Your Players Will Always Surprise You
We’ve all been there. Your meticulously planned TTRPG session goes off the rails because the barbarian decides to bribe the city guard with a live chicken. As a Dungeon Master, these moments of pure player creativity are gold, but they can also leave you scrambling for a response. How should your Non-Player Characters (NPCs) react to the truly bizarre?
Don’t let improv anxiety stall the game! For those times when you’re caught completely off guard, we’ve got the perfect DM tool: The NPC Reaction Table.
The NPC Reaction Table for Absurd Actions
The concept is simple. When a player does something completely unexpected that would baffle any reasonable person, roll a d10 and let the dice guide the NPC’s response. This keeps things fresh, spontaneous, and incredibly fun.
- Confused Stuttering
- Sudden, Uncontrollable Laughter
- Immediate Hostility, Possibly Involving a Weapon
- Genuine Interest, Followed by a Request for a Demonstration
- Unblinking Stare of Profound Judgement
- Believable story of an incident relating to the player action.
- Offer of assistance with the player’s action.
- Mild amusement.
- Obvious lie to take advantage of the players.
- Open mouthed awe.
Putting It Into Play: Some Examples
Let’s see how this random table can create memorable roleplaying moments.
Scenario 1: The party tries to bribe a stoic castle guard with a live chicken.
You roll a 4 (Genuine Interest). The guard, instead of calling for backup, leans in conspiratorially. “A chicken, you say? Bold. Alright, I’m intrigued. Show me exactly how this bribe is supposed to work.”
Scenario 2: The bard attempts to seduce a territorial green dragon with a complex interpretive dance.
You roll a 5 (Unblinking Stare of Profound Judgement). The great beast pauses its advance. It doesn’t attack. It simply tilts its massive, scaled head and fixes the bard with a look of ancient, withering disappointment that says more than any roar ever could.
Make Your World Unpredictable
This table isn’t just a crutch; it’s a springboard for creativity. It helps you generate unexpected NPC reactions that make your world feel more dynamic and alive. So the next time your players decide to pay for their bar tab with a cursed dagger, embrace it. A quick roll of the dice can turn a moment of DM panic into a legendary session your players will talk about for years.