The players are about to compete in a race, how do I make it fun?

[nlupugla]

I need help designing a racecar race.

My campaign centers around a huge tournament. The players (4 level 10s) are about to start the second stage, which is a ~100 car race around a large island. I want this race to be a fun, meaty, and action-packed encounter, but I'm struggling to find a way to stop it from devolving into a boring session of inching miniatures forward. I read the rules for chases in the DMG, and the random table of complications seemed like a good thing to include, but the actual mechanics there didn't seem like it would fit well with a race.

Here is a general list of the problems having trouble with:

1. How do I map this? I want to have enough detail that smart racers can use the environment to their advantage, but I don't want to get bogged down in keeping of every racer's exact position.

2. How do the mechanics work? I want the players to have lots of crazy options, like destroying the other cars, attacking drivers, boarding mid-race, etc, but I think there should also be some kind of driving check for more mundane things like handling sharp turns, keeping ahead of people they've passed, and passing people still in front.

3. What do rounds look like? If the race takes an hour of in-game time, I obviously don't want the session to be 600 rounds long. What's a good time scale that keeps thing exciting?

An important detail is that the setting is steampunky so the "cars" here are each unique clockwork contraptions (think Apparatus of Kwalish with wheels) that all have lots of levers and wacky, yet-to-be-decided abilities.

Any suggestions on the above three things, or even things like vehicle designs or racetrack features would be much appreciated!

[Yorrin]

My first thought was "just whip out a copy of mario kart!"

But on a more helpful line of thought- you could essentially treat it like a mounted combat scenario. Every turn your "mount" moves along the track at "x" speed and if you dash you have disadvantage on your check to take tight turns. Failure means you go your full movement in a straight line off the track, into whatever environmental hazard might be there. If there's no hazard, you can just get back on the track next turn, simple hazards take 1d4 turns to get out of, and more extreme stuff might cause damage to you and/or your car. Players can target other drivers and/or vehicles with attacks like a normal combat, at the expense of dashing for that turn. Every round when two vehicles have traveled the same total distance around the track have them make opposed roles to see who's in the lead, an especially important rule at the finish line.

Don't have it take too long if everyone just wants to play it straight- if everyone is dashing the whole way and makes all their checks on the turns have the whole thing be over in no more than 10 rounds.

[Gritmonger]

Drag your old copy of "Car Wars" out of mothballs.

Seriously, you could treat it like overland travel with random encounters. Every few "moves" or so, you either pull from one or more pre drawn up encounters, or have them roll on the table to move up in the pack. If they choose to coast, the race is mostly uneventful - if they approach it aggressively, there is a chance they run into an equally determined opponent or two.

Think wacky races, and throw together a set of basic chassis for the players and others to pick from. Give each chassis a speed, a dex, and a strength, representing top speed, handling, and acceleration. Then have a few slots for adding extras like offensive and defensive weapons, as well as some aids to the basic chassis attributes.

Make it so higher scores in all three reduce the chance of a combat encounter, greater likelihood of passing without incident.

You'll note no mention of brakes. Thats what land anchors are for.

[Demonslayer666]

1. Use a series of obstacles that need to be overcome. You could use a mini-map to say where the racers are on the track since they will likely be in a pack. I would just use a placement map for placement and attacks.

2. I would do opposed driving checks for things like passing and ramming. I'd do maneuver checks for turning, jumping, and avoiding hazards. Handle attacks like normal.

3. Make a round an arbitrary time instead of the standard round.

I'd set it up something like this:
segment examples: Start, easy turn, hard turn, hairpin turn, straight away, obstacle, and finish.
maneuvers: bump/ram, pass, sprint
Failure to complete a maneuver could result in losing a place, taking damage, etc.

Take race inspirations from any of the following:
Mad Max, Ben Hur, Pod Races from Star Wars, Deathrace 2000, Cannonball Run, Car Wars (previously mentioned - man did that take me back, thanks Gritmonger!)

[Myzz]

Make sure you have a list of Relevant Object AC's and HP's, like wheels...

[MadBear]

There was this really fun Formula 1 Racing boardgame that you could steal mechanics from.

There 5 speeds that any person can go. They start at speed 1, and they can only go up 1 speed per turn, or go down 2 speeds per turn.

