Being Chased in a Maze

[the Jester]

I strongly recommend option 2.

"It is very dark here, you are likely to be eaten by a grue."

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iInGhnpWe4o]It is pitch dark[/ame]

 

[Scott DeWar]

Someone mentioned using a skill challenge. I prefer the obsidian skill challenge most.

x successes = fing a way out, where each failure means the

Minotaur [wight][advanced] [+1 size] [ infernal] [element infused: water]
with a grapple that not only drains a level, but drowns you as well

is catching up, but there is a cumulative chance of finding a dead end. if the creature is close enough, it may catch them!

edit: and it stinks to high heaven, so they know its back there somewhere!!!

 

[delericho]

I recommend drawing out the maze for your own use, but not letting the players see it (at all) - their characters are too busy moving to stop to map the thing!

Once you've got your maze mapped out, split it into zones, where each zone is roughly the distance the party can cover in 1 round/minute/whatever. (I recommend going for 10 minute blocks, and assuming that a pause for a combat or other encounter counts as 10 minutes.)

For each zone, try to provide:

- Some characteristic that you will mention when describing the zone. Try to make each zone unique, but because it's a maze make them all maddeningly similar - that way, clever players can pick up in when they find themselves back in the same zone again (and potentially use that to navigate), but they have to be really on the ball to spot it.

- Exits to three other zones (the one they came in by, and a choice of two others). Not every zone needs to provide a choice, but most should.

- Something they can use in an attempt to increase their speed. This doesn't need to be obvious, and you don't even need to know up-front how it might be used, but there should be something!

- Something they can use in an attempt to slow pursuit. This could well be the same thing as above.

Some zones should also have obstacles/encounters to slow the PCs themselves down.

In gameplay, I would recommend having the pursuit start 2 zones behind the party, and move at the same rate. However, if the PCs are successful in speeding up or slowing pursuit, each success increases their lead. Conversely, if they stop for a combat, a trap, or to heal up, the enemy gains by a zone.

And be sure to define end conditions for the chase - on one hand, presumably it ends when the pursuers catch the PCs, and they face an overwhelming encounter. But at what point do they escape? Is there a defined exit that they need to reach? Is there a minimum separation that they must achieve, at which point the enemy gives up? Both? Something else?

I should note that the above is quite a lot of prep work up front. However, it should pay off in play - the players will have interesting choices galore to make, while for your part you'll always have a clear idea of where the PCs are in the maze, how to describe the current zone, and a variety of ways to make the chase interesting.

 

[The Red King]

I'm still teaching my group that running can be a good idea. They would probably stay and fight if I had something like this planned.

 

[Grogg of the North]

For those curious, the group went through the maze last night. It consisted of a random dungeon I had generated online at Myth-Weavers. Lots of twists and turns, no dead ends, and only two rooms. The first room where they started and a room at the center of the maze which was their exit.

I went with option 2 and kept the map to myself. It was pretty helpful when the party decided to put their right hand on the wall and just follow it. Whenever they returned to an area they had already been to I allowed them checks to realize it. With two of the party members able to put Bear Grylls to shame the PCs had no problem recognizing when they'd backtracked.

After the party was a little bit into the maze they heard the sounds of baying and howling. Some special Winter Wolves had been released to chase after them and the PCs finally understood the frost giant's comment on keeping the search for the exit "sporting".

Each time the wolves were slain their bodies melted into the floor and disappeared and after d4 rounds, more appeared and chased after them. The party quickly realized after the second batch of wolves that standing to fight them would not work and, given time, the wolves would eventually wear them down. Instead as the party traversed the maze, the warlock would drop walls of fire behind them forcing the wolves to stop and to try to destroy them with their icy breath. The tactic proved quite successful in delaying the wolves and allowed the PCs to find the exit and leave successfully.

Thanks for everyone's help on this, I greatly appreciated it.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Nice run of a maze. i need to remember this method!