Ducking down an alley to avoid being held up by a parade, we led
the treasure-laden mules warily, on the lookout for footpads and
chamberpots being emptied. Having risen five levels of skill without
ever before hitting civilization, we were entirely of one mind: “Where’s
a bath, and where’s the ACTION?”

My friend and I had taken our favorites: a Fighter with rippling
muscles, a Cleric of somber colors and mood, a superstitious slinking
Thief, and a couple of guardian Magic Users.

Unfortunately, someone else was using the back way for a similar
evasion. Our leaders turned a corner into a party of a half-dozen
well-dressed besworded gents who, not caring to sidle past our group,
began to comment acidly on our travel-worn condition, and wonder
aloud whether an unpleasant odor was ours, or native to the alley.

The leader, we discovered, was a Duke, CHA 17.

“What a pity we couldn’t win him over,” Jinx murmured. “Rich,
influential, good-looking . . . ”

“Wait a second!” I juggled books and papers, riffling hastily. “The
Thief's gonna try something.”

“Zilla always tried something! She’s the craziest elf I ever saw.”

“She was raised by gypsies—whatcha expect? Hey! You know if
we’re gonna get ANYTHING going in this town we’re gonna hafta
move in on the guys? They make NO provision for female players.”

We applied the tables for “Encounters with Women.” Zilla’s
Repartee was successful, the Duke erotic (plus five), and our madcap
burglar had a free meal ticket. The other ladies had to find their own
companions—later the Fighter bought herself a strapping barbarian
slave—but in a place where males are in obvious dominance it seemed
awfully odd (though the Duke seemed to like it).

That encounter is not the only time the passivity of NPC’s bothered
me, or their recklessness. Our group was prone to rate anything on a
scale of 3 to 18—it’s a shorthand to say so-and-so has a knowledge of
15 but a teaching ability of 4—including joking that a very careful and
suspicious player-character had a “caution of 17.” After that adventure
in the city I put a few things together, and started giving my NPC’s an
actual Caution score (hereafter CAU).

Rolled once on three 6-sided dice, it gives each NPC a certain
consistency of impetuosity. When propositioned, razzed, or otherwise
encountered by players, an NPC must have his CAU exceeded on a
20-sided die before rolling reaction dice. Someone with a low CAU will
be consistently more likely to interact with the players, for good or ill. A
high-CAU character will, by rarely making it to reaction dice, generally
excuse himself and walk away quietly, or ignore the party’s existence
(he may, however, make note of those guys who insulted or rescued
him, for later). In contrast, an “uncertain” on reaction dice would mean
that while remaining uncommitted, the NPC will at least continue to
listen to the player, or go along provisionally (especially if you’re both
on your way to the door and have lost half your hit points).

Now to that original problem of mine: To determine if an NPC
moves to involve himself on his own steam (the battered conjurer
cowering in the hidden niche reveals himself to the dungeoneers, or the
inn’s resident pirate ties to recruit the characters), the ref pulls out the
plastic dodecahedron or flips the die dial to 20, and rolls to exceed the
CAU. If he does, the NPC acts; if not, he doesn’t. In potential sexual
situations the NPC’s Libido score is rolled on the table below (I roll it
once as a constant characteristic) and the plus or minus is applied to the
CAU roll, no matter who is the aggressor.

To use Zilla and the Duke as an example: He has a plus 5. Assuming
she comes on with a successful Line to catch his attention (see below),
she rolls to try to score higher than his CAU (a good chance, as her
range is 6-25). If she does, he acquiesces (this is equally applicable to
male characters and female NPC’s) (or whatever).

But let’s say our Elven Thief is being coy. If the ref, seeing this as a
possible situation, rolls less than the Duke’s CAU, then the Duke will go
his own way. But as the Libido bonus applies here also, the 6-25 range
means that even if he’s the most cautious man—CAU of 18—he
stands a 35% chance of being overcome by his hormones and making
a play for the lady(?). In this case, of course, acquiescence is up to the
player (“No, I gotta rest up to raid that temple tomorrow. Sorry,
Charlie.”).

In the original example, since there were several ladies in the party,
if the Duke exceeded his CAU I would have hastily assigned each
woman a number and diced to see in which one he took an interest.

Libido Table

1	Icy	-4
2	Cool	-3
3	Tired	-2
4	Busy	-1
5-6	Average	0
7	Amiable	+1
8	Warm	+2
9	Ardent	+3
10	Erotic	+5

Chance of Player's Line being successful: 
CHA + INT = %
(alternatively, the % can be doubled)

Player Bonuses

Previously encountered NPC 
(both CAU and Reaction rolls)

Saved life	+4
Were cordial or kind	+2
Insulted, harassed	-2*
Attacked, or attempted to	-4*

*Number is plus on CAU 
roll (they will react), but a minus 
on Reaction (react for the worst).

Players CHA

18	+3
17	+2
13-16	+1
9-12	0
5-8	-1
4	-2
3	-3