Examples of Optional Chase Rules for H+I

After yesterday's post I spent a little time rolling some dice to see what sort of outcomes I might get. Here are the results for 25 chases. I continued the chase and kept rolling until either Escape or Cornered came up to end the chase.

• Each round of the chase is listed as a separate row in the table and has a sequential number. The numbers start over for the next chase.
• If the fugitives rolled a "7" I called that result "Hide" and if the pursuers rolled a "7" I called that "Melee."
• "—" denotes a round without any results.
• "Clue" denotes a result where both Escape and Cornered occur. I'll talk more about what I mean by a Clue result later.
• If the dice indicated more more than one result I listed each result.

Optional Chase Rules for H+I Examples

#	Fug	Pur	Result
1	11	66	Escape
1	61	61	Ex Fire, Melee, Hide
2	66	34	Melee, Escape
1	53	42	—
2	64	21	—
3	63	51	—
4	53	66	Cornered
1	42	62	Ex Fire
2	66	65	Ex Fire , Escape
1	11	31	Ex Fire, Escape
1	31	63	Ex Fire
2	53	33	Ex Fire, Cornered
1	43	31	Ex Fire, Hide
2	66	66	Ex Fire, Escape, Clue
1	31	42	—
2	22	51	Escape
1	21	43	Melee
2	65	42	—
3	62	44	Cornered
1	33	43	Melee, Escape
1	43	61	Melee, Hide
2	43	64	Ex Fire, Hide
3	61	21	Ex Fire, Hide
4	32	64	—
5	51	32	—
6	54	43	Ex Fire, Melee
7	51	63	—
8	41	64	Ex Fire
9	53	33	Ex Fire, Cornered
1	64	52	Melee
2	11	55	Escape, Clue
1	42	11	Cornered
1	44	43	Ex Fire, Melee, Escape
1	31	44	Cornered
1	51	63	—
2	51	31	Ex Fire
3	41	51	Ex Fire
4	44	51	Escape
1	41	33	Cornered
1	41	63	—
2	22	61	Escape
1	65	62	Ex Fire
2	53	52	Ex Fire
1	66	54	Escape
1	11	54	Escape
1	62	65	Ex Fire
2	54	64	Ex Fire
3	54	21	—
4	66	22	Escape, Clue
1	62	42	Ex Fire
2	22	43	Melee, Escape
1	51	54	Ex Fire
2	43	63	Ex Fire, Hide
3	61	65	Ex Fire, Hide
4	65	53	Ex Fire
5	41	22	Cornered
1	61	42	Hide
2	62	61	Ex Fire, Melee
3	62	51	—
4	41	32	—
5	32	42	Ex Fire
6	33	63	Ex Fire, Escape

Here are the statistics. There were 25 Chases for a total of 62 rounds. This means the average length of a chase was 2.5 rounds. However this is a little misleading since a Hide result might end the chase without an Escape or Cornered result. The 11th chase, for example, has Hide results for rounds 1, 2, and 3 before eventually ending in round 9 with Cornered. In actual play it is quite possible that one those Hide results would have succeeded in fooling the pursuers to end the chase much sooner than 9 rounds.

Result	--	Ex Fire	Melee	Hide	Escape	Cornered	Clue
Count	12	28	10	8	16	8	3
Prob	19%	45%	16%	13%	26%	13%	5%
Theory	19%	51%	17%	17%	17%	17%	3%

• "Prob" indicates the actual values based on the table. 
• "Theory" indicates the theoretical statistical probability.

Based on the examples and on and examination of the statistical probabilities I've made a few changes to the rules I published yesterday. The big change was to include all results and to order them in a specific way. To distinguish these from the original OSR rules and because it fits with my Fast Combat rules I'll name this: Fast Chases.

Fast Chases: Optional Chase Rules for H+I                                           

Once a chase or pursuit begins use the following procedure. 

1.      Make a Chase Roll. Each group or side rolls 2d6. Adjusted dice for Speed or any Tricks by the fugitives.

2.      .Compare the Dice for each chase roll with that of all other groups or sides.

2.1.   If one of the fugitives dice Match one of the pursuers dice they Exchange Fire.

2.2.   Pursuers: If dice total “7” the pursuers may Melee.

2.3.   Fugitives: If dice total “7” the fugitives may Hide. If the pursuers fail to spot them, the Chase Ends.

2.4.   Fugitives: If all dice match e.g. doubles, triples, etc. the fugitives Escape and the Chase Ends.

2.5.   Pursuers: If both dice match they Cornered the fugitives and the Chase Ends.

2.6.   If both fugitives and pursuers get doubles the fugitives Escape but they leave a Clue.

3.      If the pursuers cannot or do not continue the Chase Ends Otherwise the chase is still on. Return to step 1.

                          

·         Exchange Fire: members of either group who have a weapon ready and loaded may fire i.e. make a Ranged Attack or they may Reload, draw, or put away a weapon. The fire is snap shot so Aim Shot may not be used.

·         Melee: each pursuer may perform 1 melee attack e.g. Bladework. They may not combine this with minor actions such as Feint or Bind.

