d20 - Hot Pursuit - On Foot

HOT PURSUIT:

ON FOOT by Corey Reid

Published by:

http://www.adamantentertainment.com

Berandor and Dyal grin at each other, then turn to the Duke. "Looks like you're in quite a tight spot, Your Grace. We've got the documents, we've got the orb itself, and your wife has agreed to share the whole story with the Justicars. Why don't you come with us?" The Duke takes another look at the two hard-faced adventurers, stares at the floor for a second, then bolts for the window and leaps out. Berandor and Dyal stare for a second then groan in unison. Dyal scowls. "He's not getting away. Not after all this."

Hot Pursuit: The Definitive d20 Guide to Chases introduced a popular ruleset for handling those sorts of chases we thought were most common: where the participants have access to either mounts or vehicles in their efforts to escape or capture. We tried to present as simple a set of rules as possible that would cover a wide range of possible scenarios. Of course, in doing so, certain scenarios didn't get quite as much detail as they maybe deserved. For example, foot chases. This little booklet aims to fill that particular gap in the existing rules -- to provide a set of guidelines, tricks and admonishments to enable you to easily use the Hot Pursuit rules with chases where one or both of the participants are on foot. There's some changes to the way the basic Hot Pursuit maneuvers work when participants are running as opposed to riding or driving, there’s a couple of all-new maneuvers just for folks on foot, and Obstacles work a little differently. We've also come up with a whole new batch of example obstacles and locales. None of the changes invalidate anything in Hot Pursuit, mind you. These rules fit perfectly into those, just expanding them a little to cover breathless, pavementpounding pursuits. You'll need the original Hot Pursuit to use these rules, and your favorite d20 game. Have fun!

In adventure stories there always seems to be the moment where either the bad guy confronts the good guy, or the good guy confronts the bad guy, or anyway somebody gets confronted and they stand and fight to the last breath. Or, more rationally, run away. The d20 system offers a great set of rules for what to do in the "stand and fight" scenario, but the whole "run away" thing is a little overlooked. Which is a shame, because running away (or running after) produces some mighty memorable moments: Inigo Montoya chasing down the six-fingered man in The Princess Bride, or Michelle Yeoh's desperate pursuit of Chaibat's escape van at the end of Supercop. 1

Chase ONConditions FOOT Running around on foot, Chase Conditions still apply. You still have to deal with ranges, terrains, surfaces and speed categories. These rules don't really change, but there are some special considerations when chase participants are self-propelled.

Then there's Tiring. And Tiring is a whole new chase condition that we wanted to introduce for foot chases. Here it is.

Tiring

Of course, as a chase proceeds, characters who are on foot are going to be subject to fatigue. It's tough work, running for your life. It can also be tough work keeping track of who's tired, so we've presented two methods of getting people tired; one detailed (and with potentially more drama), and one dead-simple. You decide which one suits your gameplay.

Range

Range applies penalties to character’s Spot checks when made against another character. Determine the range between the two characters and apply the following modifiers to the Spot check roll: Range Point-Blank Short Medium Long Extreme

Spot check penalty 0 -2 -4 -8 -16

The Detailed Way A character can participate in a chase at their full speed for a number of rounds equal to half their Constitution score. Every round thereafter, the character must make a Fortitude save at DC 11 + (number of rounds since the first Fortitude save) in order to resist Tiring. Once the character fails one of these Fortitude Saves, they become fatigued (Str and Dex -2, can't run) and their speed drops by half. Any character can voluntarily reduce their speed to half normal. Rounds spent at half speed do not require Fortitude saves to resist Tiring, and do not count towards the number of rounds a character can run before needing to make Fortitude saves. Once a character spends 10 rounds consecutively at half speed, they can again begin running at their normal speed as though just beginning the chase. If they wish to return to full speed before then, they must make a Fortitude save at a DC equal to their last successful Fortitude save plus one. Characters who voluntarily reduced their speed before needing to make any Fortitude saves can resume full speed at any time, continuing to count rounds they can run at full speed from wherever they left off.

