Last visit was: It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:39 am


All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: The Big Chase Scene
PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 2:35 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:25 am
Posts: 573
Location: Dallas, TX
So for the next game session, I'm planning a big chase scene using a close variant of the 1st edtion WH chase rules. The set up is simple: the PCs are confronting a bad guy in possession of a relic. Suddenly a bunch of different groups show up, all angling to be in possession of said relic. Most of these groups will be minions but at least one will be a full fledged villain.

So the chase is on with Bad Guy A in possession of the macguffin. All sides give chase through the twisting, narrow city streets of East London at night. Characters have a couple of different options during the chase. They can distract (or mislead) the bad guys in pursuit, defend the character with the item, or pursue the character with the item. When engaging the character with the item, they can do a normal attack, grapple (or trip), or attempt to strip the item away. Some characters may attempt to cut off the character with the item using their Streetwise skill to get ahead of it and ambush the target.

Meanwhile, the different NPC groups are angling to capture the item and make off with it as well. So they can do each of these actions as well. At times, you might end up with multiple opponents in a single round all angling to grab the item and make off with it. This will probably come down to a simple opposed roll with the highest result being in possession of the item (especially when it comes to NPC v NPC–no need to make it more complicated than that).

Now, I don't really plan on spelling out what the heroes can do in the terms above. Instead, I'm hoping to keep things broad and flexible enough that they can just say what their character is doing each round and extrapolate from their. In a way, it becomes a game of football played out on the tabletop (hmm...maybe I need to poke around some bloodbowl sites), but with 4+ different teams instead of 2.

So...thoughts? Am I on the right track here? Making things too complicated? Any way to make this more dynamic?

Tom

_________________
...and a Brace of Pistols
a blog dedicated to swashbuckling, fantasy and horror gaming

Witch Hunter: The Invisible World Unofficial Home on Google+


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: The Big Chase Scene
PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:24 am 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:25 am
Posts: 573
Location: Dallas, TX
So. What hazards, obstacles, or complications might be fun. Here's my list so far:
Slick cobblestones
Chamber pot emptied above
Toughs brawling
Drunk or beggar
Night watchman (unlikely, but on the list)

What else? (Remember, it's night time).

Tom

_________________
...and a Brace of Pistols
a blog dedicated to swashbuckling, fantasy and horror gaming

Witch Hunter: The Invisible World Unofficial Home on Google+


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: The Big Chase Scene
PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 9:36 am 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:25 am
Posts: 573
Location: Dallas, TX
Here's some of the stuff I've come up with:

SUPER EASY ABSTRACT CHASE TABLE
Roll d10 when there is no change in the distance between the pursuer and pursued.
1-2 Pursuer – Hazard/Obstacle
3-4 Pursued – Opportunity!
5-6 Nothing Happens. Chase Continues.
7-8 Pursuer – Opportunity!
9-10 Pursued – Hazard/Obstacle

Expanded Street Chase
1) The pursued overturns a cart filled with [stuff] as he runs past. The pursuer must make a D4 Acrobatics (Agility) roll or trip, allowing the pursued to escape.
2) A chamberpot is emptied from above. The pursuer must make a D4 Reflexes (Agility) roll or be covered in the filth, adding 1 marker and suffering -1d to all Interaction rolls for the remainder of the scene.
3) A carriage or cart crosses the street behind the pursued. The pursuer may make a D4 Acrobatics (Agility) or Athletics (Strength or Agility) roll to cross or add 1-2 markers.
4) The pursued goes up; continue as a rooftop chase (roll for interesting building if applicable).
5) The pursued crashes through a crowd (drunken revelers, pimp and prostitutes, drunken bravos). The pursuer must make a D4 Reflexes (Agility) or Command (Personality) roll to move past or add 1 marker.
6) The Pursued jags unexpectedly into a narrow alleyway. This alley may only be crossed on foot. The pursuer must make a D3 Reflexes (Agility) or add a marker.
7) The pursued goes down; continue as a sewer chase.
8) The chase continues across a area of slick cobblestones. All sides must make a D4 Reflexes (Agility) or Acrobatics (Agility) to cross or slip and fall prone, adding/losing 1-2 markers as a result.
9) Nothing happens. Continue apace.
10) Nothing happens. Continue apace.
11) Nothing happens. Continue apace.
12) A pack of stray dogs emerges to harass both pursued and pursuer. All sides must make a D4 Reflexes (Agility) or Command (Personality) roll; those who fail must choose to either lose 1-2 markers or suffer 1-2 points of damage from the attack.
13) The pursued runs into a band of drunken bravos spoiling for a fight. He must make must make a D4 Reflexes (Agility) or Command (Personality) roll; those who fail must choose to either lose 2-3 markers or suffer 2-3 points of damage from the confrontation.
14) The pursued runs into a Dead End! He loses 1 marker and must make a D3 Streetwise (intuition) or Athletics (Agility or Strength) roll to continue the chase (either finding a alternate route or climbing a wall; continue as a rooftop chase or roll for Interesting building).
15) The street is blocked by a chain, a pile of refuse, or similar barrier. The pursued (and the pursuer) must make a D3 Reflexes (Agility) or Acrobatics (Agility) roll or lose (add) 1 marker.
16) An open manhole cover blocks the path of the pursued! He must make a D3 Athletics (Strength) roll or suffer falling damage; continue as a sewer chase.
17) The pursued finds himself in a very narrow alleyway. He (and the pursuer) must make a D4 Reflexes roll or lose (add) 1 marker.
18) The pursued bumps into an innocent bystander and nearly falls. Remove 1-2 markers.
19) A carriage or cart crosses the street in front of the pursued. Both sides may make a D4 Acrobatics (Agility) or Athletics (Strength or Agility) roll to cross or lose (add) 1-2 markers.
20) The pursued tries to duck beneath an obstacle and gets snagged on it. Remove all markers and end the chase.

