A chase ensues when one creature pursues another for anything longer than a couple of
rounds. A chase is resolved when the fleeing party manages to get away – the exact
conditions of which being up to the GM – or when they are caught. During a chase, it may be
wise to not roll initiative, as it may bog down the pace and excitement of the scene and the
chase itself. Instead, describe how the chaser doggedly pursues their prey in vivid detail
and pepper in complications and obstacles to keep things exciting. A list of sample
complications for each different environment is given below, and can be rolled on as the GM
sees fit. The main thing you want to be careful with in a chase is dragging it on too long,
to the point where it becomes tiresome and/or boring. If the chase begins to drag on too
long, consider having something interrupt it.
When a chase starts, the GM must determine how far apart each party is
from the other, and use obstacles to determine how much distance is lost or gained;
specifically, each participant should make contesting AGI checks, and the amount of
distance lost/gained is determined by 1/3 the difference between the checks. For
example, if a fleeing creature rolls a 13 to overcome an obstacle and the chaser’s
check was 9, the distance between them increases by 1.3 meters; conversely, if the
fleeing creature had rolled a 9 and the chaser got 13, the chaser would have gained
1.3 meters. For each obstacle the participants encounter, have each participant
take 1d3 fatigue damage unless they attempt to hide.
Sample Obstacles
Supplied here are a list of sample obstacles for each type of terrain. The lists are
by no means final or absolute, and can be expanded or otherwise modified as the GM sees
fit. If an obstacle can be used to hide, it will say so; if a participant attempts to hide,
they do not take fatigue damage for that obstacle. Any extra information pertinent to each
terrain will be given prior to the table itself.
Air obstacles carry the extra danger of being, assumedly, far above the
ground. Should a participant roll badly enough on their AGI check, they
may fall if they are on a vehicle or mount and do not have a means of
flight or slowing their descent. The exact rules for falling are found
here.
d8
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Fleet of small airships
No
2
Flock of birds
No
3
Flying monster
No
4
Incoming cloud
Yes
5
Incoming storm
Yes
6
Passing ship
Yes
7
Travelers
No
8
Turbulence
No
d10
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned structure
Yes
2
Cliff
No
3
Cluster of broken rocks
Yes
4
Cluster of seaweed
No
5
High tide
Yes
6
Large wave
No
7
Loose sand
No
8
Monster(s)
No
9
Travelers
Yes
10
Wild/feral animal
No
d8
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2
Abandoned structure
Yes
3
Caravan
Yes
4
Monster(s)
No
5
Oasis
No
6
Sinkhole
No
7
Travelling nomads
Yes
8
Wild/feral animal
No
d12
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2
Abandoned structure
Yes
3
Bridgeless stream
Yes
4
Bundled roots
Yes
5
Forest tribe/clan/settlement
Yes
6
Hunting party
No
7
Low-hanging branches
Yes
8
Nest of animals
No
9
Monster(s)
No
10
Thick shrubbery
Yes
11
Travelling merchant
Yes
12
Wild/feral animal
No
d20
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2
Abandoned structure
Yes
3
Bridgeless gap
No
4
Caravan
Yes
5
Cave
Yes
6
Cliff
No
7
Cluster of broken rocks
Yes
8
Cluster of jutting rocks
Yes
9
Hunting party
No
10
Loose, slippery rocks
No
11
Monster(s)
No
12
Mountain tribe/clan/settlement
Yes
13
Ridge
No
14
Scalable wall
No
15
Sheer wall
No
16
Slick ice
No
17
Thick snow
No
18
Thin/rickety/fragile bridge
No
19
Travelling merchant
Yes
20
Wild/feral animal
No
d10
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2
Abandoned structure
Yes
3
Caravan
Yes
4
Hunting party
No
5
Tribe/clan/settlement
Yes
6
Monster(s)
No
7
Slick mud
No
8
Tall field of grass
Yes
9
Travelling merchant
Yes
10
Wild/feral animal
No
d20
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2-5
Abandoned structure
Yes
6
Animal nest
No
7
Beam of wood connecting two rooftops
No
8
Bridgeless canal or gap
Yes
9
Caravan
Yes
10
Cluster of broken stones
Yes
11
Crumbling ground
No
12
Explorers/Scavengers
No
13
Monster(s)
No
14
Open manhole/sewer entrance
Yes
15
Rebuilders
Yes
16
Scalable wall/ladder
Yes
17
Thick shrubbery
Yes
18
Travelling merchant
Yes
19
Wild/feral animal
No
20
The path splits 1d4+1 times
Yes
Sea obstacles can be done in a water vehicle or while swimming. If one or more
participants are swimming, have them make Swim checks instead of AGI, and for any
participants in a water vehicle, have them make Vehicle (Water) checks and multiply
their results by 5 to determine the amount of distance lost/gained. Additionally,
swimming creatures take 1d6 fatigue damage per obstacle (unless they are aquatic
creatures, then they take 1d3 as normal), while creatures in water vehicles take none.
