{"id":25135,"date":"2021-09-23T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T12:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=25135"},"modified":"2021-09-15T09:10:20","modified_gmt":"2021-09-15T14:10:20","slug":"daydreaming-tabletop-mechanics-chase-systems-in-rpgs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/daydreaming-tabletop-mechanics-chase-systems-in-rpgs\/","title":{"rendered":"DAYDREAMING TABLETOP MECHANICS: CHASE SYSTEMS IN RPGS"},"content":{"rendered":"

On social media, one of the TTRPG designers I deeply respect asked her network of creators for their preferred RPG chase system. Her friend\u2019s list is a who\u2019s who of tabletop gaming, yet the question received a mix of answers (listed at the end of this article). That question \u2013 When conducting a chase of any kind, what system did they prefer? \u2013 felt like a simple question that should have received a registry’s worth of RPG names. Instead, it was a mid-sized list of favorites. More surprising than the answers was the silence that the question generated. By \u201csilence,\u201d I mean very few creators responded. That lack of engagement didn’t feel like an uncaring void; no, I took the truncated list of respondents as an answer: Most creators don\u2019t love the existing RPG chase systems.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Maybe I\u2019m wrong, maybe the algorithms buried that post in a downbeat. However, I have to admit, I don\u2019t have any favorite chase options. That leaves me with this thought: Chase systems need some innovation. This article will talk about what might inspire a chase system or what story it might tell, but it will not propose a system. It’s daydreaming about the system, after all.<\/p>\n

Because you may have a favorite chase engine, let me put in a disclaimer: I have not played every RPG. This articles isn\u2019t written to say there have not been good chase sequences at your gaming table. I have no doubt you have many favorites. I know I\u2019ve been through some fun hunts where the dice kept the chase moving and fun. Despite their fun, I feel those chases worked due to quality GMing and the right dice rolls over the RPG engine being fine tuned. I say that if you had a great experience, it may be that your great escape was more great GMing than exceptional rulesets. But, there\u2019s the likelihood that I\u2019m missing a great system and hope to hear about it in the comments.<\/p>\n

When I write \u201cchase system\u201d I\u2019m not trying to be cryptic, I mean a set of rules designed to simulate chases, races, and hunts. Something that offers the timing and tension of the chase sequences from films like Bullitt, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Duel,<\/i> or The Bourne Identity<\/i>. Capturing that experience in tabletop seems to be difficult when compared to films. The camera and editing establish pacing through speed, stunts, angles, and cuts. The question here is, how would you bring that cinematic feel to tabletop? Alternately, what is the \u201cright\u201d tabletop feel for chases?<\/p>\n

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For me, thinking about chase mechanics is a timely question as I\u2019m nearing a major milestone in creating* my next project, FATE-nheit 4D6<\/i>. With one project marching towards its debut, I\u2019m toying with what\u2019s next and, among the options, there\u2019s an RPG about possessed drivers, evil vehicles, car chases, and ritual routes to rid the roads of raging demons. Inspirations for this includes Stephen King\u2019s Christine<\/i><\/a>, Supernatural<\/i><\/a>, and R.S. Belcher\u2019s The Brotherhood of the Wheel<\/i><\/a>, a series about road warriors defending the highways. These concepts and others inspired some of the beats for this world, but there\u2019s enough variance that the RPG I\u2019m considering would be its own property. While I don\u2019t know if my road rage RPG concept will ever leave the that-would-be-neat design phase, I feel like there\u2019s enough there to think on what the mechanics could be.<\/p>\n

For any game of wheeled warriors, a chase system \u2013 a good<\/b> chase system \u2013 would be critical to bring any of those tales to tabletop. Since these stories need a set of mechanics meant to create action and tension the question is, what would work best to bring that about? For these settings, it\u2019s possible to lean into the speed and cars and Michael Bay style explosions. It may work best to be fast and simulate the bumps and accidents that give those moments their suspense. For this style of storytelling, the system needs to give each player something to do during the chase sequence so they don\u2019t feel left out. It needs to offer a real chance of successfully running the other car down (crash, knock them off the road, run out of gas, engine failure, etc.) or the chased car getting away.<\/p>\n

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Going deeper, what style of race am I trying to recreate? There are two narrative choices to decide between. Those choices are focused on what part of the race you’ll highlight. The beginning to middle, the length of the event with all of the near misses and crashes, or the end where we learn the conclusion.<\/p>\n

The beginning to the middle might best be seen as Disney\u2019s 1949 short, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow<\/i>. In that tale, we get the chase with a strong start and a satisfying middle, but the end is never revealed in detail. With an open ending, we find satisfaction in the story leading to it, which, in my opinion, that cartoon excels at. Do I want a game that conveys the twists and turns?<\/p>\n

The conclusion of the chase is the most important element in any long term narrative. What should that final moment be? Obviously, if I only concern myself with the, ahem<\/i>, end of the road (oy), it\u2019d be an easier system, but it might not satisfy the action of this world.<\/p>\n

Beyond what would be specific to the narrative that I\u2019m thinking on, the chases will be three way affairs with a victim, a demon chaser, and a heroic chaser trying to save the victim and stop the demon. How do we accomplish all of that in a smooth, fun format?<\/p>\n

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Really, I\u2019m open to either narrative option so long as I can figure out the \u201cright\u201d engine to convey either the middle or the end. Mechanically, I\u2019m open to any option be it dice, cards, tokens, bets, spinners, abstract art, Jenga, or narration? What tool will we use to randomize the results? What elements will the game have? Beyond generic stats and specializations related to driving, mechanics, and the occult, we\u2019ll need to give everyone in the chase something to do; a way to contribute.<\/p>\n

So, as you can read, that\u2019s where I\u2019m stumped. What story do I want to tell and what system, new or existing, will create edge of your seat experiences? Barring edge of your seat, what system will make sense as a storytelling tool that explains how all of the actions involved in running a car down led to this conclusion?<\/p>\n

I reviewed the systems list in the post for the original question and I\u2019m still trying to find the \u201cperfect\u201d answer. When it arrives, I\u2019ll be ready to write that RPG. While I consider this, dear reader, what RPG chase system speaks to you?<\/p>\n

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Suggested Chase Systems From The Original Question:<\/b><\/p>\n