Simple, Malleable Foot Chase Rules

[delericho]

Where are the decision points for the players?

Do you mean me, or the OP?

If it's me, then it depends on whether they are the pursued or the pursuer. The character who is pursued gets to decide what he does, what skill to use, and what DC to set. This last one is the key thing - does he choose to go for a low DC (which he is likely to make), or a higher DC (that his opponent is unlikely to match)?

As noted, the pursuers have the choice to drop out, match the feat, match and better, or "out-bid".

It's still not ideal - I think in general I would prefer to pair this with a branching map and at least some fixed obstacles. But that would require more prep work, and add more complexity. But it's a start.

 

[Water Bob]

(Tired. Sleepy. I'll finish this example later.)

In the light of the next day, I'm not as keen on this idea. Last night, I had the idea, not fully worked out, and started writing. Many times that how I work out ideas. Writing it out exposes flaws.

The basic idea is sound, but I want to go even more simple. What I'd really like is a system that can be used both as a Chase System for both Tactical Combat Chases and Non-Tactical Descriptive Story Type Chases. I'd switch as needed, possibly in the same chase. The above rules do accomplish that, but I also want to just roll Opposed Rolls and have the winner move a bit further than the loser. Something like a standard 5 feet would be great. That way, chases are fairly lengthly (I can adjust if I want shorter chases to bigger units) and action oriented.

But, I don't want to break existing rules. If I do that simple 5 foot thing, then a character would move his Speed except when in a chase, when he would move something more or something less, on average, depending on who is in the chase.

The Speed rating should represent an average movement any time the character moves, in a chase or no.

I'll keep thinking.

I agree with Belzbet - a chase consisting of nothing but opposed checks is going to get very old, very fast - it's no more exciting than a combat where the two sides just stand toe-to-toe and trade full attacks every round. You really need something more - choices for the PCs to make, an evolving tactical situation.

There are plenty of choices to be made. I was going to show that in the example that I didn't finish. The Tactical version of the Chase Rules would be as exciting as combat. Or, rather, the rules would actually be combat with varied movement instead of each character with the same Speed rating moving exactly the same distance each combat round.

Think of it as regular combat spiced up with more emphasis on the movement (Throws for obstacles and options that do not normally happen in a combat).

Plus, normal combats happen in one location where as the Tactical Chase would cover a lot of ground--usually so much that, even if the chase starts on a grid (like the example chase, it moves off the grid after one round), the chase would move into a more descriptive, non-grid based descriptive format usually very quickly.





Decision points for players?

Sometimes Skill checks will present options (as with a Knowledge-Local check that will let the player know that he can cut off his chase-prey by taking a quick right down an alley or a Spot check that will inform the player that a stack of boxes and a Climb check will put the character on the roof tops, giving the character second chase path option).

If a character has CON 8-, he has to make a decision on whether to run or not, because once he runs, he's got to start making Fort based Fatigue checks.

Characters with CON 9+ have to decide when and where to Run, because they can only run 10 times before they have to start making the Fort based Fatigue Checks. This character could run for 10 straight rounds, starting the checks on round 11, or the character could mix and match Run and Hustle moves (sacrificing distance, of course, but gaining a longer time before getting tired) so that the character runs 3 rounds, hustles a round, runs 3 more rounds, then hustles for 3 rounds, then runs for 4 rounds, starting the fatigue checks on round 14.

Plus, there will be decisons involving obstacles: The prey runs through the market, between two stalls. The chasing character can simply follow the prey's path or crash through the merchant's cart, spreading his goods all over the ground. This requires a Jump check that, if successful, will put the character 20 feet closer to his prey (gaining ground). But, if the Jump check fails, the risk is that the charcter goes down and loses two rounds of distance on his prey (the distance between the character is increased by whatever ground the prey covers in two rounds).

So, you see, there will be lots of exciting player decisions during the chases that I'm envisioning.

