Carousing skill and general roleplaying/dice rolling process

[FeiLin]

I wonder about the Carousing skill, which states (GURPS Characters, p. 183) a successful roll gives +2 on request aid and information as well as general reaction rolls.

Just to check, if I carouse with people I've already made a reaction roll, and then succeed my Carousing roll to improve my relations, I still roll on the same table as before, implying that I can actually worsen the relationship (explained by stepping on someone's toes by mentioning a dead sibling or whatever which makes the person annoyed or the like), right?

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by FeiLin

I wonder about the Carousing skill, which states (GURPS Characters, p. 183) a successful roll gives +2 on request aid and information as well as general reaction rolls.

Just to check, if I carouse with people I've already made a reaction roll, and then succeed my Carousing roll to improve my relations, I still roll on the same table as before, implying that I can actually worsen the relationship (explained by stepping on someone's toes by mentioning a dead sibling or whatever which makes the person annoyed or the like), right?

In this case, I would simply add or subtract the bonus or penalty from the previous reaction roll, especially if the carousing follows during the same encounter (or in close proximity). For example, if you rolled an 11 (neutral) and then the PC subsequently succeeds at a carousing roll, I would add 2, boosting the reaction to 13 (good). But if they fail the carousing roll, I would subtract 2, lowing their reaction to 9 (poor). This prevents radical shifts. (A critical success or failure, however, might be more extreme.)

If there is more time between the initial roll and the carousing, I might roll from scratch, or I might count the previous reaction as an additional bonus or penalty to the new roll. So, if the contact originally had a good reaction, but time has passed, I might give the new reaction roll a +1 or +2 in addition to carousing to indicate a positive inclination. All of this depends a lot on circumstances and what I know about the NPC's personality and motivations.

[Anaraxes]

In the right circumstances, Carousing can be used as a complementary skill (giving a +2 bonus to reaction), or it can be used as a substitute Influence skill (as per B359). Failing an Influence roll gives you a Bad reaction -- your suggested narrative explanations are fine. Just how your party went bad is a chance for some creativity :)

It's possible to reroll a reaction roll, but only if you have a change of approach. See "Second Reaction Rolls" on B495. If you were already at a party, I wouldn't think rolling vs Carousing instead of just a straight reaction would count as a "change". But you might, for example, blow a roll to influence some administrator in their office with Administration as a complementary skill, but that evening take them on your pub crawl and change their mind, substituting Carousing as an Influence skill.

Social Engineering notes that you can't substitute Carousing on direct requests for aid or information, so the substitution is limited by the type of interaction as well as the environment (the party that lets you carouse).

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

It's possible to reroll a reaction roll, but only if you have a change of approach. See "Second Reaction Rolls" on B495.

On this note: Only re-roll a Reaction Roll if the PCs can add bonuses or penalties from a change of approach*.

IE, they roll up on some guards that they need to get past and don't want to fight, but get a Poor Reaction. They decide to to try to bribe the guards, but don't offer enough to actually get a bonus, but also not so low as to insult them (IE no penalty either). The RR will stand.

If the social manipulator of the group steps up and tries to Diplomacy his way past, then you get those results. Etc.


* Also, if 'enough' time has past that the initial reaction might be forgotten.

[FeiLin]

Originally Posted by Dalin

In this case, I would simply add or subtract the bonus or penalty from the previous reaction roll [...]

Yes, thanks, that sounds like a great idea! Depending on the amount of bookkeeping effort it incurs (probably not too much, and potentially outsourced to the players, at least the bonus), I'd prefer that.

Thank you all for the discussion; it was of great help to a new GURPS GM!