Cut To The Chase

[barsoomcore]

I really really really tried to stay away from maneuvers that could only be chosen by either pursuer or pursued. Of course, some maneuvers obviously only WOULD be chosen by one or the other but if, for example, a pursuer wanted to choose "Escape" they could, I guess.

"You know what? That's enough. I'm going home."



That said, I kind of like the idea of Corral. I know what you're getting at, here. It's easy to imagine how you might force someone to veer into a crowded market or something, at least, but I have more trouble picturing how you get someone to go from closer to more open terrain. I guess you just try and drive them towards the edge of the close terrain or whatever.

It seems like it OUGHT to be a specialized case of Breakaway, though. Kind of in the opposite direction, I guess.

What skills would you use for the opposed checks? Could someone use Bluff to try and fake someone out? Spot for the opponent? Or a Reflex Save? Hm.

Good idea.

 

[Berandor]

How about intimidate?

I hope the foot chases expansion is good. I can't comment, because I haven't gotten the playtester copy I was promised, and you know I only did it for the money. *nudge*

No, really, I liked what I got to see from the expansion (it may have changed a lot since then), and in roughly two weeks, I will be able to report on the foot chase I am planning for the group... finally.

 

[Steverooo]

I had a couple of interesting "Chases" in a Faire module, a while back... One was a "Catch the Greased Pig" contest, in a pen, and the other was a Pole-climbing contest! The same PC won both, but the PCs ALL seemed to love chasing the poor piggy about, while it tried to Overbear its way out!

So, how can I get copies of the HP rules without PayPal, etc? Does RPGNow take good old-fashioned checks? (I've looked around on their site, but can't get it to work, for me!)

Sounds cool! Now, for your NEXT project, you need to devise a new Movement/Combat System, wherein you can move and attack, in order, based on your stats... High-DEX characters can (say) attack once/5' movement, while average-DEX characters can attack once/15', or something. Take Multi-attack/TWFs into account, etc., as well as creatures with more than one type of attack...

Hmmm! Does HP/On Foot take into account the straight-line nature of running, in 3.5e? Combat movement is considered to be at a "Hustle", because of that!

 

[iwatt]

Hmmm! Does HP/On Foot take into account the straight-line nature of running, in 3.5e? Combat movement is considered to be at a "Hustle", because of that!

The whole point is to breakwawy from the static movement rules of d20. A faster guy will always get away, and guys at even speed will never catch up. If you've ever run a chase scene on a grid, you'll know how boring they get. Hot Pursuit get's away from that by allowing chases to be more "free-form" and putting the emphasis more on the action.

It's on the first pages of Hot Pursuit: individuals in a chase are always assumed to be going all out. If you step away from the grid, you get some cool chase scenes.

 

[JimAde]

Ok, I finally bought this (just didn't get around to doing the checkout at RPGNow...)

It looks great. I really like the way you went through the melee combat options and in a simple sentence or two explained how/if they could be done.

I like the chart at the end listing the maneuvers. Very handy and it's surprising how often things like this are left out of PDF products.

Speaking of PDF features: Bookmarks! I was sorry not to see these in the original Hot Pursuit and I'm glad you included them here. Even in a small PDF they are a big help.

The examples of play and "extras" are awesome.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Barsoomcore, I'll give your product a look-see, and I wish you well...but I never had a problem running chases. I don't think it needs any special rules, just preparation. That said, if I think its good, I'll buy it.

I've run them in every edition of D&D, HERO, Rifts...heck- I run chases in every system and campaign I've ever GMed.

The real trick, IMHO, is just getting the players to get their PCs in motion...usually, they just want to stand in the center of the ring and duke it out with the baddies.

(BTW: I think the chase IS something that is sorely underutilized in most genres.)

 

[barsoomcore]

Steverooo: iwatt's got the right of it. HP ignores the grid and all else that it implies. How far characters are actually travelling in a given round (or in what direction) isn't really germane to the rules. Have a look, I think you'll pick it up easily.

JimAde: Thanks! Glad you liked it. I at first wondered if bookmarks were really needed in a shorter work but yeah, they are, aren't they? Folks asked for them, so we delivered!

Dannyalcatraz: I've always run chases myself. The Hot Pursuit rules really are meant to bring some order and consistency to chases, so that they feel like the rest of the d20 ruleset. I think one of the reasons they're underutilized is BECAUSE there isn't a standard set of rules that makes running them easier. With HP, you don't need any more preparation than you do for a combat -- you can run chases completely off the cuff, with obstacles and terrains and all that available to you.

I believe that part of a ruleset's job is to give EVERYONE in the group the information they need to be able to make choices and have fun. The problem with running chases without a well-defined ruleset is that your players don't necessarily know what options are available to them and so might not be able to make smarter (or more fun) choices. So the rules are meant to give players lots of options as the chase progresses -- they can look down the list of maneuvers (provided in a handy printable chart you can put on the table for them) and choose one without knowing how it works, just using it to jump-start their imagination. Likewise, the rules give DMs easy-to-adjudicate methods for determining success and failure. Sure, you can just make it up, and I personally love that style, but for lots of people a game is more fun if they can see clearly how outcomes are determined (and then use that knowledge to make smart choices, gamewise).

Whew! Long-winded, I sometimes am. Thanks!

 

[JimAde]

I like these rules for exactly the reason you cited. The list of options (and how to adjudicate them) spurs my imagination. While the obligatory fruit cart is provided as an example obstacle, I now don't have to use it in EVERY chase.

 

[iwatt]

While the obligatory fruit cart is provided as an example obstacle, I now don't have to use it in EVERY chase.

Blasphemy!!

 

[Berandor]

It was not to be, sadly. We stopped playing too early.

But in about a month, there will be chasing

On the other hand, we had a footrace, and despite my intentions I did not use an adapted Hot Pursuit system, since there would have been only a scarce number of actions possible. I used the Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns System of stacking die rolls: It was a footrace and swim, so the runners had to make Strength checks at first, adding them up until they reached 35, at which point the characters got to the water and each subsequent check was a swim check until they reached 85. Easy, peasy, and went very well.