·         Hide: the fugitives manage to turn a corner or duck out of sight. Each fugitive can make a stealth check to hide. The pursuers now need to make a Savvy check which must also exceed the number the fugitive rolled for stealth.

·         Escape: The fugitives have gotten away or given their pursuers the slip. The chase ends.

·         Cornered: the pursuers have cornered the fugitives and ordinary combat ensues.

·         Clue: If both Escape and Cornered result, the fugitives may escape but leave behind a clue to their route or destination. Pursuers may make a Savvy check to spot the clue. At the GM’s option, instead of a Clue the two results simply cancel out and the chase is still on.

Order of Resolution: Resolve multiple results sequentially in the following order: Exchange of Fire, Melee, Hide, Escape, Cornered, Clue. The results of one action may affect or prevent successive actions.

Speed: If the fugitives are significantly slower than their pursuers they add 1 extra die to their chase roll for each level slower e.g. foot pursued by horsemen, the foot roll 3d6 for their chase roll. If fugitives are significantly faster than their pursuers, the pursuers only roll 1d6. In this case the pursuers cannot get a result of Melee or Cornered.

Tricks: If the fugitives narrate some clever maneuver or interference with the pursuit, then pursuers only roll 1d6. In this case the pursuers cannot get a result of Melee or Cornered.

Splitting the Party: groups of Pursuers or fugitives may split into multiple groups. Each new group makes separate chase rolls. For simplicity of play, it is suggested that the GM not split NPC groups unless they are taking a separate route, moving at significantly different speeds, etc.

Fortune Points: Spending a fortune point allows that side to roll one extra die and then choose one of their dice to discard. There may be situations where the GM will decide that 1 fortune point must be spent for each Hero in the group rather than a single fortune point for the entire group.

Get a PDF of the Fast Chase rules.

Alternate Chase Rules

I recently came across An Updated Version of My Chase Rules on the Retired Adventurer blog. I seldom play games (or write house rules) that use dice matching. At heart I'm a numbers guy so totaling has never been an issue and I have to admit I'm a bit prejudiced against. Matching seems like a kids game to me. 

However, chase scenes in RPGs tend to fall flat for me. Seldom do I get the suspense and unexpectedness of an action movie chase nor the heart pounding adrenaline of real chases. What I usually see in RPGs is one of the following. (Sometimes a combination of one or more of the following.)

• A strict comparison of rate of speed where 12" movement rate always catches 9" movement rate (boring).
• A series of skill rolls until someone fails or (worse yet) until someone rolls a critical or fumble (repeated die rolling without a state change is tedious and boring).
• A series of skill rolls that add to a total until it gets high or low enough for something to happen (at least there is a state change, but this is still tending to tedium). 
• Something that requires the use of 4 or more tables and the calculation of a lot of modifiers.
• Something where the players and GM have to think of one outlandish or creative thing to try and boost their chances of a skill roll. (Can be fun, but can also default to one of the above. And if the GM or players aren't feeling the creativity then expecting them to imagine what James Bond would do in a coach chase in 1624 London can be an exercise in frustration.)

I want something simple, but I want something that will yield some unexpected results and that doesn't require everyone at the table to be really imaginative. If you've seen one cart of cabbages in the Paris streets...well you maybe get my drift. 

I think that what John Bell came up with might fit the bill or at least be a step in the right direction. He wrote his rules for some D&Desque OSR kind of game so I'll need to do a bit of modification to make it fit better with H+I. On the plus side the default roll is 2d6 which is exactly H+I. So that's a plus. 

While I was at it I thought I'd try writing up the rules in a way that I find easier to parse. And yes I did play SPI games before I played RPGs thank you very much.

Optional Chase Rules for H+I

EDIT: I've revised the rules based on playtest examples. You can see them tomorrow.

Once a chase, route, or pursuit begins use the following procedure. A chase roll is 2d6 plus or minus dice based on various modifiers. It uses dice matching not totals.

1.      Make a Chase Roll. Each group or side rolls separately. (The default roll is 2d6.)

1.1.   If the fugitives are significantly slower than their pursuers they add 1 extra die to their chase roll for each significant level slower e.g. foot pursued by horsemen, the foot roll 3d6 for their chase roll.

1.2.   If the fugitives narrate some clever maneuvering or other interference with the pursuit, the pursuers only roll 1d6. In this case the pursuers cannot corner the fugitives that round since they cannot get a match. In many circumstances being faster than the pursuers counts as clever maneuvering.

1.3.   Pursuers and fugitives may split up. Each group makes separate chase rolls. For simplicity of play, a group may only split up if they are taking a separate route, moving at significantly different speeds, etc.

1.4.   If the pursuers are unable to continue or choose not to continue pursuit the Chase Ends.

2.      Compare the Dice for each chase roll with that of all other groups or sides. Events occur in the order listed.

2.1.   Fugitives: If all dice match e.g. doubles, triples, etc. the fugitives have escaped and the Chase Ends.

2.2.   Pursuers: If both dice match they corner the fugitives. Ordinary combat resumes and the Chase Ends.

2.3.   Pursuers: If dice total “7” they may perform 1 major or 1 minor action: Bladework, Reload, etc.

2.4.   Fugitives: If dice total “7” they may duck out of sight and hide (Sneak) or they may perform 1 major or 1 minor action: bladework, reload, etc. If they hide, then the pursuers must notice them (combined action Savvy roll) in order to continue the chase. If they fail, the Chase Ends.

