Experimental Rules for Hot Pursuit/Horseback Chase Combat

[Davedamon]

Recently my group started investing in various modes of transport, mainly horses, but the paladin purchased a covered wagon (affectionately called the Pallywagon) and that got me thinking about rules for combat on horseback in a chase.

Obviously a straight up, linear chase would be unfeasable, so I decided to combine the skill check mechanic with usual combat rules to come up with something a little more dynamic than a usual skill challenge.

As such, I would love feedback on what I've come up with, suggestions always welcome

 

[Talaeden_Denthiir]

Nothing but awesomeness. i love how you incorporate skill checks and comabat.

 

[Davedamon]

Thanks very much. I'm looking forward to actually trying them out to see what needs refining.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=93081]Davedamon[/MENTION]
Nice start! I have some specific critiques below. I actually ran a horse chase/combat with a similar feel - the degree they succeeded/failed on skill checks allowed them to move a number of relative squares (all speeds were 10, but I would have made lower speeds a equivalent penalty to the checks).

I like how you add speed damage to one of the obstacles, and that makes sense to use as a guideline for falling off your horse.

Some things can be game enders (stun, slow, immobilize, etc), and players love to stunlock enemies to foil a chase. On the one hand I'm inclined to let it play out and whatever happens happens. On the other hand it can totally kill the anticipation around a good chase. Like how you handle being unseated (prone), I really really like that.

I don't care for the "you always move your relative speed even if it takes you past where you want to be". Maybe it makes sense for an out of control wagon, but not for a skilled rider.

About difficult terrain, do you deal with it according to the number of (relative) squares moved, or is it like a "streaking" obstacle where it affects everyone as it "moves" through their space, thus relative speed? The second makes more sense to me.

How would you rule a charge? It's important for PCs with mounted combat feat on warhorses.

I notice that the horsemanship checks seem to use the PCs' own skills. Which is fine, but it's definitely ignoring/changing the rule that riders without Mounted Combat must use the mount's acrobatics, athletics, endurance, and stealth checks. IOW you're diminishing the value of the Mounted Combat feat (which may be fine for your purposes).

Despite those critiques, I really like what you've designed It's very yoinkable, if you don't mind?

 

[Davedamon]

@Davedamon
Some things can be game enders (stun, slow, immobilize, etc), and players love to stunlock enemies to foil a chase. On the one hand I'm inclined to let it play out and whatever happens happens. On the other hand it can totally kill the anticipation around a good chase. Like how you handle being unseated (prone), I really really like that.

That's a really good point. To avoid 'stunlocking' I might make it so that any status effect doesn't affect the horse, much like being knocked prone. The idea being whatever knocks you about, you generally stay in the saddle, you having got yourself taggled in the stirrups.

@Davedamon
I don't care for the "you always move your relative speed even if it takes you past where you want to be". Maybe it makes sense for an out of control wagon, but not for a skilled rider.

I took this mechanic from the movement based games such as Battlefleet Gothic, where you could overshoot your target, giving a weight to the choice you make for speed. In terms of these rules, the idea is that you giddyup your horse, but can't, with 100% certainty, guarantee the exact amount of speed your horse gives you. It's more to add a layer of difficulty.

@Davedamon
About difficult terrain, do you deal with it according to the number of (relative) squares moved, or is it like a "streaking" obstacle where it affects everyone as it "moves" through their space, thus relative speed? The second makes more sense to me.

It 'streaks' through the squars, basically passing 'through' everyone in the chase.

@Davedamon
How would you rule a charge? It's important for PCs with mounted combat feat on warhorses.

I haven't thought about this, see below

@Davedamon
I notice that the horsemanship checks seem to use the PCs' own skills. Which is fine, but it's definitely ignoring/changing the rule that riders without Mounted Combat must use the mount's acrobatics, athletics, endurance, and stealth checks. IOW you're diminishing the value of the Mounted Combat feat (which may be fine for your purposes).

I'm generally trying to make the Mountained Combat feat redundant, as I'm not planning on making chases a regular thing, but don't want players to have to take a Feat on the off chance. I always want to use the players stats.

@Davedamon
Despite those critiques, I really like what you've designed It's very yoinkable, if you don't mind?

Yoink away! And give me any feedback of your experience.

 

[CStevenRoss]

This is pretty sweet! I did something kind of similar with Modern car Chase Scenes over at the link below. If nothing, it's worth a look to see if you like the hazards rule, which I've found to add a lot of back and forth tension in the chase.

DMG 42: 4E Modern: Vehicles & Chase Scenes