Terrain

Because folks on foot are apt to be a bit more nimble than folks in Abrams M-1 tanks, hoofers get special advantages when they're footling about in tighter conditions. A couple of maneuvers features new modifiers based on the current Terrain, as you’ll see in the Maneuvers section. But otherwise, all other aspects of Terrain, such as maximum speed category and chance of obstacles, work just like in good old Hot Pursuit.

Surface

For a couple of reasons, a character on foot suffers different penalties on less-than-ideal surfaces than does a character in a vehicle or riding a mount. Surfaces other than Clear inflict a stability penalty on all skill checks that involve a character's Dexterity. That includes Reflex saves and all Dex-based skills such as Balance, Hide and Tumble. The stability penalties for Surfaces are listed below: Surface Unsteady Rough Swampy

The Simple Way Characters can run at full speed for a number of rounds equal to 10 plus their Constitution modifier. After that their speed drops by half for 10 rounds, at which point they return to full speed again.

Stability penalty -4 -8 -12

If you wish, you can use these rules with mounts as well as runners. We wouldn’t, but you could. You could allow a Ride check to replace the mount’s Fortitude save, too, if you wanted.

You need to be pretty nimble to be able to dance gracefully through a swamp, let's just leave it at that.

Speed Categories

The Speed Categories in Hot Pursuit work with foot chases exactly as they do in vehicle chases. No alterations are required. 2

Obstacles ON FOOT Characters running along on foot encounter obstacles just like folks on horseback or in automobiles do.

Why Reduce Collision Damage? At run speed, an unencumbered human travels at Cautious speed (24 squares), which means they take 4d4 points of damage upon colliding with anything at least as big as themselves. That's an average of 8 points of damage. This means 1st-level characters have a very good chance of killing themselves by running into things, which even we think sounds kind of dumb. So we made the Crash check into a saving throw for half damage, which we know is totally unfair to all those poor mounts who have died in previous crashes. If you wanted to let them reduce the damage by half on a successful Crash check, we won't tell.

Encountering Obstacles

The chances of encountering an obstacle when on foot are exactly the same as when riding or driving.

Simple Obstacles

When faced with a simple obstacle, a character on foot can choose the Hard Brake, Swerve, White Knuckle or Jump obstacle maneuvers in response (same as for drivers, with the addition of Jump). Be sure to review the Maneuvers section below for details on how these maneuvers work differently in foot chases.

Crash Checks

Complex Obstacles

A Crash check for a running participant is a Reflex Save against the same DC as a standard Crash check in the Hot Pursuit rules (varies depending on Terrain). The special size modifier of the obstacle collided with is added to this DC, and the Check/Roll modifier of the current speed category applies to this saving throw (as do any other applicable modifiers such as the stability modifier for Surface). If the saving throw is successful, the Collision damage is reduced by half and the character can continue the chase unimpeded. If the saving roll is unsuccessful, the character takes full Collision damage and falls prone. The prone character automatically fails all opposed checks until their next round, and suffers all the usual combat penalties for being prone. On their next round, they can stand up and choose any Maneuver they like.

The available obstacle maneuvers for characters on foot are listed below for each Complex obstacle type. Barrier When responding to Barrier obstacles, characters on foot can use the Hard Brake, Swerve, White Knuckle or Jump obstacle maneuvers. Moat When responding to Moat obstacles, characters on foot can use the Hard Brake, Swerve or Jump obstacle maneuvers. Traffic When responding to Traffic obstacles, characters on foot can use the Hard Brake, Lean on the Horn (it may help to think of this as “Yell And Gesticulate Madly” instead), Swerve, White Knuckle or Jump obstacle maneuvers. Yes, you can jump over Traffic. If Jackie Chan and Tony Jaa can do it, so can you. Creature When responding to Creature obstacles, characters on foot can use the Hard Brake, Lean on the Horn, Swerve, White Knuckle or Jump obstacle maneuvers.

