Two orcs
Officially better than you, according to PoN
Unhappy with the standard tight reaction roll distribution and the high impact of charisma (and in ACKS the proficiencies that add +2 to rolls like Diplomacy and Intimidation) I've long run with a 3d6 reaction roll. I've added two additional outcomes and made the extreme results about as twice as likely. In practice, I roll an unmodified reaction roll at first for attitude (if it's not obvious from previous interactions) and then if opportunity to threats or parlay present themselves re-roll with Charisma etc. I've done the same for morale to make it more swingy as well.
I stole the idea of the 3d6 roll from some OSR blog, I can't remember which so I can't give any credit.
This is the table:
16-18: Friendly – Will seek common ground and provide aid.
14-15: Indifferent – The other is neither seen as threat or opportunity.
12-13: Watchful – The other is scrutinized to determine if they are a threat.
10-11: Neutral – The creature will do whatever its habit is.
8-9: May attack – If the creature spots additional weakness it will attack.
6-7: Will attack – Unless strength or tribute is displayed the creature will attack.
3-5: Does attack! – The creature attacks without hesitation.
Very straight forward, very useful in practice.
However, as all referees I'm given to constant tinkering, and in the tinkering for my next heavily modified ACKS campaign I've thought to formalize social interactions even more to make the opportunities to roll or re-roll less arbitrary (that is, to put rules on me to follow!). This is also to differentiate the uses of Diplomacy, Intimidation and Seduction. I've gone back to the 2d6 roll because I like the aesthetic more but I've widened the categories a bit so that the outlier reactions are more common (2-3 instead of 2, 4-5 instead of 3-5).
This is also important later as my re-take on Charm Person is bound to the attitude range, it becomes a more well defined type of mind control. The proficiencies (Diplomacy, Seducation etc. add +1 to the rolls when appropriate, they are available to all classes but bribery is a special proficiency only available to the thief-adjacent class).
REACTION ROLLS
Social interactions with uncertain outcomes are handled with Reaction Rolls. Initially all creatures have an attitude range which determines the possible outcomes. Then the type of interaction determines the reaction roll which determines which outcome is possible. Note that a natural 2 is always a hostile reaction and a natural 12 always a friendly reaction.
The first reaction roll is always unmodified and reflects the random mood and circumstance of the creature or group. If further interaction is possible another roll may be made.
The attitude range
-2-3 Hostile: You are a dire threat or immediate violent opportunity.
4-5 Unfriendly: You are seen as a threat or violent opportunity.
6-8 Uncertain: The encounter must unfold more before a decision is reached.
9-10 Indifferent: You are neither seen as a threat or opportunity.
11-12+ Friendly: You're seen as an ally or peaceful opportunity.
Sample attitude ranges
Wild Animal
Hostile – A predator or defensive prey animal attacks, other runs away.
Unfriendly – A probing attack or threat display, if weakness or hostility is shown violence ensures.
Neutral – A predator stalks to find weakness, prey animals close ranks.
Indifferent – The animal observes indifferently unless you get closer.
Friendly – The animal wants to play, begs for food, seeks help for an injury or trap.
Enemy Warrior
Hostile – Attack, now or from ambush if not discovered. If outmatched gets reinforcements or flees.
Unfriendly – Missile attacks at long range, hurled insults, attempts to flank or fortify position.
Neutral – Intent observation to find out intent and force composition before possible engagement.
Indifferent – Does not seek battle unless attacked or threatened.
Friendly – Seeks parley, trade of supplies, prisoners, information, mutual safe passage, truce.
Civilian
Hostile – Seeks to swindle, delay, gather information to pass on or possibly run away.
Unfriendly – Takes up a social and military defensive position to avoid interaction, excuses.
Neutral – Asks for intent, tries to assertain strength and weakness and side before engaging.
Indifferent – A polite or silent greeting without further probing.
Friendly – Seeks trade or information, seeks protection, gives aid freely or at small cost.
A king in his court
Hostile – Expels and bans from land or imprisons and extorts.
Unfriendly – Rebuffs any requests, does not grant hospitality.
Neutral – Listens to requests if urgent or greatly opportune.
Indifferent – Listens and considers requests, allows quarters outside stronghold.
Friendly – Grants reasonable requests, seeks alliance, invites as guests, grants protection.
A prisoner
Hostile – Attempts escape or violent revenge, refuses to speak.
Unfriendly – Sullen minimal interactions or a calvalcade of insults and threats.
Neutral – Polite but wary.
Indifferent – Appears unbothered, does not resist but is not cooperative.
Friendly – Gives up everything in the hopes of lenient treatment or release.
