WHY ARE THE MONSTERS ATTACKING?

Mordor Orcs by JLazerusEB is 
licensed by CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

One of the things I like most about old-school D&D, particularly the so-called B/X ("Basic/Expert" set from 1981) is the "Monster Reaction Roll" table. 

Many gamers assume that the monsters are there to be killed, and proceed accordingly. Sure, in modern games, you have Charisma-based skills like Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidation, but they are mainly saved specifically for planned social-encounters; few parties think to attempt these skills in the middle of a dungeon. 

The B/X Monster Reaction Roll table is divided into five categories on a scale of "Hostile, attacks" to "Friendly, helpful." A 2d6 roll, modified by a PC's Charisma modifier, generates the result and the DM adjudicates the details. 

[Note: You could use this table almost as-is in a modern 5th Edition game, or in 3E/3.5 by simply changing the bell-curve from 2d6 to a linear D20 roll and setting different target numbers, or Difficult Checks, for each category. Adjust the numbers for the type of campaign you want to run; e.g., "Friendly, Helpful" could be a roll of 25 or higher (meaning you can only get there with a Natural 20 and a +5 Charisma Modifier), or it could be set at 20 or 15, with the other results adjusted accordingly.]

I began thinking about why a particular monster or group of monsters might react a specific way, leading to this post. The DM uses the Monster Reaction Roll table as normal, then based on the result, rolls (or picks) on an additional table to indicate why the monsters are acting that way. The intent is to provide some role-playing fodder and generate news ideas so the monsters aren't just waiting for adventurers to come by and kill them.

A few notes about the Monster Reaction Table: 

• Most “monsters” will attack automatically unless intelligent and faced with an obviously superior force
• The PC's Charisma modifier affects the roll, but you may also consider alignment (e.g., creatures and party are the same alignment, such as both Good or both Lawful = +1;  alignment is one step removed, e.g., Lawful and Neutral = 0; and alignments are diametrically opposed, e.g., Lawful – Chaotic or Good-Evil, -1)
• Bribes offered and fear may also affect the roll (+1 and -1, respectively)
• The table only works if the PCs can communicate with the creatures to parlay and make offers
• The sub-tables assume that most monsters are, in fact, bad and want to hurt the PCs, so even most friendly monsters have an ulterior motive that isn’t necessarily helpful

Let me know what you think, and how you have made rulings on the Monster Reaction Table for your games. 

Monster Reaction Roll
2d6	Result
2 or less	Hostile, attacks
3–5	Unfriendly, may attack
6–8	Neutral, uncertain
9–11	Indifferent, uninterested
12 or more	Friendly, helpful

Based on the result above, roll (or pick) on one of the following tables. Create your own entries and extend to the tables to D8, D10, D12 or D20! 

 

Hostile, attacks
D6	Result
1	They’re just having a really bad day (got yelled at, lost something, fighting with a friend or romantic partner, stubbed their toe, etc.).
2	They’ve confused the PCs for someone else.
3	They’re on some kind of drug that increases aggression.
4	They are participating in a ritual of adulthood and are required to kill to complete the ritual.
5	They’re being manipulated by someone else to attack.
6	They’re just defending their territory, which has been shrinking lately due to other predators.
Possible ways to interact	Fight or flee! These guys are determined to fight unless they fail an upcoming morale roll.

  

Unfriendly, may attack
D6	Result
1	They’re angry and hungry; food might dissuade them.
2	They’re angry and poor; gold might dissuade them.
3	They’re grouchy because they got stuck on guard duty (or some other menial task).
4	The PCs shouldn’t be here; it’s sacred/territorial ground and they are trespassing.
5	They recently lost two of their friends to greedy adventurers.
6	They’re under the influence of a spell or some kind of narcotic that makes them antagonistic; normally they’re pretty cool.
Possible ways to avoid attack	Substantial material good offers (e.g., gold, treasure, food) accompanied by eloquent persuasion.

 

Neutral, uncertain
D6	Result
1	Adventurers come and go, and these guys can’t be bothered.
2	They’re bored and don’t really care about the adventurers one way or the other.
3	One of the PCs reminds one of the adversaries of someone, but not in a good way.
4	The last time they worked with adventurers, they got burned.
5	The monsters think the adventurers look tough enough to take on the monsters’ rivals; maybe they’ll destroy each other.
6	The adventurers have interrupted mealtime.
Possible ways to avoid attack	Convince them you don’t want to fight accompanied by something of value, which could include healing or information instead of material goods.

 

Indifferent, uninterested
D6	Result
1	They’re in the middle of a game with the winning move about to be decided.
2	They’re in the middle of an important performance (e.g., song, dance, poem; could be religious).
3	They’re arguing or fighting among themselves.
4	It is mating season. Enough said.
5	They are with young/infants who need tending.
6	They’re tired, sick, drugged, or hungover.
Possible ways to interact	Just leave them alone to avoid an attack, or offer them something of value to assist you.

Friendly, helpful
D6	Result
1	It’s an act; they want something.
2	They’re leading the PCs into a trap for easy pickings.
3	They think their leader will reward them for bringing the PCs.
4	They are genuinely helpful, but it’s because they want the PCs to leave the area.
5	They’re empathetic; the PCs look exhausted and hungry.
6	They’ve been trained to be helpful in order to set a good example for others.
Possible ways to interact	Persuade them to provide aid or information, have them act as guides, convince them to set up an audience with their leader, etc.

 

Hanging: Home office (laptop)
Drinking: Eggnog
Listening: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," by Duke Pearson, from the album "Merry Ole Soul" (1969).