Collisions

When a character on foot collides with an obstacle, things work a little differently than they do for the driver of a car. Characters take normal damage from any collision, but unlike vehicles or mounts, characters reduce the damage dealt to them by half on a successful Crash check (see below). 3

Maneuvers ON FOOT People running can do lots of things that people in vehicles or riding around on triceratopses can't do: like jump up on a rooftop, or dive through a narrow window, or get lost in a crowd. So folks running end up using a whole host of skills that folks riding and driving don't get a chance to use. These available skills are described in the entries below for each maneuver. Before running a foot chase, read over the maneuver descriptions here. There's many changes from driving and riding chases so it's important you understand these changes. At least so that when your players are describing their antics, you can translate those into actual maneuvers.

crowded cafe, or out onto an empty street, or what have you). Close/Lengthen Characters on foot have a whole host of possibilities with Close/Lengthen. They can just make opposed Strength checks to try and pull away from their enemies (or close with them). Alternatively, they can use agility or strength to find surprising new twists and turns. Characters can use the following skills in place of a Strength check for Close/Lengthen maneuvers: Balance, Climb, Jump or Tumble. The use of these skills represents taking advantage of the surrounding terrain to find a quick way from Point A to Point B that requires skill to accomplish, like leaping up a sheer wall to grab a rooftop, or leaping across a canal, or slipping through an open window, or making a quick turn into a doorway at the last second.

Maneuver Modifier: When on foot, only TWO maneuvers allow the maneuver modifier: Head 'Em Off and Join. Characters on foot do not gain maneuver modifiers on any other maneuvers. Reasoning: See, a character on foot OUGHT to have a maneuver modifier equal to the Dexterity bonus combined with the AC modifier for size (just like a Mount does). And they do, sort of. Problem is, many maneuvers on foot that would ordinarily gain a maneuver modifier will be performed using skills or bonuses that already include the character's Dexterity bonus (such as Hard Brake or Pace). So to allow them to use a maneuver modifier on top of that would let them gain TWICE their Dexterity modifier. Which is hugely unfair, right? Right.

Chase Maneuvers Barnstorm Characters attempting this maneuver on foot can use Tumble to avoid the Collision (and the damage and the Crash check) associated with this maneuver. On a successful Tumble check at a DC equal to the Crash check DC, the character does not collide with an obstacle and takes no damage (nor needs to make a Crash check). Pursuing characters at Point-Blank range can do the same, otherwise they collide with the obstacle and take damage and must make a Crash check to avoid falling prone.

"He went that-a-way!"

When chosen by a pursuer, the Close/Lengthen attempt is opposed against the pursued character's Spot check; if the quarry can see the path their enemy’s trying to take, they can veer away and negate that advantage. When chosen by the pursued, pursuers that were at Close or Point-Blank range before the maneuver must oppose using the same skill the pursued did (unless they choose not to do so, in which case the maneuver automatically succeeds), while characters at Medium or greater range

Breakaway Characters attempting this maneuver on foot use a Balance check in place of Drive or Ride. Pursuing characters must make Balance checks at DCs equal to the Drive or Ride check DCs listed in Hot Pursuit, varying by distance from the pursued. This represents a quick change of direction into a drastically different sort of environment (darting into a 4

ON FOOT can use Spot to find a shortcut and negate the pursued character's advantage. A success using one of these skills is more dramatic than simply running faster than them, and so any character who succeeds at a Close/Lengthen maneuver using Balance, Climb, Jump or Tumble can increase or decrease the range between themselves and any opponents whose check they beat by two range categories rather than the usual one. However, the use of any of these skills carries with it a chance of failure that just running faster doesn't. A character whose skill check is insufficient to the task at hand fails at the attempt, and suffers the consequences. Jumping a canal, for example, requires a Jump check high enough to cross the canal. If the character's Jump check is insufficient, they fall into the canal, and most likely the chase ends for them at that point. Likewise a character attempting to scramble up a building wall needs to make a Climb DC of 15 or 20 or even 25 (depending on the wall) in order to scramble up. If they fail then they do not get up the wall and their pursuers automatically succeed at any Close-Lengthen maneuver against them. Some sample DCs are provided: Climb Up one story (to a roof or balcony) Up two stories (to a roof or balcony) Over a fence Down one story Down two stories Balance Sharp turn Across a narrow ledge Across a clothesline Tumble Through an open window, market stall, etc Through a packed crowd Jump Over a moving vehicle Over a flaming barbecue

Terrain: Terrain Open Tight Close

Spot DC 40 30 20

Allow the Spot check as a free action; if successful, the character can use one of the above-mentioned skills for their Close/Lengthen attempt. Crowd The Crowd maneuver is not available to folks running around. If you just want to bodycheck a guy, use One Hand On The Wheel to make a Melee Attack maneuver. Damn The Torpedoes This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules (except for the differences in Crash checks, as noted in the chapter on Obstacles). Escape This maneuver is not available to characters on foot. Characters on foot who have no pursuers at closer than Extreme range can end a chase by succeeding at a Close/ Lengthen check against all their opponents.

