

[quote\]While some NPCs will have predetermined reactions due to their disadvantages and/or quirks, the majority of NPCs should have more random reactions (except if the PC acts atrociously, possesses disadvantages that make them less accepted, or there is a massive difference in Status).[/quote]

Hang on. Who says the majority of NPCs should have random reactions? NPCs have random reactions when the GM says they do. If it doesn't make sense for an NPC to have a random reaction, they don't.

The PC probably will not be able to get away with murder, but they can likely talk their way out of most circumstances. For example, most potential combat situations will have a potential enemy offering to help or even join the PCs.

Nah. Most potential enemies are potential enemies for a reason. No amount of reaction bonus will make guards keeping you out of the Temple of Evil decide to join you and raid the temple.

Reaction rolls are for those times when the GM doesn't know how an NPC will react, for when an NPC's reaction might be anything. That's probably not most of the characters the PCs will meet.

So, the question is, what is the best and worst experiences that you have had with characters with large reaction bonuses? In my own case, I have oftenn used NPCs to blind an entire party to being ambushed through using large reaction bonuses combined with Sex Appeal. Is there any reason to not allow such characters?

Allow them if they make sense for the game; don't allow them if they don't. How wildly high-bonus characters will be able to influence the NPCs is strictly a function of how cinematic the GM wants the game to be.

The best reaction I ever got out of an NPC, and it was in AD&D, not GURPS, was when a party encountered a troll guarding a bridge. The players rolled a perfection reaction roll, and the troll became their lifelong friend. I decided on the spot that the troll was lonely and misunderstood and wanted friends. They kept going back to visit their friend the troll and thought he was terrific.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Within GURPS, it is actually fairly easy to get a large reaction bonus. A character with Appearance (Beautiful/Handsome), Charisma 5, and Voice usually receives a +9/+11 to any reaction roll, and it only costs 47 CP. While it is possible to get higher bonuses, they usually require a high CP cost and/or specialized circumstances.

A character with a +9/+11 to reaction rolls should probably have an easy time with things, since their average reaction is Excellent. While some NPCs will have predetermined reactions due to their disadvantages and/or quirks,

Well that or just having already picked a side in opposition to you. No matter how high the reaction bonuses of the Face if bandits are in the business of robbing vulnerable travellers and he looks vulnerable they don't need a special trait to go ahead and rob him.

However, a Face also has social skills that can be used for example to actively persuade them to do things like letting him keep something on the grounds that it's a sentimental keepsake, as well giving them a huge penalty on perception rolls, tactics rolls, or defense rolls on the first round when the Face fast draws a knife.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

So, the question is, what is the best and worst experiences that you have had with characters with large reaction bonuses? In my own case, I have oftenn used NPCs to blind an entire party to being ambushed through using large reaction bonuses combined with Sex Appeal. Is there any reason to not allow such characters?

If the party is expecting trouble, then they're going to be expecting trouble and a vamp showing up is just going to confirm that. That's a bad use of Sex Appeal, and would be an obvious trap. Any large-scale use of Sex Appeal will probably garner the wrong sorts of attention from anyone, unless it's a very permissive society. Guards seeing an egregious sexual display will likely intervene to stop the event, rather than join in. Players would be justified in being suspicious/paranoid over such a display.

You only make reaction rolls for NPCs who aren't pre-determined.

As someone who usually plays Face-style characters with large reaction bonuses, it doesn't help as much as you might think. A drop-dead gorgeous PC walking by guards who are sexually interested in them may draw their eye (giving them a penalty to PER), but, should something happen, they're going to react like guards.

Reaction Bonuses aren't Mind Control.

My characters will distract guards, but they never expect to disable the guards with their sex appeal (no, that's what Erotic Art is for). And it only takes one guard to set off the alarm.

Most of my characters use their appearance modifiers to protect their secret identity . . . "it's hard to be identified when no one is looking at your face."

So, there is no reason to not allow those characters, so long as they fit within the scope of the game. Just the GM should understand that their appearance modifiers are not mind control powers. A maxed-out reaction modifier character is not going to just walk into someone's house and that person gush and turn all of their property over to them. As, I doubt, entering someone's house, uninvited, would garner better than a neutral reaction, unless it is a request for aid and they are obviously in danger.

Walking into someone's house and vamping on them might go better, assuming they're alone . . . if not . . . it may well be the most interesting Thanksgiving dinner ever.

[Mark Caliber]

I did run a GURPS character with an ultra high reaction (This was 3E so getting a reaction of +9 was more difficult) and generally it worked out very well in most social encounters . . . until the butt ugly anti social with a -3 odious habit half orc would rudely interject into the conversation and insult the contact in character.

