Expanding the Reaction Table

Classic Traveller's reaction table is very simple, and not much detail is given in the rules on how it is to be applied. I have written before on this blog about ways to up the role-playing when interacting with NPCs.  A while back I was thinking about how different results on the table might be interpreted by the referee, depending on what the PCs are trying to do.

Should I go with Bribery or Carousing in this situation? My goal is to not be eaten.

What kinds of things will the PCs try to do?  I decided that the categories would be:

• General (the random encounter)
• Hiring hirelings/retainers
• Querying NPCs for information
• Asking NPCs for assistance
• Negotiating a business arrangement

and then worked out what each die roll or result on the table would mean in that circumstance.

	General	Hireling	Information	Assistance	Business
2D	Encounter	Job Offer	Informal requests	Need action or gear	non-patron activities
2	Violent, immediate attack	Declines. DM -3 to other hirelings reactions	Deliberatly gives false information	Refuses to provide action or gear	Refuses, requests legal action against PCs
3	Hostile. Attack on 5+	Declines. DM -2 to other hirelings reactions	Gives mistakenly false information	Refuses action or charges 200% cost for gear	Refuses, threatens legal action against PCs

And so on down the list, each reaction being in some way more positive than the one before. 




I compiled all of my results into an Excel spreadsheet, which is stored in my Dropbox.
To get the full table, see the link here.

Please leave a comment with your reactions to my Reaction table.