MONSTER REACTION SUBTABLE FOR OLD SCHOOL D&D

I'm crazy about Random Encounters in D&D, but fitting them into the fiction, and making logical sense of them can often be a challenge. Not surprisingly, one of favorite mechanics is handily the Monster Reaction Table. Even with it's broad strokes, I'm usually able to suss out interesting motivations, and find a little more context for a randomly generated wandering monster. It occurred to me that, taken one step further, the Reaction Table could do a little more heavy lifting. The Reaction Subtable below gives d6 prompts for each of the five results of the standard B/X Reaction table. Roll or choose a result that makes sense. The subtable zooms in on the situation more closely, and provides more detailed context and motivation for the broader reaction outcome.

Reaction Subtable

Hostile/ attacks

1. Violent rampage (rabid, sick, poisoned, etc.)

2. Desperately hungry, needs to feed

3. Reaving/ robbing

4. Seeking revenge/ hates PCs on sight

5. PCs inadvertently harm creature, provoking defense

6. Calculated sadism

Unfriendly/ May Attack

1. Defending territory/ possessions/ young

2. Taken by surprise/ spooked/ startled by PCs

3. Surprised while eating prey

4. Defending a wounded ally

5. Confused/ agitated/ intoxicated

6. Creature is attacking another being, PCs get in the way somehow

Neutral/ Uncertain

1. Wants to rob/ con/ defraud PC, looking for a good angle

2. Injured/ aftermath of an attack/ trapped or compromised somehow

3. Obstructed from source of food/ shelter/ treasure

4. Desperate circumstance: monster hungry/ destitute/ deprived by some other agency

5. Creature is caught committing violence or crime

6. Carrying something valuable, worried the PCs might take it

Indifferent/ Uninterested

1. Frolicking/ playing

2. Intimate/ mating/ romantic interlude

3. Getting intoxicated

4. Working, performing some necessary task

5. Absorbed in food preparation/ eating

6. Performing some creative activity: prayer/ meditation/ art/ music/ dance/ writing

Friendly/ Helpful

1. Invites PCs to eat with them

2. Romantically attracted to PC

3. Invites PC to participate in creative activity (see above)

4. Wishes to give PCs a gift

5. Wishes to perform a favor or boon (return an owed favor, as a kindness, in return for something)

6. Seeks the PCs protection/ wishes to join the group, will compensate/ return favor somehow