WFRP 4e House Rules: Chases

 

For city based chases.

• Set an Extended Athletics Test with SL Target, probably 5+ (1d6+3 if stuck).
• The first side to reach the target wins - note this is not an opposed test.
• Add Player Character Bonuses/Penalties for
• Movement Speed (+/- 10)
• Knowledge of Environment (+/- 10)
• If a Critical is rolled, apply result and get a free extra roll
• If a Fumble is rolled the opponent gets a free extra roll

If both parties reach the Target SL at the same time a new context is encountered where the quarry can attempt to hide/fit in.

• Determine the Target SL (1d6+1 ish), 
• Now run an Extended Opposed test where the difference in rolls matters, i.e. if the quarry succeeds by 1SL and the  pursuers fail by 2 the quarry gets 3 points towards the Target SL.
• If nighttime use quarry Stealth vs pursuer Perception.
• If daytime use quarry Intuition vs pursuer Perception and roll on the New Context table for detail...
• If this one results in a draw the quarry is caught.
  

 

I had recently jotted down the idea of using Extended Tests for chases after reading the brilliant TEETH rpg, which being a Forged in the Dark system uses Clocks for managing chases; each side has their own 'clock' which is filled in on succesful skill tests and the first to fill theirs wins. The clock is drawn as a circle with segments, maybe more like filling in a Trivial Pursuit pie. 

The opportunity to try this out came up in our Saturday WFRP session, with a Player Character being chased through the streets of Middenheim. I think it worked fairly well, something about each side 'racing' to reach the target felt just right for a chase, we used d6 for each side to track the numbers clocking up. 

I had nothing prepared for what happens if they both fill at the same time, which is of course what happened. As a spot rule I had both sides make an Endurance test, which annoyingly both passed so we reset the clocks and they started over. This wasn't quite so great as it felt like it was just drawing out the dice rolls without anything new happening or any decision point being reached, hence the additional rule above. 

There was one other ruling wrinkle which provided some extra drama; given the PC was fleeing criminals in their territory we had a 10% accumulating chance that the pursuers had other gang members cut them off, accumulating every time another roll was made towards the SL target. He was lucky though and got away.