Types of interactions
Parlay
If spoken communication on even terms or with a vulnerable envoy happens another reaction roll modified by Charisma, Diplomacy. With beasts unspoken communication is enough and the Beast Friendship and Charisma count. The interaction is roleplayed and takes as much time as the conversation does. Another attempt is possible if the situation materially changes or a day has passed.
Threat
If the characters outmatch or outrank the opponents a concrete threat delivered allows another roll. If the others are unresponsive to the roll the threat must be carried out in part or full before another roll is allowed. For each escalation of consequence another roll is allowed. The rolls are modified by Charisma, Intimidation and the opponent's morale score (and penalties and bonuses as if in battle). Note that threatened characters might trade or offer safe passage but as soon as the danger passes they'll be unfriendly at best. Creatures with +4 morale never respond to threats.
Seduction
If the character implicitly or explicitly offers his personal companionship to the leader of the other group or an individual. The character must be interesting to the target as a sexual mate, marriage match or close friend. The reaction is rerolled modifed by Charisma and Seduction. The new result stays as long as the character keeps their promise. The seducer may reroll the reaction each day if they want to but must either escalate or de-escalate or interaction. If trust is broken the jilted lover becomes hostile, initially.
Letters & Envoys
Envoys use their personal statistics for interactions. Parlay, threat, bribery and seduction may be done via letter but the outcome of the roll is naturally not known unless there is a response.
Bribery
Proper tribute can improve the outcome of an interaction. A gift offered worth 2 days wage (for a specific individual if a private interaction or the whole group if a public interaction) modifies the roll with Charisma and +1. 2 weeks wages modifies with Charisma and +2. On a hostile result the bribe is either taken but not reciprocated, or the bribery attempt is reported to the authorities or used to slander the characters reputation if the interaction isn't illegal. Characters with the Bribery proficiency always know the appropriate amount to offer and may offer 1 days, 1 weeks or 1 month's wages for Charisma +1/+2 or +3 to the roll. Wild animals may be bribed with appropriate foodstuffs based on their supply requirements (5sp/week for an omnivore and 2gp/week for a carnivore, 4gp/week for a large omnivore or 16gp/week for a large carnivore etc.).
Torture
Torture is a threat interaction with a prisoner. A typical chain or escalation would be a light beating (inflicting only pain), a severe beating (inflicting hit point loss), mutilation or beating to near death (below 0 hp with non-lethal attacks, cutting a finger or ear), beating to near death or severe mutilation (below 0 hp with lethal damage, blinding, cutting off a hand). Torture may also be inflicted on another character if the intended victim is empathic. Remember that morale modifies this interaction and that creatures have -2 morale when at 50% hit points or fewer and -5 morale when at 1/3 hit points or fewer. A creature that starts out with +4 morale never break from torture.
I stole the idea of the 3d6 roll from some OSR blog, I can't remember which so I can't give any credit.
This is the table:
16-18: Friendly – Will seek common ground and provide aid.
14-15: Indifferent – The other is neither seen as threat or opportunity.
12-13: Watchful – The other is scrutinized to determine if they are a threat.
10-11: Neutral – The creature will do whatever its habit is.
8-9: May attack – If the creature spots additional weakness it will attack.
6-7: Will attack – Unless strength or tribute is displayed the creature will attack.
3-5: Does attack! – The creature attacks without hesitation.
Very straight forward, very useful in practice.
However, as all referees I'm given to constant tinkering, and in the tinkering for my next heavily modified ACKS campaign I've thought to formalize social interactions even more to make the opportunities to roll or re-roll less arbitrary (that is, to put rules on me to follow!). This is also to differentiate the uses of Diplomacy, Intimidation and Seduction. I've gone back to the 2d6 roll because I like the aesthetic more but I've widened the categories a bit so that the outlier reactions are more common (2-3 instead of 2, 4-5 instead of 3-5).
This is also important later as my re-take on Charm Person is bound to the attitude range, it becomes a more well defined type of mind control. The proficiencies (Diplomacy, Seducation etc. add +1 to the rolls when appropriate, they are available to all classes but bribery is a special proficiency only available to the thief-adjacent class).
REACTION ROLLS
Social interactions with uncertain outcomes are handled with Reaction Rolls. Initially all creatures have an attitude range which determines the possible outcomes. Then the type of interaction determines the reaction roll which determines which outcome is possible. Note that a natural 2 is always a hostile reaction and a natural 12 always a friendly reaction.
The first reaction roll is always unmodified and reflects the random mood and circumstance of the creature or group. If further interaction is possible another roll may be made.
The attitude range
-2-3 Hostile: You are a dire threat or immediate violent opportunity.
4-5 Unfriendly: You are seen as a threat or violent opportunity.
6-8 Uncertain: The encounter must unfold more before a decision is reached.
9-10 Indifferent: You are neither seen as a threat or opportunity.
