I love B/X D&D and its simplicity. The core mechanics seem built for quick resolution of situations between player characters, NPCs, and monsters. Combat is fast and furious, and really friggin' deadly.
Two core mechanic "toggles" that B/X uses to make the game less deadly and to encourage emergent play and roleplaying are Reaction Rolls (NPC and Monster) and Morale. I'm going to talk about Reaction Rolls in this first post.
Charisma is Important
 |
| Love me. |
Everyone pretends like Charisma is a dump stat -- no core class needs Charisma to gain more XP or to make the character's abilities more effective. But, I say nay! Charisma in B/X is an important piece of the overall game's puzzle. It affects how many retainers you can have -- either henchpersons (classed NPCs that accompany you on your adventures) or hirelings (mercenaries that you pay to protect your ass and soak up some damage). It affects how effective you are at recruiting these folks -- no matter how much money and fame you have. And, most importantly, it affects what their Morale is once they join your service.
Charisma also affects reaction rolls when dealing with other NPCs and, presumably, monsters -- if they don't immediately try to kill you.
Use Reaction Rolls Subtly
 |
| You're Alright in My Book |
The reaction check is one of the best and oft overlooked mechanic in B/X. I’ve ported it to use in every game system I’ve run – and it works great because it’s simple.
But, Don't Overuse the Reaction Roll!
B/X and its various clones are not "singular mechanic" systems where everything is decided by a dice roll. I use a reaction roll only when natural roleplaying has reached a critical decision or when an encounter with a monster is fluid.
Sometimes I use the reaction roll only when the outcome is in doubt in my mind. Other times, I’ll more freely let the dice decide. This can be a double-edged sword – so for instance, your player is interacting with a contact to get information, but the PC is rude, threatening, and being generally obnoxious. If I don’t know anything about this NPC (i.e. they just popped out of emergent play), I might still roll the reaction check – maybe this NPC has been intimidated by the PC’s behavior. Maybe they *like* being abused – whatever.
But, if the NPC is a known quantity – like a high-level official, a regular in the campaign, etc – I’ll let the player’s roleplaying dictate the NPCs reaction moreso than the dice. Like – hey, you don’t talk that way to the king… seize him!
Wait, Monsters Don't Always Attack?
 |
| Result 2...every time |
One of the most overlooked "difficulty dials" in B/X is the monster reaction roll. I use it to determine a monster's attitude, but only when that reaction is in doubt!
Party full of elves that run into a big patrol of hobgoblins? No reaction roll needed. In my campaign, hobgoblins hate elves and attack them on sight. But, what if the party outnumbers the hobgoblins by a significant margin? I would make a reaction roll. A “friendly” result simply means to me that the hobgoblins avoid the encounter but may go report back to a larger contingent of their kin so they can come find the elves and exterminate them!
The Friendly Dragon Problem
 |
| No. You can't ride the dragon. It eats you. |
All of that being said (typed), I'm not a huge fan of all the entries in the reaction tables -- especially the monster table. A dragon flies over the hill and down into your party's midst and (Reaction Roll 12?!) is enthusiastically friendly? Nah... I don't like that as a result -- it's too specific.
Personally, I take these results and interpret them on the fly -- as earlier. Mindless monsters never roll reaction -- they just attack. Animal-intelligence level monsters might just flee when a "friendly" reaction is rolled. Humanoids and other intelligent monsters, I play it by ear and by the situation. In any case, a friendly reaction doesn't always mean the party and the dragon are besties. It just means that the dragon has decided not to eat them just yet.
Let the Game Develop Itself
The big point on Reaction Checks is that you only use them when the outcome is in doubt – or when you want to inject some randomness (emergent play) into the mix. Figuring out why an NPC or monster acts against your expectations – and doing it on the fly – is one of the best parts of the game. This is why you’ll never see a “Tactics” entry in a good B/X-ish module. Every encounter is fluid and should be. You’re not running a script – you’re playing an emergent game. And if it stops surprising you – and more importantly your players – you’ll all probably stop playing it.