2.5.   If a die in the fugitives chase roll matches a die in the pursuers chase roll then members of either group who have a ready and loaded weapon may exchange missile fire e.g, make Ranged Attacks. This is quick or snap shot, therefore they cannot perform other actions such as Aim Shot, Reload, etc.

3.      If the chase is still on, go back to step 1 and repeat.

Fortune Points: Spending a fortune point allows that side to roll one extra die and then choose one of their dice to discard. There may be situations where the GM will decide that 1 fortune point must be spent for each Hero in the group rather than a single fortune point for the entire group.

FAQ                                  

How are differences in speed handled?

• Minor differences in speed are ignored. Significant differences in speed are reflected by changing the number of dice that are rolled by the slower party.
• Significantly slower fugitives roll more dice. Rolling more dice significantly decreases the probability that the fugitives will escape since it is much harder to roll triples on 3d6 (6/216) than it is to roll doubles on 2d6 (6/36). Similarly rolling more dice decreases the probability that they can hide since it is harder to roll a “7” on 3d6 (15/216=7%) than it is on 2d6 (6/36=17%).
• Significantly slower pursuers will (usually) be limited to rolling only 1d6. This prevents them from catching the fugitives. They can hope to get a match and then hope that their Ranged Attack hits and causes enough damage to slow the fugitives. If it makes sense in a particular situation GMs might allow fatigue to slow the fugitives. Note too that their chance of getting a match is lower since they only have one die to match with.

You said that “usually” a slower pursuer would be limited to rolling only 1d6. Why wouldn’t they always have to roll 1d6?

• Because sometimes they can’t use their speed to full effect e.g. on a very crowded city street. In those situations the fugitive cannot effectively move significantly faster.

What if both the pursuers and the fugitives succeed in the same kind of matching?

• Outcomes operate in the order listed. So fugitives who roll and get all matching dice escape and the chase ends. Therefore it doesn’t matter what the pursuer rolled since the chase is over. If it seems appropriate to the situation the GM may rule that a pursuer whose roll would have allowed a missile attack or melee attack may get a parting shot. Which in some cases may prevent the fugitive from escaping. Parting shots should be rare in this system.

What do you mean the “GM may rule” I mean the rules are not comprehensive.

• What I mean is exactly what I said. There may be situations where the GM should rule that something different happens than what an exact and literal interpretation of the rules would achieve. Dealing with unusual situations and corner cases is one reason tabletop RPGs have a GM instead of a 4000 page manual.

What are Fortune Points?

• They are what a Honor+Intrigue calls bennies. You may have played other games with Hero Points, Force Points, or Fate Points. Those too are bennies. This post talks about Fortune Points. Or just buy the rules and read ‘em yourself. I’m sure Chris Rutowsky could use a few more bucks, or Euros, or pounds, or what have you. 

300

No this is not Sparta. Nor is this post about Frank Miller's fantasy comic book movie about men without shirts.

I just wanted to celebrate my 300th post. Yay me!

And just to keep this post on topic, here's a picture of Vincent Regan who plays Leonidas' loyal and nearly naked friend in 300.

This is from a different movie - Bathory - set in the late 16th and early 17th century and so is useful for the Early Modern period. And if you play RPGs and don't know who Countess Bathory was....well you should.

How do you handle factions and factional issues in your campaign?

Pope Francis (R) meets Robert Matthew Festing, 

Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta 

during a private audience at the Vatican June 23, 2016. 

  REUTERS/Gabriel Bouys/Pool/Files

This Reuters Article grabbed my attention. In part that was because we don't hear much about the Knights of Malta (or the Hospitallers) as a religious order with power, wealth, and status. For the average American their only connection with the Knights is likely to be some vague recollection of them being the source for the McGuffin in the movie version of the Maltese Falcon.  In part it struck me as a reminder that the Catholic Church is not now (and never was) a uniform, homogeneous, monolithic organization with one goal and one aim. 

The more I read of history, the more I find easy simplification misleading if not flat out impossible. Understanding and then accurately representing historical factions are two things I find challenging in gaming. Many of the issues that were important to people back in the day are have become passe or even incomprehensible to us today. And factions are frequently linked to the politics of the great houses and royalty or used by those houses in ways that make easy analysis and representation impossible. The factions of days gone and their concerns are likely to strike us far more like the silliness of the Big and Little Ender factions in Gulliver's Travels. The factions of his day that Swift was satirizing are long gone from our popular consciousness rendering his satire opaque and silly to us rather than bitingly sarcastic and topical as he intended.

In my Honor+Intrigue campaign I've used lists, handouts, and diagrams to convey and display information to my players. 

• GMs what have you used to convey to the players what their characters would know of the issues and factions in your campaign setting?

• Players what have you found helpful or unhelpful to your understanding of issues and factions in the campaigns you've played in?