Lastly, there is no column for Stealth checks because there is nowhere to hide aside
from under the water itself, which can be done at any time.
d10
Obstacle
1
Crashing airship
2
Massive approaching ship
3
Monster(s)
4
Naval battle
5
School of fish
6
Sharks
7
Ship wreckage
8
Storm
9
Travelers
10
Turbulent/rough/choppy waters
d20
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2
Abandoned structure
Yes
3
Animal nest
No
4
Bridgeless gap
No
5
Bundled roots
Yes
6
Caravan
Yes
7
Cluster of broken/uneven rocks
Yes
8
Crumbling ice
No
9
Freezing water
No
10
Near-solid snow mounds
Yes
11
Monster(s)
No
12
Outpost
Yes
13
No
14
Sheer wall
No
15
Slippery ice/rock
No
16
Thick snow
Yes
17
Thin/rickety/fragile bridge
No
18
Travelling merchant
Yes
19
Clan/tribe/settlement
Yes
20
Wild/feral animal
No
d20
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2
Abandoned structure
Yes
3
Animal nest
No
4
Bridgeless gap
Yes
5
Broken and uneven ground
No
6
Cliff
No
7
Close-knit stalagmites, stalactites, and columns
Yes
8
Low overhang
No
9
Magma stream
No
10
Monster(s)
No
11
Mounds of flowstone
No
12
Mushroom grove
Yes
13
Scalable wall
No
14
Sheer wall
No
15
Swarm of bats
No
16
Thin/rickety/fragile bridge
No
17
River/stream
Yes
18
Gorge
No
19
Wild/feral animal
No
20
The path splits 1d4+1 times
Yes
d20
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Beam of wood connecting two rooftops
No
2
Bridgeless canal
Yes
3
Close-knit group of people
No
4
Cluster of trash cans, crates, barrels, etc.
Yes
5
Construction crew
No
6
Crowd, parade, marching band, etc.
Yes
7
Fence
No
8
Ladder/scalable wall
No
9
Line of drying laundry
No
10
Merchant stall
Yes
11
Open manhole/sewer entrance
Yes
12
Pane of glass/closed window
No
13
Passing train/thick traffic
No
14
Someone empties their chamberpot above
No
15
Street fight
Yes
16
Suddenly opened door or window
No
17
Thick shrubbery
Yes
18
Vehicle suddenly emerges out of nowhere
No
19
Wild/feral animal
No
20
The road splits 1d3+1 times
Yes
d8
Obstacle
Stealth?
1
Abandoned campsite
No
2
Abandoned structure
Yes
3
Bridgeless stream
Yes
4
Low-hanging foliage
Yes
5
Outpost
Yes
6
Tribe/clan/settlement
Yes
7
Thick shrubbery
Yes
8
Thick/slippery sludge
No
Example Chase
Derek the Rogue
attempts to lift an expensive bauble off a merchant’s
stall in a market square at noon. One poor Sleight of Hand check later and the merchant
calls for the guards, initiating the chase. Immediately Derek sets off down the nearest
alley, with the guards just a few meters behind. The GM rolls on the Urban Obstacles table,
determining that the road in front of Derek splits 3 times. Derek rolls a 17 on his AGI
check and decides to take a sudden left, deftly turning the corner and taking 2 fatigue
damage in the process; the guards, on the other hand, roll a 10 and take 3 fatigue
damage, losing Derek some but still keeping him in sight. Suddenly, someone empties
their chamber pot out of a window into the alley. This time, Derek only rolls a 6,
getting splashed with waste and stumbling somewhat as he takes 3 fatigue damage, while
the guards roll a 14 and make up for their lost distance while taking only 1 fatigue
damage. A few moments later, Derek bursts into a thick crowd, and decides this is where
he will slip away. As he pulls his hood up in an attempt to disappear, the guards emerge
just a moment later, and must make a Perception check against Derek’s Stealth check to
find him. If Derek manages to hide, he is free; otherwise, he may be caught or the chase
may resume.