20 25 15 15 20

Evasion The Evasion maneuver is not available to chase participants on foot. Characters are assumed to always be using their agility and speed to make themselves difficult to target.

20 25 30

Hard Brake This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules, except that pursued and pursuers on foot use Balance in place of Drive or Ride for the skill check.

20 25 25 15

Head 'Em Off This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules.

A character attempting to oppose a Close/Lengthen attempt using one of these skills must not only exceed the DC for the task but also exceed their opponent’s result in order to succeed. Also note that as a DM, you have the right to say which (if any) of these skills will be applicable in a particular chase locale. We suggest you ask for a Spot check in order to find a suitable avenue for using any particular skill, setting the DC depending on the current

Join This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules, except that characters on foot use a

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ON FOOT Bluff check result 15 20 25 30 40

Strength check in place of a Drive or Ride check. Lose 'Em This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit, except that characters on foot use Hide in place of Drive or Ride for the skill check. They still gain a +2 synergy bonus for every 5 ranks they have in Bluff (so when you, like, pretend to go through a door and just hide around the corner, you know?).

Traffic Obstacle size Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal

All pursuing participants at Short or Medium range to the acting character automatically encounter the Traffic obstacle on their next action. Special: The character can attempt to create a Traffic obstacle in front of themselves instead of behind. Doing so decreases the size of the generated Traffic obstacle by two size categories for every range category ahead of themself they wish to create the obstacle. If the created Traffic obstacle would be smaller than Medium-sized, no obstacle is created. Characters who are at the same range ahead of the acting characters automatically encounter the Traffic obstacle on their next action.

One Hand On The Wheel This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules except that characters on foot use Balance in place of Drive or Ride, and if unsuccessful, the character may NOT choose to perform the Passenger maneuver anyway. Pace This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules, except that characters on foot use their Reflex save bonus for the opposed check.

Just What I Needed Find a useful implement. Maneuver Modifier: No Speed Factor: No Reaction Roll: Yes Range: Any Skill: Spot Need a weapon? Something improvised? Or maybe an available getaway vehicle with the engine running? Using this maneuver allows a character to potentially come up with a useful item. DC: See below Result: If successful, the character finds some useful (and not totally unreasonable) object near at hand and available. They cannot make use of the object until next round. The nature of the object found depends on the result of the Spot check:

Ram The Ram maneuver is not available to chase participants on foot. If you want to tackle your opponent, use One Hand On The Wheel to make a Melee Attack maneuver.

New Chase Maneuvers The following two maneuvers are new additions for perambulatory chase participants. They're After Me! Raise a ruckus, trying to increase congestion behind you. Maneuver Modifier: No Speed Factor: No Reaction Roll: No Range: Any Skill: Bluff As a character charges along, they can attempt to rouse onlookers, getting them to stand up and mill about confusedly, increasing congestion behind them and hopefully slowing down pursuers. DC: See below Result: If successful, the character creates a Traffic obstacle behind themselves. The size of the obstacle depends on the result of the Bluff check:

Spot check result 15 20 25

Useful Object nature Simple melee weapon, small worthless object Martial or exotic melee weapon, somewhat valuable object Vehicle or Mount, very valuable object

Opposing characters can make a Spot check in reaction to the acting character's check. If they match the acting character's result, they find another object of similar value or impact. 6

ON FOOT Characters with at least 5 ranks in Sleight of Hand gain a +2 synergy bonus on these checks.

Obstacle Maneuvers Hard Brake This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules, except that characters on foot use Balance in place of Drive or Ride for the skill check.