The speeds let the characters move as follows:

Speed 1: Roll a d4+2(average rounded down)
Speed 2: Roll a d6+3 (average rounded down)
Speed 3: Roll a d8 + 4( average rounded down)
Speed 4: Roll a d12 + 6 (average rounded down)
Speed 5: Roll a d20 + 10 (average rounded down)

Now the players have their mounts have a certain amount of hitpoints (lets say 10 for example).

All speeds don't cost a player any hitpoints, except speed 5, which costs 1 hitpoint per turn (due to stress on the mount).

Next you force players to be at certain speeds for certain turns. A very tight turn might require a speed of 1 for example, while a wide turn might require 3. For every square into a turn a player is from a speed higher then the turn, they take hitpoint damage. (for example a player at speed 5 rolls a 20 and during his move completely goes through the turn that is 7 spaces long, he'd take 7 points of damage). This will make being at high speeds going into turns risky, but also makes it so that there's a risk/reward about how fast you'll go.

The game goes in more depth (and uses more specialized dice, but this would work), but with that alone, you'd have a pretty fun racing game. You could also add in other environmental effects. (attacking each other, slippery field etc.).

That's how I'd run it anyway.

[FightStyles]

This is a very interesting concept. I'm actually about to try out a chase scene in my next session, but I'm also looking for new and interesting ways of having the players play the game other than the normal social interaction or battle (although I still use these of course). You definitely have to give us the results of how things went, the process you ended up using, and any feedback on things you would change or keep the same.

[nlupugla]

Thanks for the suggestions, these are giving me some great ideas!


There 5 speeds that any person can go. They start at speed 1, and they can only go up 1 speed per turn, or go down 2 speeds per turn.

Not sure why exactly, but this reminded me of how space combat works in the RPG Rogue Trader from the 40k universe. In that system, you have to use actions and make checks to increase/decrease speed, make evasive maneuvers, and even change direction. While one person steers, the rest of the party can do other things, like fire various weapons, nurse the engines, or operate comms. I could defintely see adjusting some numbers to adapt this for 5e racecar play.


Use a series of obstacles that need to be overcome. You could use a mini-map to say where the racers are on the track since they will likely be in a pack.

My current thinking is to run this similar to how I might run navigating a dense forest. The players get a map that shows the general layout of the whole area (or maybe it fills in gradually if I decided to do multiple laps), but there are also separate, smaller scale maps for different points of interest.

The points of interest will be things like the start and end of the race obviously, but also interesting obstacles in the course that make for good chances to shake up the standings. So far I have the idea for a section where the racers go under a volcano and have to dodge jets of magma and another with hairpin turns at the edge of a mountain cliff. Between these areas, in the mainly straightaway sections, maybe the players make a couple checks to inch ahead or manage their car's health, but nothing too stressful.

I like the idea of having customizable vehicles, but unfortunately for the players, the cars are first come first serve based on performance in the previous stage of the tournament, which they just so happened to fail at utterly (actually they were disqualified too, but I'm sure they'll find a way to sneak back in :smallsmile:). So basically they are going to get to choose from "Crappy Car One" or "Crappy Car Two", but maybe "Crappy Car Two" will secretly breathe fire.

If you all have more suggestions on fun stuff to include in the race, mechanics, or whatever else, I definitely want to hear them!

[JFahy]

There should be risky ways to gain ground rapidly, so it's hard for anybody to lock up
the win early (or get into a hopeless position early). Shortcuts or jumps, maybe.

In NASCAR-type races, you get some tension from resource management - near the
end of a race your tires are worn and you're low on gas, but a pit stop costs you
time/position so teams have to make a nail-biting decision as to whether to top off
and get fresh rubber. In this case, coal stops, or stopping to wind up the mechanism
one last time? :)

Maybe they're wind-up cars, and the keys are placed at certain places on the track?
Teams can fight over them, or maybe steal them? Or there are a few designated
places for fuel stops?

Moving sections of track? Traffic on the track? (A spectating kid runs out onto the
track for some reason?) It starts raining? Somebody's betting against the PCs
and attempts some sabotage? Somebody's betting FOR the PCs, and attempts some
sabotage but if they're caught it'll look like the PCs did it?

[Yagyujubei]

There was this really fun Formula 1 Racing boardgame that you could steal mechanics from.