11-12+ Friendly: You're seen as an ally or peaceful opportunity.
Sample attitude ranges
Wild Animal
Hostile – A predator or defensive prey animal attacks, other runs away.
Unfriendly – A probing attack or threat display, if weakness or hostility is shown violence ensures.
Neutral – A predator stalks to find weakness, prey animals close ranks.
Indifferent – The animal observes indifferently unless you get closer.
Friendly – The animal wants to play, begs for food, seeks help for an injury or trap.
Enemy Warrior
Hostile – Attack, now or from ambush if not discovered. If outmatched gets reinforcements or flees.
Unfriendly – Missile attacks at long range, hurled insults, attempts to flank or fortify position.
Neutral – Intent observation to find out intent and force composition before possible engagement.
Indifferent – Does not seek battle unless attacked or threatened.
Friendly – Seeks parley, trade of supplies, prisoners, information, mutual safe passage, truce.
Civilian
Hostile – Seeks to swindle, delay, gather information to pass on or possibly run away.
Unfriendly – Takes up a social and military defensive position to avoid interaction, excuses.
Neutral – Asks for intent, tries to assertain strength and weakness and side before engaging.
Indifferent – A polite or silent greeting without further probing.
Friendly – Seeks trade or information, seeks protection, gives aid freely or at small cost.
A king in his court
Hostile – Expels and bans from land or imprisons and extorts.
Unfriendly – Rebuffs any requests, does not grant hospitality.
Neutral – Listens to requests if urgent or greatly opportune.
Indifferent – Listens and considers requests, allows quarters outside stronghold.
Friendly – Grants reasonable requests, seeks alliance, invites as guests, grants protection.
A prisoner
Hostile – Attempts escape or violent revenge, refuses to speak.
Unfriendly – Sullen minimal interactions or a calvalcade of insults and threats.
Neutral – Polite but wary.
Indifferent – Appears unbothered, does not resist but is not cooperative.
Friendly – Gives up everything in the hopes of lenient treatment or release.
Types of interactions
Parlay
If spoken communication on even terms or with a vulnerable envoy happens another reaction roll modified by Charisma, Diplomacy. With beasts unspoken communication is enough and the Beast Friendship and Charisma count. The interaction is roleplayed and takes as much time as the conversation does. Another attempt is possible if the situation materially changes or a day has passed.
Threat
If the characters outmatch or outrank the opponents a concrete threat delivered allows another roll. If the others are unresponsive to the roll the threat must be carried out in part or full before another roll is allowed. For each escalation of consequence another roll is allowed. The rolls are modified by Charisma, Intimidation and the opponent's morale score (and penalties and bonuses as if in battle). Note that threatened characters might trade or offer safe passage but as soon as the danger passes they'll be unfriendly at best. Creatures with +4 morale never respond to threats.
Seduction
If the character implicitly or explicitly offers his personal companionship to the leader of the other group or an individual. The character must be interesting to the target as a sexual mate, marriage match or close friend. The reaction is rerolled modifed by Charisma and Seduction. The new result stays as long as the character keeps their promise. The seducer may reroll the reaction each day if they want to but must either escalate or de-escalate or interaction. If trust is broken the jilted lover becomes hostile, initially.
Letters & Envoys
Envoys use their personal statistics for interactions. Parlay, threat, bribery and seduction may be done via letter but the outcome of the roll is naturally not known unless there is a response.
Bribery
Proper tribute can improve the outcome of an interaction. A gift offered worth 2 days wage (for a specific individual if a private interaction or the whole group if a public interaction) modifies the roll with Charisma and +1. 2 weeks wages modifies with Charisma and +2. On a hostile result the bribe is either taken but not reciprocated, or the bribery attempt is reported to the authorities or used to slander the characters reputation if the interaction isn't illegal. Characters with the Bribery proficiency always know the appropriate amount to offer and may offer 1 days, 1 weeks or 1 month's wages for Charisma +1/+2 or +3 to the roll. Wild animals may be bribed with appropriate foodstuffs based on their supply requirements (5sp/week for an omnivore and 2gp/week for a carnivore, 4gp/week for a large omnivore or 16gp/week for a large carnivore etc.).
Torture
Torture is a threat interaction with a prisoner. A typical chain or escalation would be a light beating (inflicting only pain), a severe beating (inflicting hit point loss), mutilation or beating to near death (below 0 hp with non-lethal attacks, cutting a finger or ear), beating to near death or severe mutilation (below 0 hp with lethal damage, blinding, cutting off a hand). Torture may also be inflicted on another character if the intended victim is empathic. Remember that morale modifies this interaction and that creatures have -2 morale when at 50% hit points or fewer and -5 morale when at 1/3 hit points or fewer. A creature that starts out with +4 morale never break from torture.