Passenger Maneuvers Ranged Attack This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules. Characters MAY elect to stop running and perform a Ranged Attack, in which case they automatically fail all Close/Lengthen attempts against them until their next round. Characters who elect to do so do not need to make a One Hand On The Wheel attempt and do not suffer the normal penalties with respect to that maneuver.

Swerve This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules, except that characters on foot use Balance in place of Drive or Ride for the skill check. White Knuckle This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules except that characters on foot receive a +2 synergy bonus for having at least 5 ranks in Tumble.

Melee Attack This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules. Characters on foot must use One Hand On The Wheel to perform this maneuver. Characters on foot also have Strength bonus to attack and damage rolls reduced by half.

Jump This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules, except that characters on foot use Jump in place of Drive or Ride for the skill check.

Leap Aboard A character on foot may attempt a Leap Aboard maneuver as though a passenger. They do not need to use One Hand On The Wheel to make a Leap Aboard maneuver.

Lean On The Horn This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules.

Jump Clear Um, you can't jump clear of YOURSELF. Duh. Regain Control Nope. Take Charge Uh-uh. Catch It! This maneuver works exactly the same as in standard Hot Pursuit rules. Characters on foot must use One Hand On The Wheel to perform this maneuver. Assorted Action You'll probably need One Hand On The Wheel, but you know, make sure it's cool, whatever it is. Half A Full-Round Action If you're running, you can't actually perform a fullround action. No.

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ON FOOT Notes on Chase Combat Okay, it may not be immediately apparent, from reading through the altered maneuvers descriptions, how one goes about tackling an opponent or bopping him on the head or stuff like that. So here goes. Making a Melee Attack If you're on foot and wish to make a melee attack against your opponent, you first have to succeed at a One Hand On The Wheel maneuver, just to position yourself properly (of course you have to be at Point-Blank range to the sucker). If successful, you can then make a Melee Attack maneuver normally (taking a -4 penalty for One Hand On The Wheel, of course). Generally speaking, melee combat during chases is simpler than in standard d20 combat. Characters do not get attacks of opportunity, and many special attack actions are not available durind a chase. The details of how chases affect special attack actions are listed below. Special Melee Attack Actions You can use your Melee Attack just to smack your enemy upside the head, or you can attempt one of a number of standard combat actions. Aid Another: If an ally is also at Point-Blank range to the same target, you can use this action normally (with the -4 penalty to the attack roll, as described above). Bull Rush: As you and the target are running as fast as you can in the same direction, you cannot use Bull Rush against them. Charge: Likewise, you cannot Charge another character in a chase. Disarm: You can use Disarm normally, although the target does not get an attack of opportunity when you do so. Feint: You and your target are too busy running to make Feint attempts. Grapple: You can attempt to tackle the blighter by making a successful grapple attack against him. The defender does not get an attack of opportunity when you attempt to start the gapple. Regardless of the success of this grapple attempt, the attacking character must immediately make a Crash check or fall prone. A successful grapple attempt forces the defending character to make an immediate Crash check or fall prone, and in any event a successful grapple attempt ends the chase immediately. Overrun: You cannot use Overrun against an opponent in a chase.

"Stop in the name of the King! Stop!"

Sunder: You can use Sunder normally, although the target does not get an attack of opportunity when you do so. Trip: You can use Trip normally, although the defender does not get an attack of opportunity when you do so. Instead, the defender makes a Crash check to avoid falling prone if the Trip attempt is successful. If the Crash check is successful, the Trip attempt has no affect.

