In Hot Pursuit - Fast and Memorable Chase Sequences

The Problem We're Looking to Solve

There are a lot of different ways to think about chases in RPG systems:

1. The referee makes a ruling, or rolls a die(s) behind the screen
2. The chase is resolved by a single skill check
3. You play out an obstacle sequence / skill challenge
4. The chase is treated as a full-scale combat

I'm not a huge fan of any of these. Some feel too short/simple, while others drag a chase out far longer than it needs to be. Obviously, sometimes the situation isn't really a chase at all. If a pack of bikers is chasing some guy on foot, that's not a tense action sequence, that's a bad life choice resolving itself. We don’t need a procedure.

Following that logic, the chase rules in Null Protocol only show up when the outcome is actually in doubt.

Keep It Moving

When a chase starts, each side picks one lead character to roll. Usually that’s the driver, the scout, or whoever is keeping it together while everybody else is busy panicking.

The chase lasts three rounds.

• If the Runners win two rounds, they get away.
• If the Pursuers win two rounds, they close the gap and the chase is over.

A simple best of three. That's not very interesting! Well, the devil is in the details.

What Happens Each Round

Each round follows the same structure:

1. Frame the Scene. The Referee describes the immediate situation within the larger chase. Maybe it's a crowded intersection, maybe there's a box truck merging onto the highway, or maybe it’s a market full of pedestrians and cheap plastic awnings.
2. Assist. One player can choose to explain how they help. This can be anything, but it comes with the risk that it might help or hinder. Do they hang out the window and open fire? Grab some clothes off a rack to help the Crew change outfits? Kick crates out the back of the van? Whatever makes sense. The referee then calls for a Save (BODY, MIND, or COOL) depending on what the PC is doing. If they pass, they help the leader and grant Advantage on the Opposed Save (step 3). If they fail, their actions cause a problem for the leader, and the situation gets worse and imposes Disadvantage on the Opposed Save (step 3).
3. Opposed Save. The lead character on each side makes an opposed COOL Save.

This gives the Crew something to do without slowing the scene. If things devolve into Combat, then we're not in a Chase anymore, go look up the Combat rules.

Why COOL?

Because COOL is your Vital for working under pressure, and a life or death chase is probably pretty stressful. To be completely fair, I can't say from personal experience, I've never actually tried it.

Asymmetry Matters

Numbers change the shape of a pursuit.

One Runner trying to shake multiple Pursuers is in trouble and always rolls with Disadvantage.

A whole Crew being chased by one vehicle has the option to split up, forcing the Pursuer to pick who they go after, but the chase continues on as normal.

I want the procedure to stay simple, but I still want the fiction of the chase to care about who is actually involved.

Micro-example

The Crew is trying to lose two police cruisers in a van they absolutely do not plan to return to the rental company.

The Referee frames the scene: an elevated interchange, dense traffic, pouring rain.

The Crew's gunner says they want to help by shooting out the tires of one of the cars. The Referee calls for a COOL Save to represent the character shooting out the back of the van in the rain while the driver weaves through traffic. Failure.

The gunner pulls out their Assault Rifle and unloads their whole magazine into traffic. However, the driver swerves at the wrong time and they hit the windshield of a nearby car instead, which sideswipes the van as the driver panics (or maybe has been killed, depending on how dark your game is).

The leader (the driver) has Disadvantage on the round's COOL Save, as they attempt to get off the jammed exit ramp as they fishtail. Somehow, the leader still manages to win the Opposed Save.

The Crew is up 1-0 in the best of three, and only needs to win one more contest in order to escape. The referee now needs to set up the next scene of the chase.

Next Time

I want the chase rules to get in, create some memorable moments, and get out before they overstay their welcome. The goal is to answer the only question that matters: do you get away?

Next time, I want to cover the rationale behind Saves and Opposed Saves. Not a terribly exciting topic if you're well versed in OSR game theory, but it's pretty foundational to the way Null Protocol is being designed. Until next time, Don't Flatline!