I'm tired of opposed die rolls for chases. What is needed is an event each round for each side. Then they decide how to tackle the event, or roll against its DC. This could be done with a table or cards or whatever (I've provided such a table below).
If the escapee gets 5-minus its Dex mod in victory points, it slips away. Each success for the pursuer can can remove a victory point from the escapee, and if they have no more to remove when required, they are caught within either melee or ranged attack distance (pursuer's choice).
Escapee rolls first. Escapee can give up running and parley or fight at any time. Escapee may have thief abilities that they can use, but they still need victory points to get away for sure. If they are caught up with, the escapee is too tired/out of options to run any more. They will have to make their stand here. They can't move out of range of the attacker unless a third party interferes.
If there is more than one pursuer and/or escapee, they alternate rolling on the table for their side and deal with it (but normal helping rules for your RPG system can come into play).
The table:
1d12 roll
|
keyword to ad lib off of
|
Pursuer's
challenge and/or choice |
Escapee's
challenge and/or choice |
1
|
obstacle
|
Something that has to be scaled, jumped, or run around
|
the same
|
2
|
cover
|
Something that block’s sight and must be somehow seen through
|
something that can be hidden behind if one is quiet and/or clever
|
3
|
ranged attack opportunity!
|
Can roll a ranged attack, or simply use the visual information to try and catch up
|
You’ve been spotted! Try to dodge out of sight or missile weapons
|
4
|
melee attack opportunity!
|
Can roll a melee attack, or simply try to keep close pursuit
|
Can roll a melee attack (normal withdrawal rules will apply if you don’t want to end the pursuit here), or run under their blade and keep going
|
5
|
trap opportunity!
|
use available items cleverly to trip up your foe
|
the same
|
6
|
what the?!
|
something unexpected here; judge rolls a random encounter or landmark to be reacted against
|
the same
|
7
|
impressionable
able surface (makes tracks)
|
track your quarry!
|
cover your tracks!
|
8
|
golden opportunity
|
a hard check, but you can stop the escapee this round!
|
a hard check but you can stop the pursuers this round!
|
9
|
he went that way!
|
see through your foe’s attempt to throw you off the scent
|
use wits to convince foe you are headed a way you aren’t headed
|
10
|
hamstring
|
melee attack check to stop the escape now
|
attack check to stop the pursuit now
|
11
|
weather or environmental obfuscation
|
try to peer through this stuff
|
if you stand still enough, maybe they can’t see you...
|
12
|
I’ve got an idea!
|
pull something out of your pack and use it now, or lose this check to time spent lamenting if you weren’t clever enough to pack something useful
|
the same
|
Example of a PC trying to run down an escapee (what the keyword means is ad hoc'ed by the Judge on the fly):
Escapee: rolls cover. A large tree. Dex DC 7 or Wis DC 10 to hide behind. They have crappy Wisdom, so they roll their Dex. It works. They spend this turn hiding and biding their time as the PC runs around. One victory point.
PC rolls obstacle. A slippery, muddy marsh. Dex DC 5 to nimbly walk through without falling or Str DC 10 to jump over. Failure means slipping or falling and having disadvantage during the next round. They don't make their test roll.
Round 2:
Escapee: Rolls obstacle. Thorny hedge. They can try DC 10 to run around it, or DC 10 to jump over it. They opt for Dex again, but fail and remove a victory point. Back down to zero.
PC: Rolls ranged attack opportunity: A clear shot. They can make a ranged attack or a DC 5 Dex roll to use the view to catch up. They chose the former and even with that remaining disadvantage, roll a hit against the opponent. It takes damage, but the pursuit is ongoing if the escapee keeps running. It does.
Round 3:
Escapee rolls trip-up opportunity: A big tree with long branches that can be pulled back and released into a pursuer's face (Str DC5) or simply run over to try and gain more ground. They opt for the former and easily make the roll to slap the pursuer in the face. This nets another victory point for the escapee (back to 1).
And so on.
Want to give feedback? You can just email me. Claytonian at the gmails.