There 5 speeds that any person can go. They start at speed 1, and they can only go up 1 speed per turn, or go down 2 speeds per turn.

The speeds let the characters move as follows:

Speed 1: Roll a d4+2(average rounded down)
Speed 2: Roll a d6+3 (average rounded down)
Speed 3: Roll a d8 + 4( average rounded down)
Speed 4: Roll a d12 + 6 (average rounded down)
Speed 5: Roll a d20 + 10 (average rounded down)

Now the players have their mounts have a certain amount of hitpoints (lets say 10 for example).

All speeds don't cost a player any hitpoints, except speed 5, which costs 1 hitpoint per turn (due to stress on the mount).

Next you force players to be at certain speeds for certain turns. A very tight turn might require a speed of 1 for example, while a wide turn might require 3. For every square into a turn a player is from a speed higher then the turn, they take hitpoint damage. (for example a player at speed 5 rolls a 20 and during his move completely goes through the turn that is 7 spaces long, he'd take 7 points of damage). This will make being at high speeds going into turns risky, but also makes it so that there's a risk/reward about how fast you'll go.

The game goes in more depth (and uses more specialized dice, but this would work), but with that alone, you'd have a pretty fun racing game. You could also add in other environmental effects. (attacking each other, slippery field etc.).

That's how I'd run it anyway.

that would be Formula D that you're talking about, I was gonna recommend this myself.

the way cornering works is that you mark a certain number of squares of in the corner, and you set how many turns they have to "start" in the marked off section, and then for every square you overshoot you take 1 point of dmg like the quoted poster said.

another mechanic in the game is that whenever a car ends a turn next to another car they have to roll against eachother to dertermine collision damage. you could just do this as a dexterity or intelligence contest where the winner can roll a d4 or something for damage, and push the enemy care 1 square.

aside from that there are any number of skill checks you could require for players to make during the game to avoid obstacles and the like. consider placing boost squares like you see in Fzero that can give you a couple squares of advantage. and 1 boost they can activate after the first lap to give them double their roll distance.

oh and as another note, you can only shift up or down 1 tier of speed dice per turn. you can shift more than 1 tier down, but you take damage for each tier past the first to slow down faster.

[ruy343]

Haha, my first thought was to post this idea to the folks at the Board Game Designer's Forum (BGDF.com) and see what they came up with; a couple of months ago, this sort of idea came up on their boards...

What you could do to make it more interesting is to have one of the players be the person that needs to make it to the finish, and the other players are trying to take out the cheaters that are helping that player's opponents. Maybe there are some archers at a turn where the racers will have to move slower; maybe one racer has a wizard friend who will cast grease at a tight turn; maybe one team has a rope with spikes that they have strung across the road, that only the cheating racer knows about (perception check to spot it, and maybe the other players would have a chance to take it out ahead of time).

What would make it interesting is to tell the party: here's the race track, and some of the features. You have time to visit a few of the locations on the track before the race starts to scout out how your opposition is going to cheat (don't tell them that the opposition is going to cheat, I guess; just make it a pre-race checkout, you know?). Then, allow the players to tackle the ones they've spotted, and look for more while the other character is running the race. (It'll be multiple laps, and the obstacles will be added at different laps, so the racer always has to keep a sharp eye out (perception check) for traps.

Hope that ramble helped you...

[MadBear]

that would be Formula D that you're talking about, I was gonna recommend this myself.

You are correct sir. I haven't played that game in years, thanks for clarifying/adding to it :D

[Mr.Moron]

I might do something like this. At least in concept. Any specifics in terms of numbers here are totally off the top of my head and might be pretty unbalanced/non-functional.

Spoiler'd for excessive length:
Cars:
Cars have 3 Attributes.

Speed: Determines the maximum velocity of the car.
Acceleration: Determines how quickly the car can speed up.
Capacity: Determines how many Gadgets the car can hold.

Cars also have AC equal to 10 + Speed.
Cars have have 50 hit points.
The maximum velocity of a car is equal to 5 + Speed * 2

By default players have 7 points to distribute across these three attributes for a standard car. At the GMs direction a particular expensive car or talented mechanic may be able to add more points, a cheap car or poor mechanic may wind up fewer.

No car attribute can be over 5.