 

[jasper]

Ok drop the measuring tape and go with 5 foot square. If the chase last more 10 rds then the stamia rules kick in. Do either oppose str or dex checks.If the loser loses by < 5 no change in distance. every step of 5 difference loser lose 1 square of movement.
So thief 30 Chaser 30 start 10 feet away and no surprise round.
Thief 18 Chaser 19 no gain for either.
Thief 10 Chaser 15. Thief is 5 ft 1 square away. Etc.
Also add in dex checks for hazards or circumstanal bonus/ minus as needed.

 

[Water Bob]

Here's a thought.

The game already gives us just about everything we need to run chases. We've got distance moved during a time period using the character's Speed rating. We've got different movement modes which allow us to run a tactical combat chase (Tactical Movement) or a story-based GM descriptive chase (Local Movement, or even Overland Movement). If a character runs too much, the fatigue guidelines in the Local Movement rules give the GM a clue on how long a character can run. There's Terrain rules. Even obstacles are addressed in the Tactical Movement rules.

What's missing is this: Variable Speed Ratings. Humans, unencumbered, run at Speed 30, provided no Feats alter that figure. We all know that, in real life, people actually run at slightly different rates, given their natural ability and physical condition.

See, this is the problem with running chases with the rules as-is: There's many times no way for one chase participant to catch up with the character being chased.

So, what we need is an optional house rule that allows characters to slightly alter their Speed Ratings when in chases.

Here's what I'm thinking--

The usual Speed Rating is an average mark. The Speed rating can be adjusted up by 5 or down by 5 provided a check is made.

For example, a character with Speed 30, on normal terrain, can run 120 feet in 6 seconds. No check needed.

But, let's give the character an opportunity to move faster. If he makes a DC 15 check, his Speed is increased by 5 to a total of 35 for that round. Thus, that round, he can run 140 feet in 6 seconds if he makes the check.

Making the check comes with risk, though. Failing the DC 15 check usually just means the character moves at normal Speed, but if the check is failed by 10+ points, then the character's Speed is reduced by 5 for that round. Thus, the maximum he could run is at Speed 25 for 100 feet that round. In addition, a natural 1 on the check indicates a fall and zero progress during the round.

To Increase Speed by 5 for one round, make a DC 15 check. Failure means Speed is not increased. Failire by 10 or more (a total of 5- ) means the character's Speed rating reduced by 5. A natural 1 on the check indicates a fall.

So, normally, characters move at their average rate (normal Speed rate) and don't worry with any rolls. If the player choses to attempt to move faster than normal, he must make the DC 15 check at the risk of slower movement or falling.

Thoughts?





EDIT: Adjusted Movement Check.

Movement Check = DC 15 attribute check (usually DEX or STR)

Success: +5 Speed.

Failure by 4 or less: No adjustment to Speed.

Failure by 5 or more: -5 Speed.

Natural One: Fall.



Or, another way of saying it...


DC 15 Movement Check

Total 15+ = +5 Speed
Total 11-14 = +0 Speed
Total 10- = -5 Speed
Natural 1 = Fall

 

[Water Bob]

OK, I've got it. And, what I've "found" is actually already in the rules--it's just hidden a bit.

Here's a Chase method that only uses official rules. I landed upon the idea after thinking about what I really wanted out of a Chase system, a good reading of the game's movement rules, and looking at Pathfinder's Chase system.

The key to the issue is mentioned in the Tactical Movement rules. Obstacles are mentioned. If you think about it, an obstacle can be almost anything. We normally think of an obstacle as a downed log that must be jumped, or something similar. Well, an obstacle for a pursuer chasing his prey is that he's trying to close distance. The prey's obstacle is that he's trying to lengthen the distance between him and whomever is chasing him. Closing or Lengthening distance is an obstacle in a chase that must be overcome.

So, that's it. That's already in the rules. No House Rules needed. No fussy set of extra rules needed (as with the Chase system in d20 Spycraft or in Hot Pursuit/Hot Pursuit on Foot). Just give the players an obstacle throw to close or open distance as you would any other movement obstacle.





