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harpy
2009-12-27, 03:16 PM
So I'm going to be running a sandbox game soon and part of the nature of that game is that the players will end up coming up against things which are far more powerful than they are, so running away will be getting used a lot more than I've seen traditionally in games.

What I'd like to find would be some kind of pursuit system that has a little more tactical meat on it than what exists in the 3.0+ systems out there.

The only thing I've found so far has been out of the 3.5 DMG where, if the two parties are of equal speed, make an opposed dex or con check to see who wins out.

It's simple and fast, but I'd just want a bit more flavor than that.

With Pathfinder (which is the system we'll be using) you have the feats Fleet and Run that players can use to beef up their ability to run away, which is fine, but it still makes it an either/or situation in terms of getting away.

In nature when predator and prey chase each other it isn't a strait race, prey tend to run in circles, as it makes it harder for the predator to out run the prey and latch on. Unfortunately how the systems work with running it is supposed to be in a strait line, which removes a lot of tactical considerations and makes it really difficult to use terrain to hide from a pursuer.

So I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has devised a sub-system for running away that allows the characters the chance to out think or out maneuver the chasing monsters and not simply make it an issue of who has a faster move speed.

If the answer is "make it a skill challenge" then what I'm really asking is a pre-made template of a skill challenge. Basically if the situation arises I want to press the "pursuit" button and shift into a prearranged sub-game to resolve it so that it can be used over and over again and let the players build strategies with this sub-game.

SurlySeraph
2009-12-27, 03:22 PM
Put in obstacles that they can jump or climb over, or simply bullrush through. Allow Spot checks to notice shortcuts they can take. Put in plenty of alternate routes they can traverse with Balance, Climb, etc.

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-12-27, 03:28 PM
Everything must explode. No exceptions.

Kelb_Panthera
2009-12-27, 05:33 PM
DMG 2 has some stuff, but I haven't used it and I don't know how good it is.

Darcand
2009-12-27, 05:41 PM
Pathfinder #7 (Edge of Anarchy) has a great rooftop chase scene in it. The way they manage it is by writing obstacles requiring certain skill checks on index cards (i.e. jumping a gap or climbing a drain pipe) and setting them face down. To proceed from one place to the next you must succeed on the relevent check. Provide bonuses and penalties for factors such as size or a lack of arms.

AslanCross
2009-12-27, 05:48 PM
Pathfinder #7 (Edge of Anarchy) has a great rooftop chase scene in it. The way they manage it is by writing obstacles requiring certain skill checks on index cards (i.e. jumping a gap or climbing a drain pipe) and setting them face down. To proceed from one place to the next you must succeed on the relevent check. Provide bonuses and penalties for factors such as size or a lack of arms.

This sounds like a good idea.

You could also add other non-athletic skill checks that represent smarts and McGyverisms. Survival check to remember that this certain plant is somewhat repulsive to the pursuers, or Knowledge (Architecture) checks to be able to tell if a certain element in the environment (say a stalagmite or downspout) can support the weight of a monster.

DabblerWizard
2009-12-27, 05:55 PM
I don't have a complete system for this kind of scenario. A few ideas did occur to me though.

(1) After a round or two of running, use endurance checks against a standard DC that rises each round, to determine whether a person falters simply because they become fatigued.

(2) Intermittently roll a check against a player's reflex to see whether they can successfully jump over small obstacles that might otherwise make them fall.

These two suggestions hopefully add a bit of realism to your chase scene.

Cthulubot
2009-12-27, 06:39 PM
It may not be so applicable to foot chases, but the Kenzerco system Aces and Eights has a fairly robust system for horseback chases, including rules for abstracting hazards and obstacles and distance thresholds at which sprinting ability becomes less important than endurance. In my copy the relevant chapter begins on page 131.

Leon
2009-12-27, 06:40 PM
Its all fairly trivial

valadil
2009-12-27, 08:57 PM
Obstacles are good. When I had players do escape scenes in my thieves guild game, I filled the battlemap with buildings and alleyways, set the players in the middle, and told them that the edge was safety. That worked pretty well, but obviously depends on the size of your map.

You should take a look at Spycraft. That's a d20 system for doing James Bond style modern games. One of its features is that it handles chase scenes very nicely. Basically it gives you a number of maneuvers you can attempt in a chase. Depending on how your maneuver interacts with your opponent's you'll gain or lose distance, gain an effect on the next maneuver, damage yourself or your opponent, etc. I haven't actually seen these played out, but what I read looks interesting. (FWIW they also apply to other skills - ie hacking a computer). Obviously you'll have to reflavor these if you go with Spycraft's rules, but it should be a good start.