Then it didn't work out as well.

Generally my character would turn to the belligerent half orc and demand, "What is WRONG with you?!?!?!"

The response would be something along the lines of, "I was bored," "He looked an me funny," "I smell bad" or something else so demented as to be insulting.

And then we'd be kicked off the proscribed plot path and waste days IRL AND IN Game trying to pry open another venue to the same lead . . .

This is also the player who butting in one session with

"I'm KILLING him! That's it! I'm attacking the shop keeper!" Grabs attack dice.

Rest of Group, "Why?!?!? What are you thinking?!?!?"

"I don't like the tone of voice he's using for us!"

US, "What? NO! He's about to pay us for rescuing his daughter!?!?! NO!!!"

(And yes. The NPC was being gracious and helpful at the time).

I think the lesson here is to not play with idiot players but also, yeah. High reaction characters CAN make social encounters much easier. As long as you don't have an idiot half orc in the group run by an idiot player.

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Reaction rolls are for those times when the GM doesn't know how an NPC will react, for when an NPC's reaction might be anything. That's probably not most of the characters the PCs will meet.

I really doubt most people would react the same to a normal person as they would to a beautiful and famous person who they admire as well as who is part of a greatly venerated class of people.

Of course that does not mean that a random reaction is necessary, but the impact of an extreme reaction modifier is still there even if the GM base the perdetermined reaction on the magnitude of the reaction bonus.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Well that or just having already picked a side in opposition to you. No matter how high the reaction bonuses of the Face if bandits are in the business of robbing vulnerable travellers and he looks vulnerable they don't need a special trait to go ahead and rob him.

Bandits who are relatively low in ruthlessness sparing a potential target, because he belongs to a venerated group does not sound unreasonable, and reaction modifiers can get far more extreme than that.

Why wouldn't reaction modifiers far outside our experience in real life give reactions which are also more extreme than what would normally be considered realistic?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Andreas

Bandits who are relatively low in ruthlessness sparing a potential target, because he belongs to a venerated group does not sound unreasonable, and reaction modifiers can get far more extreme than that.

Why wouldn't reaction modifier far outside our experience in real life give reactions which are also more extreme than what would normally be considered realistic?

When's the last time a criminal or enemy soldier surrendered without a fight to Captain America despite his stratospheric looks and charisma?

[Skarg]

I think as long as the background and situation are appropriate, and the GM is capable of taking the traits into account but not doing it in inappropriate ways, it can be fine.

There can be issues with players who think they are buying some concrete ability by making an especially pretty and charming character, though, in that they may think the GM is going to run the game a certain way, which I would probably hope my GM was not going to do.

That is, on the GM side, there can be issues if the GM either completely ignores all reaction modifiers, or if they apply them overly mechanically and/or make them too powerful and/or apply them in illogical situations. e.g. A combat situation, a reaction modifier might, sometimes, if you're fortunate get someone who was going to kill you, to take you prisoner instead, but it's probably not going to cause peace to break out.

It seems to me that mostly, reaction rolls mean you make a favorable or unfavorable impression, but that only sways behavior in situations where that's what the choice of behavior hinges on. There are many situations where no amount of charm is going to change the situation, or even whether they like you or not. Some people are very pretty and charming but are still dislike-able or hate-able by plenty of people for other reasons. Reactions are not only about modifiers, and not all factors can cancel out other reasons for disliking or being aggressive or whatever.

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

When's the last time a criminal or enemy soldier surrendered without a fight to Captain America despite his stratospheric looks and charisma?

I'm not sure which version of him you are refering to, but from what I have seen, he can probably be represented without "stratospheric" levels of looks and charisma (especially against males which would include almost all enemy soldiers he faces).

Criminals never surrendering without a fight (if that is the case) might just be for entirely different reasons though, like genre conventions or just poor writing. Criminals do after all sometimes surrender in the real world even to less charismatic people than Captain America.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Well that or just having already picked a side in opposition to you. No matter how high the reaction bonuses of the Face if bandits are in the business of robbing vulnerable travellers and he looks vulnerable they don't need a special trait to go ahead and rob him.

Yeah. They'll just be polite about it and maybe leave him his boots if he doesn't make too much of a fuss about the whole thing.

However, a Face also has social skills that can be used for example to actively persuade them to do things like letting him keep something on the grounds that it's a sentimental keepsake, as well giving them a huge penalty on perception rolls, tactics rolls, or defense rolls on the first round when the Face fast draws a knife.

And then, unless he had the points to be the face and a combat monster, he gets the snot kicked out of him by bandits who are outraged that he abused their generosity so.