This post is a translation of the rule presented in German a few weeks ago: 2013-12-23 Verfolgungsjagd. Matt Wagner was wondering about chase rules on Google+.
This rule is part of my German house rules document, *Halberds & Helmets*. I just can’t remember the weird rule from the Basic D&D and Labyrinth Lord books. Inspired by skills in Apocalypse World I decided to use 2d6 and ideas by Erin Smale he left in a comment on a Google+ post of mine.
*Chase*: If you’re being chased, roll 2d6. On a 2, you’re surprised. On a 3–6, it’s a fight. On a 7–9, choose two points from the list. On a 10–11 choose one point. One a 12, you made it, no problem.
you were separatedit takes a long timeyou got lostyou had to drop shields and backpacks
*Optional modifiers*. +1 for each of the following: if there are twice as many chasing you, if you have a faster movement rate, if there’s a thief in your party, if it rains, if it’s dark. -1 for each of the following: if there’s an elf or a ranger tracking you, if there are wounded party members with you, if there’s snow on the ground.
Only use the modifiers if you remember. 🙂
#RPG #Old School #2d6 Rule #Powered by the Apocalypse
(Please contact me if you want to remove your comment.)
⁂
In a comment on the same post, John Harper said: “The classic D&D method gives the PCs the choice to drop food and/or gold pieces to distract or delay pursuers, so it’s not just ’compare movement speeds.’”
I think that would be an even simpler alternative. In the days where the dungeon expedition was mostly a question of logistics (rations, torches and oil going down and treasure coming up) it makes sense to make the escape a question of resources spent. Forget about chase rules, so to speak.
I guess the number of hit-dice pursuing you should indicate how much you need to drop: a daily ration or 100 gold per hit die squared, perhaps?
– Alex Schroeder 2014-01-13 10:02 UTC
---
This is the closest to what I’ve been looking for on running away so far! 🙂
– Luka 2016-11-15 19:50 UTC
---
Let me know how it went, if you use any of it! Perhaps all it needs is a little change in the wording. Maybe this: “Chase: If you’re being chased, roll 2d6. One a 12, you made it, no problem. On a 10–11 choose how you managed to escape by picking one of the options below. On a 7–9, it was hard to make your escape. Pick two of the options below. On a 3–6, you didn’t make it. Turn around and fight. On a 2, you were outsmarted and set upon when you least expected it. Endure a surprise round before rolling for initiative!”
The options would be rewritten:
– Alex Schroeder 2016-11-15 22:35 UTC
---
On Discord, KingPeta asked me why I stopped using this rule.
It simply wasn’t an interesting thing to do. I look at time at the table as a zero sum thing: if we’re doing a chase and it’s OK, we need to compare this to the option of just allowing player characters to get away and have a GREAT scene elsewhere.
These days I often just wait for players to say: I throw them some rations, I set a flask of oil on fire to cover the corridor behind us, I throw some gold, or something like that. If so, auto success. Or I’ll ask: anybody wearing plate mail? If so, auto fail. Move to the next scene. Rolling dice, adding modifiers, it’s just too slow and doesn’t make it more exciting.
– Alex Schroeder 2019-09-27 20:10 UTC
---
Another thing that’s interesting these days is the decision involving splitting the party.
Of all the chase rules, the rules from page X23 in the D&D Expert Set (1981) are perhaps the easiest to understand.
This table compares the numbers between evading party size and the party giving chase, giving a percentage chance of the chase to succeed.
+-----+------+-------+-------+---------+ | 1–4 | 5–12 | 13–24 | 25+ | Success | +-----+------+-------+-------+---------+ | – | – | – | 1–10 | 10% | | – | – | 1–6 | 11–30 | 25% | | – | 1–3 | 7–16 | 31+ | 35% | | 1 | 4–8 | 17+ | – | 50% | | 2–3 | – | – | – | 70% | | 4+ | – | – | – | 90% | +-----+------+-------+-------+---------+
In a forest, evasion can be even higher. The example suggests +25%.
I really like the last paragraph that explains how this allows people to make interesting choices:
Though it might seem strange that it is easier to evade larger groups of opponents, the explanation is simple. A large group of creatures makes much more noise and is easier to identify (and avoid) than a small group. Also, if a large group remains together, they must travel at the speed of the slowest member. If the large group sends out small parties to scout or pursue, these will be more difficult to evade.
If you’re involved on either side in a chase, you can split up to improve your chances of catching or evading the enemy but when you do meet, there are fewer people to fight. Now there’s an interesting choice to make.
– Alex 2023-08-15 06:31 UTC