Chase
A chase is a high speed encounter. The usual objective is to escape from (or catch) your opponents. A chase is most commonly a complication, but it can be played out on a map as well. Rather than accumulating success margin towards a target, you are accumulating distance in the chase. After an exchange compare the totals to see who has been caught and who has escaped.
Pursuit Die
Reflex is dealt normally, and when you take your turn in a chase you roll a single effect die, called your pursuit die, to determine the nature of your turn. If the result is green you suffer a penalty, your speed is halved, and any failure margin is also subtracted from your speed. If the result is blue you check and move your speed normally. If the result is red get no speed but you gain a special action. As usual, roll an additional die for the red and get the benefits of the next die you roll as well. Some important uses for a special action in a chase:
- You can screen (or pay for a screen), and you have defenses until you can choose an action again.
- You can cooperate with or contest anyone who has the same or a lower total.
- You can grant an extra pursuit die roll to anyone. They roll both and choose which result counts.
- You can attack an opponent who has the same or lower total, or a higher total with a range penalty.
- You can become hidden, gaining two decoys that must be captured or eliminated before you can be attacked or caught.
Chase Totals
On your own you check agility, riding you check wilderness, and in a vehicle you check machinery. On a success you add your speed to your total, plus any success margin. On a failure you add only half your speed, and you lose grit equal to your failure margin. Interference gives you a blue result on your next pursuit die. Each round the person with the highest total that round (speed plus margin, reflex breaks ties) is called the pole gets to choose stage properties for the next round. Some chases offer a series of specific stages, but if none are offered the pole selects properties equal to their margin that make sense. Any participant with a speed of 0 or less for the round is knocked out of the chase. At the end of the exchange compare the totals. Starting at the highest total (reflex breaks ties) each may choose to either escape, or capture any one participant with a lower total.
Stage Properties
Most chases will start with a simple stage, where failure consequences are grit for failure, plus the standard effects of a blue pursuit die if you roll one (penalty, half speed, failure margin subtracts from speed). However some chases may start in more perilous circumstances, and as they continue they will certainly become deadlier or more complex. Some example properties for stages include:
- Attacking: A blue result or interference hits you with an attack from a hazard. (Falling objects, a giant monster, artillery strikes, whatever.)
- Chasm: A blue result or interference makes you teeter in addition to the normal effects. A second teeter means you fall areas equal to your current total.
- Dangerous: Failure margin also deals hits.
- Difficult: There is an extra penalty on all checks.
- Flaming: Failure margin also deals burn.
- Fluid: Use your swim speed. On a blue result you begin to drown.
- Obscured: You may check and dodge attacks using subterfuge. All attacks suffer an extra penalty.
- Occupied: A blue result adds another pursuer tied with the highest margin.
- Steep: Use your climb speed, and any failure margin subtracts from your total and deals that distance as a fall.
- Treacherous: Any failure margin subtracts from your total.
Vehicles
Only a vehicle's commander draws reflex cards. Crew members roll their pursuit dice and resolve their actions in any order desired on the vehicle's reflex. The helm position's pursuit die counts for movement, but all participating crew must check and may suffer consequences if they fail.
Special Chases
Some chases may have additional rules:
- Countdown. You aren't being chased by just individuals, but an inexorable disaster. There will be a stage or area that you must reach before a set number of exchanges or you suffer some automatic horrible consequence. In an encounter this may also be represented by removing a row of areas on a green result or two rows on a blue result each round, based on a pursuit die roll.
See Also
Version 2.5.2
©2014 Frameworks Games
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