62 lines
No EOL
4.5 KiB
Markdown
62 lines
No EOL
4.5 KiB
Markdown
Absolutely—let’s formalize Pursuit & Evasion so it’s clean, tense, and hooks into Evasion, Tracking, and related skills. This drops neatly into the Base Rules or Combat section as a dedicated subsystem:
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Pursuit & Evasion
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"A chase isn’t just about who’s faster—it’s about who’s smarter, luckier, and willing to risk more."
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When to Use
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This system is used when one party is actively fleeing and the other is actively pursuing—whether on foot, horseback, or through crowded streets. It creates a structured skill contest with stakes, rather than defaulting to a single roll.
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The Chase Clock
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• A pursuit is resolved through a Chase Clock, a track with 5 segments by default.
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• The fleeing party wins if they fill the clock before the pursuers catch up.
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• The pursuing party wins if they close the gap (reach melee/contact range) before the clock fills.
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You can adjust the clock length based on scale:
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• 3 segments for short pursuits (across a building).
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• 5 segments for standard urban/rural chases.
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• 7+ segments for extended wilderness hunts.
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Chase Rounds
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Each “chase round,” both sides act simultaneously:
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• Lead Rolls:
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• Fleeing party rolls Evasion or an appropriate skill (Navigation in wilderness, Athletics for climbing, Subterfuge for hiding in crowds).
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• Pursuing party rolls Tracking or an appropriate skill (Observation, Streetwise, Ride, etc.).
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• Roll pools: Attribute + Skill, using penalties/bonuses from terrain and Speed differences.
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• Compare Results:
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• If the fleeing party gets more successes, advance the Chase Clock by 1 segment.
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• If the pursuers get more successes, reduce the gap:
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• If the gap is already “Close,” they catch the target.
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• Otherwise, close the gap and mark it as “Close” (final segment before capture).
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• If the rolls tie, the chase continues with no change to the clock or gap.
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• Complications:
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Each chase round, the GM may add 1 obstacle or complication:
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• Crowds, barriers, alarms, weather, collapsing roofs, panicked livestock…
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• These are handled as additional rolls or cost trade-offs (e.g., take 1 Fatigue to smash through, or detour and lose a segment).
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End Conditions
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• Fleeing Party Wins: The Chase Clock fills → they slip away, vanish into cover, or gain enough distance to hide.
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• Pursuers Win: They close the gap in the final segment and catch or corner the fleeing party.
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• Abort: Either side can choose to abort the chase at any time (stop fleeing or stop pursuing).
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Modifiers
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• Speed Advantage: Each point of Speed advantage = +1 die.
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• Fatigue: Each Fatigue point = –1 die.
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• Preparation: If either party had time to prepare (ambush, planned escape route), they start with 1 automatic success.
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• Environmental Edge:
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• Fleeing in dense urban or wilderness terrain = +1 die to the fleeing party.
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• Fleeing in open terrain = +1 die to pursuers.
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Using Skills
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This system rewards creative skill use:
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• Fleeing: Evasion, Stealth, Subterfuge, Athletics, Navigation, Ride, Smuggling (hidden routes).
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• Pursuing: Tracking, Observation, Streetwise, Tactics, Ride, Mechanics (disable escape options).
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• Allies can support by making Setup Rolls (using social, magical, or environmental skills) to give +1 die or auto-successes.
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Optional: Corruption & Risk
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• You may mark a die as Risky to take dangerous shortcuts; failure = Injury or Fatigue.
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• You may mark a die as Corrupted (if applicable) to gain supernatural aid (e.g., void-fueled burst of speed). Failure = extra Corruption die.
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Example Flow
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• The Myou rogue tries to flee the city guard through a marketplace.
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• The GM sets a 5-segment clock and notes the gap is currently “Medium.”
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• Round 1: Myou rolls Evasion vs Guards’ Tracking. Myou wins by 2 successes → Chase Clock +1.
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• Round 2: Guards add a complication: a cart blocks the alley. Myou smashes through (takes 1 Fatigue) and still wins → Clock +1.
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• Round 3: Guards tie → no change.
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• Round 4: Guards win → gap closes to “Close.”
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• Round 5: Myou wins → Clock fills, they vanish into the sewers.
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Why It’s Fun
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• The clock creates visible tension.
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• The structure rewards both Evasion and Pursuit specialists, but doesn’t lock out others.
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• Creative use of skills, gear, and abilities can change the chase dramatically.
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🔥 Do you want me to write a matching subsystem for Extended Hunts (multi-day pursuits, big wilderness hunts) that plugs into Tracking, Survival, and Fatigue?
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Or should we jump straight into Species Trees now that the universal skills and core subsystems are complete? |