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An Example ON FOOT upstairs and doesn’t see you coming. You vault over a chaise lounge and plow through a damask curtain. You can hear shrieks and curses from upstairs. Next round you can attempt the Join maneuver, and you’ll get a +5 on that check. Ber: Roger that. DM: The Duke storms inside, and you can hear him yelling about how “They” are after him. He’s trying to rouse up a mob behind him. That’s a They’re After Me! maneuver and he gets a 23 on his Bluff check. Dyal, it’s your turn and you have to deal with a Large Traffic obstacle. Dyal: “Excuse me, ladies, coming through!” DM: Right. Let’s call that Lean On The Horn. Make an Intimidate check. DC 14. Dyal: A 17. DM: With a couple of screams and panicky clutches at skimpy clothing, the crowd parts to let you through. Dyal: Cause I gots mojo. DM: Right. Berandor, your turn. You can see the Duke plunging down the stairs. The place is in chaos, people hollering and running in all directions, cloth fluttering in the air, somebody knocks over a card table. You need to make a Join attempt at this point. That’s a Strength check. Ber: At last! A natural 20. Plus 2 for my strength, plus 5 for Head ‘Em Off, that’s 27. DM: Plus your Dex modifier, since Join lets you use the Maneuver modifier. That makes a 31, minus one for the Speed Category. Your base DC for Join is 15, at Extreme range. You exceeded that by 15, so you re-enter the chase at Short range, just behind Dyal. The two of you barrel out the back of the brothel after your quarry. Ber: He’s not getting away.

Here’s an example of how this all works: DM: The Duke is going for it. He’s booting down the roadway, currently at Short range to you two. Let’s roll for initiative. Ber: A 21. Dyal: A 6. DM: Okay, Berandor, you’re first. What’s your plan? Ber: I’m following him. I’ll jump out the window and head after the little sneak. DM: Alrightie. That’s simple Close/Lengthen. Make a Strength check. You guys have the same base Speed, so no Speed Factor modifier. Ber: Crap. I got a 9. DM: The Duke puts on the power and gets... a 12. He stays at Short range. And now it’s his turn. He sees you coming after him and tries to scramble up to the balcony of the nearby brothel. That’s a Climb check and he gets a 23, minus 1 for the Speed Category, is a 22, just enough to clamber up onto the balcony. He’ll be at Long range if you can’t make the Climb check. Dyal, you have to do the same thing. Dyal: I’m still in the room, aren’t I? Why am I making a Climb check? DM: Well, that’s what the rules say. It’s like this: if you just jump out the window and run down the road, you’ll be at Long range. If you climb up onto the roof of the Duke’s office, you can follow him and stay at Short range. Dyal: All right. I get a 24 on my Climb. Ber: Why can’t I get a good roll here? My Climb check is a 14. DM: Okay, Dyal, you’ve scramble up onto the roof of the office. You can see the Duke on the balcony opposite you, at Short range. Berandor, you fall to the street and are now at Long range. Stop growling, they’re your dice. It’s your turn, Dyal. Dyal: I’m going to jump across to the balcony. DM: Excellent. It’s about ten feet across the road. Go for it. Dyal: I get a 17. DM: The Duke gets to oppose that with his Spot check, and he gets a 10. Oops. He does not see you coming. You pound along the tiles, sailing across the road to crash down on the balcony, sending ladies screaming in all directions. You’re at Point-Blank range -- the Duke’s at the other end of the balcony and heading inside. Ber, over to you. Ber: I’m going head inside to try and cut him off. DM: Cool, that’s a Head ‘Em Off maneuver. Make a Spot check. The DC is 20. Ber: At last! A 28. DM: Okay, you barge in. The doorman is still looking

Note in this example how the DM “creatively” interprets the results of the rules. You’ll find yourself doing this a lot as you run chases, so be flexible and keep trying to come up with scenarios in which the results make sense. Provide inspiration to your characters by describing the scene, the key elements in it, so that they can say things like, “There’s a curtain? Right on, I jump out, grab the curtain and swing across the theatre to where the Viscount is sitting. Ha!” Make it easy for your players to do cool stuff. Because doing cool stuff is fun.

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Extras ON FOOT For chase participants running around on their feet, it's perhaps useful to dwell on some likely obstacles and locales they might encounter. So we're going to.

double damage. Because, ouch. Moats Vat 'O Goo, Medium-size Moat; Size Mod +0; hp 0; hardness 0 Generally speaking, falling in goo is bad. Characters who "collide" with a Vat 'O Goo fall in and suffer the consequences (specifics depending on nature of said goo). They must spend a round pulling themselves free, and any other characters automatically succeed at any Close/ Lengthen maneuvers against them that round.

