Players always want to parlay, to talk. After all, combat is dangerous and killing a sentient person when you have other options is like… bad.
Here’s a quick and easy system for determining how interactions begin, and how they might end peacefully. As a bonus, it helps break up the role of “Party Face” without completely negating social skills.
Prep
For each NPC or group of NPCs, you need to add the following traits. As a bonus, these help make them feel a bit more three dimensional:
- Wants: What does this NPC want right now. What are they doing here?
- Likes: Choose an attribute or skill they like or respect.
- Dislikes (Optional): Choose an attribute or skill they dislike or look down on.
If you are unsure, default to liking Charisma and disliking nothing.
Example. Org and his Barbarians are guarding a bridge. They want to take your money. They like Strength, and dislike Intelligence.
The First Impression
If players observe the NPC, they can make an Insight (Wis) check to figure them out. On a 10+, they get one of the three traits. On a 15+, they get two. On a 20+, they get all three.
If your players try to talk things out, make a reaction roll. The character leading the interaction rolls a d20. They add the liked attribute, and subtract the disliked attribute. Consult the following chart.
0 or lower (Or a natural 1). Immediately initiate combat.
1 to 5. Very Negative. Will accept only exchanges in their favor, and will become hostile after a failed compromise.
6 to 10. Negative. Will accept only exchanges in their favor.
11 to 15. Neutral. Will accept equivalent exchanges.
16 to 19. Positive. Will accept exchanges in your favor.
20 or higher (Or a natural 20). Friendly. Will agree to any reasonable request.
Example. The party fails the insight check, and so decides to front Natoria, their noble sorcerer with high Charisma. They roll an 11 + Str (0) – Int (2), for a total of 9. Org is not impressed, and has a Negative reaction.
Negotiations
Remember, these are not your player characters’ friends. These people want something. Your players presumably also want something. Based on the reaction roll, you need to negotiate a compromise.
Persuasion, intimidation, and deception rolls can come into play here, to determine agreed upon fact in the negotiation. Persuasion can make them accept true facts, and deception can make them believe lies.
The person who made the reaction roll should lead, but others can interject. If a character who would have a negative reaction bonus (The like minus the dislike) tries to interject, they will be ignored outright.
Example. The party only wants to pass in peace. Natoria says, we will give you 10 gold to let us pass. Org declines, hand on his club. Polly the fighter interjects, saying “We’d beat you in a fight”. She rolls an 18 on an Intimidation (Str) check. Org believes her.
Natoria submits a new compromise. We give you twenty gold, and don’t kill you, and you let us pass. Org at least got some money so he doesn’t lose face in front of his band, so he accepts.
Optional Additions
You can give disadvantage on or even disallow the insight check if the group is speaking in a language no one in the party speaks, or are a species they’re unfamiliar with.
You can label a group as distrusting or trusting, giving disadvantage or advantage on the reaction roll.
You can choose other options as the like or dislike. Binary qualities are 0 if you don’t have it, and +5 if you do. Some examples:
- Can Cast Spells. +X, where X is the highest level spell they can cast.
- Wealthy. 0 to +5 bonus based on the clothes the person is wearing.
- Human. 0 if they’re not, +5 if they are.
The Renaissance Woodsman 