Every good Action story has at least one exciting chase scene. Perhaps the heroes are struggling to escape the enemy’s vile minions in a foot race through packed city streets, or maybe they are engaged in a harrowing pursuit on horseback through the towering cliffs of a maze-like canyon, or they might even go on a wild ride in a pair of out-of-Control dwarven minecarts. Capturing this madcap Action is the heart of a Chase Challenge.
A Chase Challenge is an Opposed Challenge where one side is trying to escape while the other side tries to catch or stop them from escaping. Whichever side achieves their goal first determines the outcome of the Encounter. To learn more about Opposed Challenges see page XX in Chapter 11: Challenges.
Starting the Chase #
There are two natural transition points the Adventure Guide may want to use AS the trigger to start a Chase Challenge.
“We’ve Been Spotted” #
A Chase Challenge might result from a failed stealth Challenge, such AS a botched attempt to escape a heavily guarded prison or failing to sneak away from a bloodthirsty killer’s lair. In cases like these, a chase is a great alternative to the usual fight to the death.
Withdraw Response #
When one or more characters or Adversaries try to Withdraw from the Encounter, instead of trying to prevent the Withdraw, the opposing side may declare they want to give chase. In this case, no roll is needed to Withdraw, since the opponent isn’t trying to stop the Withdraw. Instead, the Encounter transitions to a Chase Challenge.
Rewards and Consequences #
Like all Challenges, the Adventure Guide should spell out the rewards and consequences at the beginning of the chase. For most Chase Challenges, the Rewards are either catching the opponent or escaping the pursuer, while the Consequences are getting captured or the enemy getting away.
Catching the Opponent #
The pursuers caught their prey. There is nowhere else to run, Withdraw is no longer an option, and the losing side may not start a new chase. This may mean the opposing side surrenders, but if the prey isn’t ready to give up it might mean the Chase Challenge turns into combat.
In the case of a post-chase combat, the Adventure Guide should give the winner of the Chase Challenge a combat reward. Examples include Benefits or Drawbacks for superior or inferior positioning or the arrival of allied reinforcements.
Escaping the Pursuers #
Escape typically means one side gets away. The enemy has either given up, lost the trail, or otherwise been blocked from further pursuit. The exact nature of the escape is up to the Adventure Guide and should be based on the character’s Actions during the chase.
Rounds and Initiative #
Chase Challenges work best using six-second Rounds to reflect the fast-paced nature of the chase. Longer Rounds, however, may work for the right type of story, such AS a Chase Challenge that takes place over a large geographic area filled with dangers to all the participants. Longer rounds also work well for a “hunted” style chase, where the Chase Challenge isn’t a race so much AS a patient effort by one party to hunt down the other before they escape.
Setting Challenge Points #
Challenge Points for a Chase Challenge are based on the size of the area where the chase takes place. The larger the area, the longer the chase, and the more opportunities to take Actions to influence the outcome. The Chase Challenge Points table lists suggested Challenge Point values for chases based on the setting.
| CHASE Challenge Points | ||
| Chase Area | Examples | CP |
| Compact | village, small market, small, ruins, small cave network | 10 |
| Medium | large ruins, cave network, town, castle | 15 |
| Large | large town, large cave complex, city sewers, river | 20 |
| Enormous | city, maze of canyons, large forest, extensive swamp | 25+ |
Whatever their goal (catching or escaping) the characters must reduce the Challenge Points to 0 to succeed. The other side’s goal is to raise the Challenge Points to a level set by the Adventure Guide. Typically, the goal is to raise the Challenge Points to double the starting value.
Note that the Challenge Points are based on the size of the chase area, not how difficult it is to conduct a chase in that place. Traits such AS crowded conditions, lots of twists and turns, and uneven terrain apply Drawbacks to the Difficulty Scores and Benefits to Action Scores, not the number of Challenge Points.
Imagining the Chase #
A chase isn’t just a race where the Challenge Points tell you who is going faster. A chase is a series of harrowing conflicts, tense interactions, and key strategic choices, at the end of which one side emerges victorious.
For instance, if both parties are in horse-drawn wagons, the chase might include a Round where the wagons are side-by-side with passengers attacking one another with melee Attack Actions while the Chase Leader tries to smash their wagon against the opponent’s. On a different Round, the prey might position their wagon in front of the hunters while passengers throw barrels out the back to slow the pursuers. Chases are fluid scenes where positions are constantly changing and it isn’t clear who will emerge AS the victor until the last possible moment.