Obstacles Barriers Heavy Table, Medium-size Barrier; Size Mod +0; hp 20; hardness 5 Standard-issue table designed to withstand bar brawls and plunging swashbucklers, this is not going to easily fall apart when subjected to chase-related indignities. Due to its low-to-the-ground-but-sturdy construction, Jump attempts against the heavy table gain a +2 circumstance bonus, while attempts to use White Knuckle and just plow through it suffer a -2 penalty (that is, the normal bonus for White Knuckle is cancelled).

Bath, Large (or Huge) Barrier; Size Mod +4 (+8); hp 0; hardness 0 A chase scene in a public bathhouse offers more opportunities for comedy than we can properly process. But at the least, there's falling into hot water and thrashing about vigorously. Characters who collide with a bath fall in and must spend a round pulling themselves free. Any other chase participants automatically succeed at any Close/Lengthen maneuvers against them that round.

Market Stall, Huge Barrier; Size Mod +8; hp 20; hardness 5 Whether selling long bolts of silk or bushels of roasted chestnuts, a market stall provides no end of comic and dramatic potential. Though Huge, a Market Stall is of rickety construction and so for purposes of collisions (including Crash checks and damage dealt) it is considered Medium-sized.

Traffic Street Musicians, Large Traffic; Size Mod +4; hp 8 x 4; hardness 0 A gang of banjo-pickin' fun-lovers, a barbershop quartet or a group of warbling minstrels. Plowing into musicians is a sure recipe for chaos. Musicians are wimpy types, usually, so chase participants gain a +2 bonus on Lean On The Horn attempts. Unless these are, like punk rockers or mightily-thewed Nordic skalds, in which case a -2 penalty on such attempts would be appropriate.

Market Stall WITH FIRE, Huge Barrier; Size Mod +8; hp 20; hardness 5 Everything is more fun with FIRE. A Market Stall where chestnuts are actually being roasted or bulette skewers are sizzling away introduces even more fun into your chases. Characters who collide with a Market Stall WITH FIRE (whether from a White Knuckle maneuver or failing some other maneuver) take 1d6 hp fire damage and if they fail their Crash check, they are ON FIRE, all in addition to taking normal collision damage (remember that Market Stalls are treated as Medium-sized for purposes of collisions). Now who's having fun?

Parade, Colossal Traffic; Size Mod +16; hp 8 x 32; hardness 0 Everybody loves a parade! Trying to get through anything of this size is not going to be easy, but characters who choose Lose 'Em instead of any Obstacle maneuver gain a +2 bonus on their Lose 'Em attempts when plowing into a bustling parade.

Rack 'O Sharp Implements, Small Barrier; Size Mod -4; hp 5; hardness 5 Could be garden tools, could be a traveling knife dealer, whatever. It's not too high, but any characters who collide with a Rack 'O Sharp Implements are going to take 2d4 damage from assorted puncture wounds, in addition to normal collision damage. Note that to succeed at a Jump attempt against the Rack, the characters must clear a distance of at least 15 feet (assuming the Rack is a little less than 4 feet high). You might (we would) rule that characters who fail a Jump check over the Rack suffer

Another Chase, Huge Traffic; Size Mod +8; hp 10 x 6; hardness 0 "Follow that man!" "No, follow that man!" Hi-jinks ensue when our heroes in hot pursuit of the bad guy (or vice versa) run afoul of half-a-dozen stout constables in equally hot pursuit of some miscreant. Characters gain a +2 bonus on any Crash checks as a result of stumbling into another chase, and if they attempt a They're After Me! maneuver instead of choosing an Obstacle maneuver, they gain a +2 circumstance bonus on the attempt. 10

ON FOOT Locales

Crowded Establishment A tavern, or a brothel or even (dare we suggest it) a public bath -- any of these types of locations tend to be full of confused folks who get in the way, provide cover, muck up the evidence and generally cause trouble. Terrain: Tight. Chase participants dart and swerve around people, unable to work up much speed and often encountering obstacles in their path. Surface: Clear. To jazz it up, make the floor soapy (Unsteady or even Rough), in order to force Balance checks and increase the comic potential. At the very least, mention that buckets of soapy water are sitting nearby so that somebody can use the undocumented Dump Bucket maneuver. Special: Chase participants attempting the Lose 'Em or They're After Me! maneuvers gain a +2 bonus in a place like this, where so many individuals are packed together.

