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3. Reaction modifiers apply directly
to the die roll. A reaction bonus is any
factor that will make NPCs friendlier,
while a reaction penalty is something
that will bias NPCs against the PCs.
Some common reaction modifiers:
Personal appearance and behavior.
This is especially true for the PC who
does the talking! Above-average
appearance gives a bonus, as do such
traits as Charisma, Fashion Sense,
Pitiable, and Voice. In most situations,
so does a high apparent Status. Below-
average appearance and many disad-
vantages give a penalty.
Skills. A successful roll against a
skill appropriate to the situation can
give +2 to reactions. Examples include
Administration when dealing with
bureaucrats, Carousing when party-
ing, and Politics when interacting with
politicians. In a few cases, skill 20+
gives an automatic +2 to reactions.
Diplomacy and Fast-Talk work this
way if you are allowed to talk – as does
Merchant skill, during commercial
transactions. The GM may give simi-
lar bonuses for other skills.
Racial or national biases. Elves
don’t like dwarves, Frenchmen don’t
care for Germans, and so on. These
are usually penalties, and take the
form of a Social Stigma disadvantage
for the PC or an Intolerance disadvan-
tage on the part of the NPC.
Appropriate behavior by the play-
ers! Here’s a chance to reward good
roleplaying. A good approach should
be worth +1 or more! A wholly inap-
propriate approach that antagonizes
the NPCs should give the party -1 or
-2 on the reaction roll. Don’t tell the
players, “You blew it!” – just roleplay
the offended character, and let them
figure it out.
Random reaction rolls are great
when they add a note of unpre-
dictability to the game – this is more
fun for the GM, too! However, never
substitute random die rolls for reason
and logic.