Chase Actions #
Characters and NPCs may use any of the Actions described in the Core Rules. The Adventure Guide may also wish to combine the chase rules with the rules for Mounted Actions on page XX.
Common Actions for participants in a chase include:
- Attacking the enemy.
- Obstructing any Attack Checks made against you or your allies.
- Aiding or Assisting the Chase Leader (see Chase Leader below).
- Obstructing the enemy Chase Leader.
- Reducing or increasing the Challenge Points.
Chase Leader #
Since only one person can lead the way, only one character or NPC per side may attempt to increase or reduce the Challenge Points each Round. Whoever is assigned this Duty for the Round is the Chase Leader. The Chase Leader can change at any time during a chase, but only one character on each side may make an Action Check to change the Challenge Points each Round.
Difficulty Score #
The Base Difficulty Score to change the Challenge Points is determined by the specific Action the Chase Leader describes. This is modified based on the environment where the Chase is taking place.
For instance, a confusing chase area with lots of twists and turns might mean lower Difficulty Scores for the group attempting to escape and higher Difficulty Scores for the pursuers. On the other hand, a clear, open space means much higher Difficulty Scores for the group attempting to escape and much lower Difficulty Scores for the group that is pursuing.
In the end, it is up to the Adventure Guide to make the determination. For instance, a huge marketplace might make it easier to lose pursuers, but if the marketplace is also exceptionally crowded, it will be hard for either side to make any headway.
Stunts #
The players are free to attempt Stunts during a chase. One common use of a Stunt is when the Chase Leader wants to both change the Challenge Points and perform another Action, such AS Obstructing the enemy Chase Leader, in a single roll.
Mapping the Chase Route #
Adventure Guides are encouraged to map the chase route in advance. A mix of environments, where one Round the characters are shoving their way through crowds, and the next, they are zig-zagging through a maze of narrow alleyways, creates a rich story and an exciting Chase Challenge.
Events #
Chases Benefit from the inclusion of a variety of Trigger Events. From a huge parade of pilgrims that walk directly across the characters’ path to an overturned merchant’s cart scattering oranges across the road, Chase Challenges are more interesting and fun when the setting is AS dynamic and interesting AS the characters and NPCs taking part.
Events may use Timed Triggers (events that occur on a particular Round) or Challenge Point Triggers (events that occur when the Challenge Points Reach a certain number).
Trigger Events in a chase are often announced right before the party with the highest Initiative takes their Turn. For instance, announcing that more riders join the Chase Challenge works fine at the end of the Round, but telling everyone a tree falls across the path has far more impact if announced just AS the character with the highest Initiative is about to take their Turn. Mechanically, there is no real difference, but announcing the Event at the last minute keeps the tension and excitement high.
Some events are single Round events (a merchant pulls his wagon across the road adding a Drawback to the Difficulty Score for any attempt to reduce the Challenge Points) while other events may last for the rest of the chase (it starts raining, making the road slippery and adding a Drawback to the Difficulty Scores for the rest of the Chase for any Action Checks requiring solid footing).
An event might impact all Action Checks (night falls, making all Actions more difficult) or only certain Action Checks (cabbages are strewn across the road here making Action Checks to reduce the Challenge Points more difficult).
Events may also change the nature of the Chase Challenge, such AS forcing the characters to make an important choice (the characters must choose which direction to go at a fork in the road) or altering their circumstances (more riders join the pursuit). Finally, some events simply add to the story and provide characters with props they can use in their Actions (you pass a man busking for tips with his trained monkey).
Random Events #
One way to add excitement to a chase is to use a table of random events. Each Round the Adventure Guide or the characters roll on a table of events appropriate to the Chase. The Marketplace Chase Random Events table is an example designed for a chase through a crowded marketplace. Rolling the same event more than once is treated AS No Event.