DANGER HARD HAT AREA Construction Site Okay, first go and watch the Jackie Chan film Mr. Nice Guy. It's not very good, but you'll know when you get to the bit you need to watch. Keep your finger on the "Rewind" button. That's what I'm talking about. Terrain: Close. There's room to maneuver here, but it's not lots of room. Power tools and cables and wood frames beckon. Surface: Clear. Good, solid footing for wacky hi-jinks. Special: Any attempts at Just What I Needed receive a +2 bonus in a place like this, where just about anything might turn up. Close/Lengthen maneuvers using any of the listed skills (Balance, Climb, Jump, Tumble) also receive a +2 bonus. Plenty of Racks 'O Sharp Implements, too. We reckon. Not to mention Buckets 'O Nails, Big Poundy Sledgehammer Things, and Wet Cement. Get creative.

Treetop Village Up among the branches, with vine ropeways and hanging bridges, the emphasis is on keeping your balance. Terrain: Close. The ropeways and bridges and platforms aren't packed with traffic, but you do have to be on your toes. Surface: Unsteady. Everything's hanging and dangling. You definitely don't want to slip and plunge to your certain doom. Special: Obviously, there's the danger of plunging to your certain doom. Anytime a chase participant falls prone, they need to make a Reflex Save at DC 15 (make it higher for more danger, if the ropeways et al are especially perilous) or plunge. The Spot DCs for "special" skill use (especially Balance, Climb and Jump) in Close/ Lengthen are reduced to 20, as though the Terrain were Tight. You could also allow chase participants to "shake the cables" as a means of disrupting another character's progress -- as they scramble across some hanging bridge, the acting character takes hold of the cables supporting that segment and shakes them with gusto, cackling madly as their enemies stumble and again with the plunging. Treat this as a Ranged attack, but instead of making an attack roll, the acting character makes a Strength check, which the defending character opposes with a Balance check. If the Balance check is successful, the attempt has no affect. If the Balance check is unsuccessful, the defending character falls prone.

11

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Lots of people helped me with this product. Mad props: My wife, Stephanie, always the best of critics and the staunchest of allies. Joshua Dyal and Berandor, stalwart editors and rappers of knuckles. And hapless (but heroic) example PCs. The ENWorld Posse, including Klaus, FickleGM, ledded, iwatt, Deadguy, BardStephenFox, for inspiration and determination. Gareth-Michael Skarka of Adamant Entertainment, yet again providing sterling support. If you enjoy it, I’m pleased. Swing by ENWorld.org and let me know -- I hang out there as “barsoomcore”. If you hate it, I’d like to know why, so do the same.

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12

Maneuver Chart: On Foot CHASE

CHECK TYPES

MANEUVER MODIFIER?

Barnstorm

Tumble

N

N

Breakaway

Balance

N

Y

Balance/Climb/Jump/ Tumble/Strength

N

Y

Crash Check

N

N

Balance

N

N

Spot

Y

Y

Strength

Y

Y

Just What I Needed

Spot

N

N

Lose ‘Em

Hide

N

N

Balance

N

N

Reflex Save

N

Y

Bluff

N

N

CHECK TYPES

MANEUVER MODIFIER?

RANGE

Ranged Attack

N

Long or less

Melee Attack

Melee Attack

Y

Point-Blank

Leap Aboard

Jump

Y

–

Melee Touch Attack

Y

–

–

?

–

CHECK TYPES

MANEUVER MODIFIER?

TYPE

Hard Brake

Balance

N

Barrier, Moat, Traffic, Creature

Swerve

Balance

N

Barrier, Moat, Traffic, Creature

–

N

Barrier, Traffic, Creature

Jump

Y

Barrier, Moat, Traffic, Creature

Intimidate

N

Traffic, Creature

Close/Lengthen Damn The Torpedoes Hard Brake Head ‘Em Off Join

One Hand On The Wheel Pace They’re After Me!

PASSENGER Ranged Attack

Catch It! Assorted Action

OBSTACLE

White Knuckle Jump Lean On The Horn

SPEED FACTOR?