Gadgets:

Gadgets are like a cars abilities. Each gadget consumes 1 capacity, so a car can have at most up to 5 gadgets in the case it has the maximum capacity of 5.

Gadgets can grant Effects or Actions. Effects are passive abilities, actions are used by players each round. Actions can be used by players each round (see rounds below). Some actions may have ranges, these are in length units (see below), rather than feet.

Example Gadgets:

Light Armor
Effect: This car's AC becomes 12 + Speed.

Heavy Armor
Effect: This car's AC becomes 15.

Oil Slick
Action: The section this car becomes oiled. When a car enters an oiled section, the driver must make a dexterity saving throw DC 15. If they fail the cars velocity is reduced to 0. Recharge: 4,5,6.

Gyro Missiles[B]
[B]Action: Gyro Missiles are a martial ranged weapons that can be used to make attacks. When a Gyro Missile hits it deals 1d10+Dex damage to the car and reduces their velocity by 1. The Gyro Missiles have a range of 10/30
Special: Once per race the driver may use Gyro Missile Barrage. The Driver rolls 1d6 and makes that may Gyro Missile attacks. Each attack targets a randomly determined enemy car within range 15. If the d6 rolls a "1" the Gyro Missiles mishap explosively (a single missile attack is still made). Their car suffers 5d10+8 damage and the Gyro Missiles are destroyed. An intelligence saving throw DC 15 halves the damage, and prevents the destruction of the Gyro Missiles as the driver is able to partially diffuse the situation.


Other gadgets might be more weapons, other traps. The sky is the limit. Generally speaking gadgets should use player stats for attacks, saves and checks. The drivers own reflexes or skills mattering more than the specifics of the cars abilities.

The Track
The takes place on track that is divided into sections each with their own length and terrain type.

Section 1(Forest): Length 25
Section 2(Grass): Length 10
Section 3(City): Length 20
Section 4(City): Length 10
Section 5(City): Length 20


Distance is measured from the start of the race. Cars start in section 1 at distance 0. The length of a section is how much distance they need to move in order to enter the next section. In the above example with the reach distance 15, they'd enter section 2. When they reach distance 20, they'd enter section 3 and so on.

For a looped tracked, players simply move from the last section to the first when they have enough distance.

Space between players is measured by the difference between their distances. (This might get a bit more tricky with looped tracks)

Rounds
Roll Initiative: Just as in normal combat before the race begins.
Each round, the following steps happen in order.


Plan Actions: Players plan two actions. These actions are written and placed face-down in front of them. It should be clearly indicated which action is action 1 and which is action 2.
Cars Accelerate: Each car increases in velocity by its Acceleration.
Action 1: Starting with the highest initiative player, players reveal and play their first action.
Cars Move & Resolve Hazards: Each car gains distance equal to their current Velocity. GM reveals hazards.
Action 2: Staring with the highest initiative player, players reveal and play their second action.


Hazards

Hazards are complications on the track that players have to react to. The GM might determine them randomly, based on terrain or choose certain players to face certain hazards at certain times. A driver can face any number of hazards and must react to them all after moving.}

Certain hazards along the track might be known ahead of time, if drivers can investigate or otherwise get information before the race.

Example Hazard:

Sharp Turn: The driver must make a dexterity saving throw equal to their car's current velocity. On a failure their car flips over. Before making the save the driver can choose to h Their velocity becomes zero and they can't accelerate. Using an action to make a strength check DC 10 + (Number of Car Gadgets) rights the car and allows it to accelerate normally. A player can always give up their planned action to attempt this check.

Fire They encounter a burning camp fire, fire-breathing monster or other burning hazard. The driver may move around it if they do, halve the distance they made they gained this round. If they don't the car takes 3d10 fire damage.

Notes: Obviously players/cars should have some default actions they can take. However coming up with all those specifics is kind of beyond the scope of this outline.

EDIT: Though fleshing out an involved system like this may require more time then you've got before the relevant session. It's kind of a ton of work if you're only going to have the 1 race, the 1 time and never really go back to it.

[Yagyujubei]

You are correct sir. I haven't played that game in years, thanks for clarifying/adding to it :D

yeah i play alot of tabletop games, I have this with a couple of the tracks, but I never play the actual formula 1 rules, just the normal car rules with weather hazards