INTERESTING BUILDINGS (and complications)
1 Bakery (Hot Ovens)
2 Butcher (Hanging Meat, Knives, Smokers)
3 Tannery (Catwalks, vats of hazardous chemicals, choking stench)
4 Brewery/Distillery/Winery (Barrels, mash, dead ends)
5 Flop House/Tenement (drunks, diseased, trash, twisting stairs, roof access)
6 Storefront
7 Tavern/Inn/Coffee House (bottles, barrels, drunken patrons)
8 Bordello (security, johns, hiding places)
9 Gambling Den (security, drunken patrons, tables, money)
10 Warehouse (crates, barrels, catwalks, roof access, sewer access)

These interesting buildings are specific to the slums, but you can adapt it to any urban area.

_________________
...and a Brace of Pistols
a blog dedicated to swashbuckling, fantasy and horror gaming

Witch Hunter: The Invisible World Unofficial Home on Google+


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: The Big Chase Scene
PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2016 9:20 pm 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:48 pm
Posts: 214
A great hazard to randomly put into a chase is some minor enemy the cadre made earlier in the adventure


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: The Big Chase Scene
PostPosted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:34 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:25 am
Posts: 573
Location: Dallas, TX
PCI Eric wrote:
A great hazard to randomly put into a chase is some minor enemy the cadre made earlier in the adventure


Yup. Good advice, Eric. I'm thinking about putting that into the mix. Maybe not for this chase. There will already be enough going on. It's fair to say that a lot of…old friends are going to be making cameos.

Something I've discussed with one of the players, but haven't quite implemented, is tying complications into the chase. That might seem pretty straight forward, but here me out. Currently, in the absence of any "official" pursuit rules, I'm using a kludge of 1st edition WH and 7th Sea. Each round, all sides in the race roll off. If the pursued rolls more successes than the pursuer(s), I add markers (up to 6: Escape). If the pursuer(s) roll more successes, I take markers away. If there is no change in position, something interesting happens and I roll on a handy table like the one I posted above. But that doesn't use Complications at all.

So…some thoughts:
• Character who fail and/or roll more complications than successes have to manage a hazard or obstacle.
• Add the number of complications roll to a base difficulty (usually 2 or 3) for the obstacle. (so if you rolled three 1s/Complications, you would boost the difficulty of bypassing the hazard by 3, to 5 or 6).

I also played around with adding a wager system to the chase much like James Bond 007 or Gumshoe: Night's Black Agents, but the player felt that was going to slow things down more than add anything useful. The way it worked was this:
At the beginning of each round, the Pursued as the option to Wager a die in the chase (he takes risks and makes pursuit more difficult). The Pursuer(s) must match the wager and may raise it by another die if they choose. If they do so, the pursued has the option to raise the wager once more (to a max of 3d). Then everyone rolls as normal (with the wager accounted for).
• If the pursued fails, the wager is blown and the difficulty returns to normal.
• If the pursued succeeds and the pursuer(s) fail, the pursued may opt to keep the wager in place (or increase it by 1 if they haven't already)
• If both sides succeed, the pursued can keep the wager in place but ONLY if the pursuer(s) agree.

I kinda thought this would add a nice dynamic. But I can also see where it could slow things down.

Thoughts anyone? Eric?

Tom

_________________
...and a Brace of Pistols
a blog dedicated to swashbuckling, fantasy and horror gaming

Witch Hunter: The Invisible World Unofficial Home on Google+


Top
Offline Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ]  Moderators: james.zwiers, PCI Eric

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Theme created StylerBB.net & kodeki