Let me explain how I would use the rules, as-is, to run Chases.

A SIMPLE, MALLEABLE SET OF CHASE RULES

First off, when a chase begins (as others have said), it's probably best not to run it on a tactical grid. The distances, even in a foot chase, get vast very quickly. Many times, your characters are off the map, if using a 5' grid, after the first six second chase round, or so.

I think the six second round is a good timeframe for chase rounds, but customize that as needed. For example, if the chase involves participants on horses across flat desert terrain, maybe one minute chase rounds would be more appropriate. Look at the game's movement modes (Tactical, Local, or Overland) and go with what best suits the conditions of your chase.

Speed ratings will be adjusted, per the game rules, for terrain and any aspects of the enviornment that would trigger the hampered movement rules.

Then, to run the chase, simply throw obstacles at the participants each round as needed. If you want, give your players choices, like this: You're running from the town's guards. Your arms are pumping, and your heartbeat is in your ears. You see a fallen tree in front of you, half buried in the dirt. It's about three foot high and about the same wide. You've got a choice. You can Jump the log and keep running, at the risk of falling to the ground if you fail the jump. Or, you can run around the end of the tree, allowing your pursuers to gain 30 feet on you. What do you want to do?





METHOD

You can just pull stuff out of the air, ad-libbing the race as you go, describing to the players what you see in your mind: The alley is crowded with people. You're shoudering your way past them, trying to not to lose sight of your quarry, the thief that pickpocketed your coin. At the start of each Chase Round, you must roll a Spot check vs. the thief Hide, with failure meaning that you've lost the thief in the crowd. Just now, though, you see three wooden boxes stacked near the side of a building to your left. You can attempt to Climb those boxes, getting to the roof tops. From up there, you'll get a +5 bonus on your Spot check to keep the thief in sight. But, the thief will automatically increase distance by 50 feet for each Climb attempt you make. Thus, if you make the Climb on your first try, the thief automatically increases distance by 50 feet. If you fail your Climb but succeed on your second try next round, the thief will have increased distance by 100 feet, and so on. If the thief increases distance by 150 feet, he will be automatically lost in the crowd having evaded you.

Your other choice is to keep pushing your way through the crowd in pursuit of the thief. You'll make an Opposed DEX check with the thief. If you beat the thief by 5 points, then you decrease distance to him by 25 feet. If he beats you by 5 points, then he incrases distance by 25 feet. Otherwise, the distance between you and the thief stays the same as the chase progresses that round down the narrow, crowded street. Remember, though, that this option does not provide a bonus to your Spot check to keep the thief in sight--a check you make at the beginning of each round.

And, when it feels right to tell the players that the scenery is changed, do it, along with the chase conditions: The narrow street empties into a wide courtyard. Many people mill around, but the area is much more open so that the Spot check is no longer needed. You automatically see the thief at the beginning of each round....




If you're not comfortable with the loose-n-fast, play-it-as-it-comes style, then take a cue from Pathfinder. If you want to pre-plan chase routes or write up a stack of them for use in impromptu chases, take a few index cards and lay them down on the table. Take a marker (a penny, a miniature, a bottled-water cap) and place it on one of the cards. Each card will represent a unit of distance in the chase (say, how about 50 foot each--change as needed to suit conditions). If the thief is 100 feet in front of the PC, then place the PC on the first chase card and the thief on the third one. Counting the cards (representing 50 foot each), the thief is 100 feet in front of the chaser.

On each card, write down an obstacle or choice of obstacles for the participant to overcome on the round a character lands on that card.

Then, just run your race.

 

[airwalkrr]

Honestly I have used the really simple rule in the 3.5 DMG for chase scenes and never had a problem with it. If one speed is faster then that person wins. If their speeds are tied then its Dex vs Dex for an urban or jungle chase and con vs con for a flatlands chase. It comes up so rarely that I don't see the need for anything more complicated.