Monster (and NPC) Reactions Table

The OD&D guidelines for “intelligent” monster reactions can be found on page 12 of Volume III,  The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures.  The 2d6 roll in that book will do in a pinch.  But I have decided that my personal game could use a variant of this rule from time to time.  This table does away with “uncertain” reaction in an attempt to move the game along. Here it is!

Roll a single 12-sided die and adjust for Charisma. 

Modified roll	Result	Words	Emotion	Physical expression*
2 or less	80 %  chance to attack	If no attack, will hurl insult against your mama.	Terminate with extreme prejudice	Cold killer’s stare Lips pulled back, baring teeth
3	50% chance to attack	If no attack, will hurl a personal insult	Rage, resentment, hatred	Muscles and veins straining against skin, feet planted apart, clenched teeth, heavy breathing, narrowed eyes or wide crazy eyes
4	20% chance to attack	If no attack, will tell you to “get lost”	Contempt, anger, scorn	Pinched mouth, arms crossed over chest, tight jaw, wrinkled nose,
5	Will angrily reject you	Will suggest that you leave	disgust	Smirk, curled lip, shaking one’s head, muttering, spitting on the floor,
6	Will flat out reject you	Won’t provoke you	Annoyance, doubt, smugness	Sighing loudly, foot tapping, avoiding eye contact, shrugging, a sneer, rolling the eyes
7-8	Will generally support what you want to be accomplished	Will assist in exactly the way you desire, but won’t offer any additional aid	Sympathetic, Active Desire to Assist.	Kind words, an understanding nod, leaning in, listening intently,
9-10	Will work to exceed what you desire	Will offer additional expertise and seek to promote your position to others	Eagerness to Help and then some, Genuinely happy to do so.	Rapt attention, nodding, asking questions, smiling, focused, encouraging others to help
11 or more	Will try hard to  greatly exceed what you want	Will offer to give you the shirt off their back and then will offer to be a witness as to your awesomeness in the world	Elation and Adoration!	Hand on the heart, open agreement, murmuring affirmations and praise, compliments about you to others, closing the eyes to savor your presence, a beaming smile, laughter, falling to one’s knees, dancing in place, thrusting chest out, tears of happiness, throwing a hat into the air, thrusting a fist in the sky, holding up a hand sign of victory, hugging and kissing, eyes wide and glowing

*Source:  The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi at https://www.amazon.com/Emotion-Thesaurus-Writers-Character-Expression/dp/0999296345/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WTBEO3BS7GHE&dchild=1&keywords=emotion+thesaurus&qid=1608749115&s=books&sprefix=Emotion+Thes%2Caps%2C381&sr=1-1