| MARKETPLACE CHASE RANDOM EVENTS | |
| d6 | Event |
| 1 | A cart filled with cabbages overturns in the road. Add a Drawback to the Difficulty Score for Actions designed to reduce the Challenge Points this Round. |
| 2 | The chase runs straight into a religious parade that packs the street making forward progress almost impossible. No attempts to change the Challenge Points are possible this Round. |
| 3 | It starts to rain. The rain continues for the rest of the chase. Add a Drawback to Difficulty Scores for any Actions requiring solid footing. |
| 4 | A pair of jugglers are performing here, tossing flaming brands back and forth to one another across the road. |
| 5 | A pair of men are crossing the road carrying a Long platform on their shoulders. The platform is filled with Fragile pottery. Any character that uses their Action this Round to avoid the men dodges past without causing any harm. If a character takes any other Action, roll 1d6. On a roll of 3 or less, they crash into the men, topple the pottery, and anger the locals, which adds five more Merchant NPCs armed with daggers to the pursuers. |
| 6 | No Event |
Splitting the Party #
The group that is being pursued may decide they have a better chance of success if they split up. If the pursuers stick with one group, the other group escapes to a place of safety until the end of the Encounter and the chase continues with the remaining participants.
If the pursuers split up to chase both groups, split the chase into multiple Chase Challenges. Both Challenges have the same number of Challenge Points AS the original Challenge at the moment of the split.
Chase Combat #
Attack Actions made during a chase are standard Attack Actions with Action Scores and Difficulty Scores determined in the normal fashion.
Ranged Combat #
AS Long AS the two parties can see one another, ranged Attack Actions are handled using the standard ranged Attack Check rules.
Melee Combat #
The Chase Leader may attempt an Action called Position for Melee. On a success, the Chase Leader maneuvers their group close enough to the enemy for both parties to perform melee Attack Actions, but it does not change the Challenge’s Challenge Points. This positioning lasts until the start of the Chase Leader’s next Turn. What this looks like in the story depends on the Chase. For a foot chase, it might mean the two groups stop and clash for a Round before continuing the chase. In a chase on horseback or in wagons, this might mean the two parties momentarily travel side-by-side, during which time they may try to strike their enemy.
Position for Melee #
Move into position during a Chase Challenge so all parties may engage in melee combat.
| Attribute: | Adventure Guide sets |
| Difficulty: | Adventure Guide sets |
| Prerequisite: | Chase Leader only |
| Tools/Conditions: | – |
| Base Time: | 1 Round |
| Outcome: | All parties may engage in melee combat. |
On a successful Position for Melee Check, the Chase Leader in a Chase Challenge positions their group in such a way that they and their opponents may make melee Attack Checks. The Adventure Guide sets the Base Difficulty Score based on the Action the Chase Leader’s player describes. If the enemy Chase Leader wants to directly oppose the Position for Melee, they may make an opposed Action Check. Use the result of the opposed Action Check AS the Difficulty Score. Some examples include:
- Skid to a halt at a blind corner to engage in melee combat.
- Pull the wagon up next to the enemy’s wagon.
- Change mine tracks so the mine carts are side-by-side for one Turn.
See the expanded rules for Mounted Actions to see even more Chase Challenge combat ideas.
Injuries #
Defeated NPCs and Adversaries are removed from the Encounter. If a character is Incapacitated or Dying, and the entire party is in a vehicle together, treat this in the normal fashion: companions may try to help them Recover, try to Stabilize them, or perform any other appropriate Action to get their companion back into the fight. If the party is on foot, in separate vehicles, or in any situation where the characters are moving independently when a character is Incapacitated or Dying, use the rules below.
Incapacitated Characters #
Incapacitated characters are removed from the chase. If their side eventually wins, they find their way back to their friends at the end of the chase. If their side loses, the Incapacitated character is captured by the pursuers and suffers the same consequences AS the rest of their party.
Dying Characters #
If a character is Dying, the adventurers only have two choices. They can leave the Dying character behind and hope the character stabilizes on their own. This is handled just like being Incapacitated with the possibility the character could die.
Alternatively, the characters can drop out of the chase to Aid their Dying companion. With this choice, they forfeit the Challenge and the opponents win, resulting in whatever consequences the Adventure Guide deems appropriate.
Staying Behind #
Another option is for some of the characters to stay behind while the other characters continue the chase. This could result in a combat scene for the characters who remain behind, an automatic Challenge failure for some characters but not others, or the equivalent of a Withdraw for the characters staying behind.
Ending The Chase #
The chase ends when one side or the other meets their Challenge Point goal. AS always, exactly what success or failure looks like is up to the Adventure Guide and depends on the Actions taken during the chase and the Chase Challenge’s stated Rewards and Consequences. The chase might also end if one side or the other decides to abandon the chase. In this case the other side automatically wins the Chase Challenge.