When do you use Reaction Rolls?

[AlexanderHowl]

On occasion, I have played characters with truly phenomenal reaction modifiers: Allure 4, Appearance (Very Handsome), Charisma 5, and Voice giving a +9/+17 (!) reaction bonus (not bad for 71 CP). I rarely get to fully exploit their reaction bonuses though, as GMs often find it annoying when characters get automatic Excellent reactions from people attracted to their sex (and a 50% chance at an Excellent reaction from people not attracted to their sex). How do you deal with characters with such enormous reaction bonuses? Do you let characters with such high reaction bonuses into your games?

[Refplace]

I think Reaction bonuses are too cheap for thier effect.
Though to be fair +4 Reaction bonus could easily b a 4d Innate Attack, which would be pretty impressive/scary in a mundane setting.
So part of my answer is that in a setting with high bonuses to reactions defenses and counters should be readily available as well.
So give important figures things like Indomitable or Unfazeable, perhaps with limitations like focused.

As to do I allow itin game? Yes but like anything else I try to watch out for it being too much and like any special attack the player should expect there will be countermeasures.
And I use influence rolls fairly often, depends on plot, player request or capability, etc.

[Alden Loveshade]

Some GM's are less adept at checking GM-controlled aspects of PCs that would be ideal. When I run a game, I keep a list of them in front of me through the whole game so nobody misses a /- to reaction roll, Danger Sense, etc.

Of course if you do have a GM who forgets, you can get virtually free credit for Disadvantages they forget to check on like--well, I wouldn't want to remind them.

I had a GM whom I would send periodic reminders of my positive reaction roll modifiers for my PC. I probably annoyed him, but after a while he no longer forgot.

[Alden Loveshade]

The one thing I don't always follow when running reaction rolls is the change to a merchant's prices. The baker's guild that sets prices is not going to be happy with a merchant who breaks guild rules and undercuts the competition. And as much as I try to be nice to the people at Walmart, they don't sell me my batteries any cheaper than if I'm grumpy.

[Anthony]

I don't generally use reaction rolls at all, I just treat reaction bonuses as bonuses to influence rolls. In large part this is because I don't think the extreme ends of the reaction roll chart should occur randomly.

[Donny Brook]

I let them have their full effect in general, but I also have situations where (1) the NPC is constrained by from letting their personal reaction over-rule their circumstances (e.g. guards who will get in serious trouble if they don't do their jobs), or (2) the NPCs have unusual reasons that ignore or even invert reaction mods (e.g. the guy who was just rolled by a beautiful girl the other day, or the revolutionary who HATES high status people).

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I don't generally use reaction rolls at all, I just treat reaction bonuses as bonuses to influence rolls. In large part this is because I don't think the extreme ends of the reaction roll chart should occur randomly.

In real life, though, it happens. Some people are liked by lots of people, others get the opposite. On the other hand, people have reported falling in love at first sight, and the opposite type of reaction unfortunately also occurs.

While I am not all that much into things like random encounter charts, I do like some randomness and unpredictability. As a GM, I think it makes the game more interesting for everyone if even I can't predict everything that happens.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

On occasion, I have played characters with truly phenomenal reaction modifiers: Allure 4, Appearance (Very Handsome), Charisma 5, and Voice giving a +9/+17 (!) reaction bonus (not bad for 71 CP). I rarely get to fully exploit their reaction bonuses though, as GMs often find it annoying when characters get automatic Excellent reactions from people attracted to their sex (and a 50% chance at an Excellent reaction from people not attracted to their sex). How do you deal with characters with such enormous reaction bonuses?

I don't think I ever dealt with a +17, but I did with at least a +8, and as far as I remember I did make the rolls. Lately I am rolling reactions whenever there is a range of possible responses that would majorly influence the possible outcomes/plot.

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Do you let characters with such high reaction bonuses into your games?

I would probably be nervous about allowing a +17, I'm quite confident about allowing a +8 or even +10. I would probably calm down about the 17 after a few sessions, after internalising that (a) it doesn't allow anything better than what a PC can get through a random roll, just makes it more reliable and (b) a universal +17 costs more than Mind Control, and a conditional one costs almost as much as it.

[ErhnamDJ]

I've found that most GMs don't use them. Basically you're paying for "the GM might or might not roleplay NPCs as being more cooperative." Which is awful expensive at the price of reaction modifiers.

I'd prefer more player-facing rules, so that doesn't happen, but that would require something like a social combat system.

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

How do you deal with characters with such enormous reaction bonuses? Do you let characters with such high reaction bonuses into your games?

It depends on the campaign style. In a gritty game I would cap the bonuses at a certain point. In a mythic or cinematic game, I'd be ok with a +17 bonus, just as I would be fine with heroic archers tossing arrows into the eyes of every foe they meet. I would definitely have a conversation with the player to make sure we had a good understanding of the parameters of the bonus before the game got started.

I would not roll for many monsters (deeming their reactions "predetermined"), though in the right dramatic circumstances I would apply the penalties from "Ridiculous Reactions" (DF11, p. 21) and let the dice direct the story.

My sense of things is that players don't usually want a free pass, no matter how many points they spend. The scout doesn't really want to kill every monster in one shot; nor does the +17 bard want to charm his way past every fiend. But when they invest that many points into an ability, they expect it to be part of the story most of the time. I'm good with that.