Attitude — Opposed Rolls

[shootingwomprats]

01.00 Attitude — Opposed Rolls
What this is. A fast, optional way to show how willing a person (or creature) is to cooperate—without mind control and without adding new stats. You roll the same skills you already use, nudge the influencer’s dice a little based on the target’s attitude, and read the result as a simple step up or down the attitude scale.

Why use it. It answers those in-the-moment questions cleanly: “Did that speech land?” “Was the bribe enough?” “Did the handler actually settle the beast?” You get numbers that feel like Star Wars D6 and outcomes that behave like people.


01.01 The Ladder (modifier applies to the influencer’s dice)
Attitude is a mood you can move, not a leash you can yank. Set a sensible baseline for a faction/creature, then adjust for what just happened.

• Hostile (–4D): They’re against you. Expect blocks, threats, or a hard exit unless you give them a safe way out.
  
• Unfriendly (–2D): They don’t like this. Short answers, dragged feet, and plenty of “no.”
  
• Wary (–1D): Guard up, ears open. They’ll allow presence and small, calming steps—if you mind your manners.
  
• Neutral (±0D): No stake either way. Routine info and fair deals are fine; anything costly needs terms.
  
• Receptive (+1D): They see a reason to help. Small favors, introductions, a short escort, lending common gear.
  
• Helpful (+2D): They’ll take on some cost or risk for you if your plan is sound.
  
• Allied (+4D): You’re “ours” for now. They lean forward, share risk, and help you make it work—short of breaking core oaths.
  

01.02 Who Rolls

• Influencer: roll what you’re actually doing — Persuasion, Bargain, Command, Con; for animals, Beast Handling.
  
• Defender (resistance):
  
  
  
  • Sentients: Willpower (KNO). If no Willpower is listed, roll Knowledge (KNO).
    
  • Creatures: Orneriness. (Creatures oppose influence with Orneriness.)
    
  
  
• 0D rule: If attitude and situational penalties push the influencer to 0D or less, they can’t attempt this round—change approach, offer more, or try later.
  
• Groups/helpers: Combined actions on the influencer work as usual; drilled units may resist with a leader’s Willpower or Command if that fits the scene.
  

01.03 How a Check Plays
Say what you’re asking for. Apply the attitude modifier (01.01) to the influencer’s dice, then add any situational pushes from Stakes & Concessions (01.04). Roll opposed: influencer vs defender. Compute MoS = influencer − defender and slide the attitude marker (ordered low → high):

• –11 or less: –2 steps
  
• –10 to –6: –1 step
  
• –5 to +5: no change
  
• +6 to +10: +1 step
  
• +11 to +15: +2 steps
  
• +16 or more: +3 steps
  

This isn’t mind control—it’s permission. Wary → Neutral means “we’ll hear you out.” Neutral → Receptive means “we’ll help a little.”


01.04 Stakes & Concessions
You’re pricing the ask. If helping you is risky or costly for them, the influencer takes a penalty. If you show you’ll make them whole (or better), the influencer gets a bonus.

• Risk/Cost to the target → –1D / –2D / –4D to the influencer
  Dangerous / Very Dangerous / Extreme. Night travel in a storm; giving up scarce medical stock; loaning gear they truly need; sticking their reputation on the line.
  
• Concessions → +1D / +2D / +4D to the influencer
  Solid / Strong / Compelling. Fair pay now; guaranteed resupply; escort or protection; signed responsibility; political cover; kin pledges that actually mean something.
  

Combine normally (e.g., risk –2D with strong concessions +2D often nets to ±0D this round).


01.05 Reversion
Scenes end, people sleep on it, and feelings drift. If nothing meaningful reinforces the change—payment delivered, promise kept, risk truly shared—nudge attitude one step back toward baseline between scenes. A betrayal or taboo break can drop it multiple steps on the spot.


01.06 Complications
When the Wild Die goes sideways on the influencer, attitude drops by –3 steps (minimum –3 Hostile) and you add a story beat that makes sense: the door slams, a watcher raises an alarm, the rancor gives a threat display, or a rumor reaches exactly the wrong ears.


01.07 Examples
01.07.01 “Stand down.”
Dust swirls along the yard. The former Nightbrother leader doesn’t bark orders; he uses the old cadence every one of them knows by muscle memory. Hands low. Chin up. “We settle this with elders, not rocks.” He glances toward the path home like it’s already decided.
A club dips. Shoulders slacken. No one volunteers for a hug, but the spark of panic goes out.

• Mechanics: starting attitude Wary (–1D) to the influencer. Command 5D → 4D rolls 20. Runaways resist with Willpower 3D (or KNO 3D) for 13. MoS +7 ⇒ +1 step, so Wary → Neutral. Next round he asks for something simple—“drop the clubs”—as a normal task.
  

01.07.02 “Easy. Breathe with me.”
The rancor’s chest heaves like a forge bellows. Sira doesn’t stare it down. She slides to the shoulder, plants her feet where the ground won’t give, and matches its breath. A resin-slick bead under her thumb keeps her rhythm honest. She leaves a clear lane through the thorn and lets the rancor notice it.
The rattle in its throat drains to a heavy snort. When Sira steps back one pace, the rancor mirrors, opening the path.

• Mechanics: starting attitude Wary (–1D) to Sira. Beast Handling 5D → 4D rolls 26. Rancor resists with Orneriness 4D for 14. MoS +12 ⇒ +2 steps, so Wary → Receptive. A simple, non-threatening directive next round (“back two steps”) is a normal handling task.
  

_________________
Don Diestler
Host, Shooting Womp Rats
The D6 Podcast
http://d6holocron.com/shootingwomprats
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