So: how do the chase rules work in conjunction with the action/maneuver rules and the initiative rules - like during a running gun fight when there's more going on than "just" the cinematic chase? The Chase rules seem to assume all that the opponents are doing is opening or closing the distance (via the competitive, not opposed, roll).

EXAMPLE: the chase scene during "Beyond the Rim." You have 4-5 PCs on foot chasing a repulsor sled with a driver and 1 or 2 minion groups in it.

1. WHEN during the round do the PCs and the sled pilot roll (chase rules)?

2. Do we assume that the PCs are using 2x maneuvers to run? It would seem so, but then there's the next question...

3. GENERALLY, rolling dice indicates an ACTION. So, is this an exception to that case, in that it's a Coordination / Athletics / Piloting *maneuver* ?

4. WHEN during the round does the relative distance change? This is a big deal for taking shots at one another. And how do you adjudicate if only SOME of the PCs close the distance to the sled.

i would also assume that, narratively, the de combatants continue to move through the station, ending ea turn in a different location... with the PCs either closer to, or further from, the sled.

i know this sounds crunchy, and the system intends NOT to be crunchy, but I KNOW that at least one particular player at my table will be nit picky if, god forbid, the dice go against him and he's out of position to shoot when it's "his turn". :-)

I might end up running this scene tonight - so THANKS in advance!!

MTFBWY,

- GM Khyrith

1. Just roll at the start of each round a competitive check for all parties in the chase. Just like the vehicle chase rules suggest.

2-4 answer that way themselves as everyone moves at the start of the round and maneuvers and actions are used as normally, while denying movement maneuvers which change range bands.

I can see what you're saying. But to the use of maneuvers as you say (All available EXCEPT moving);

A. Is it realistic - or CINEMATICALLY NARRATIVELY realistic - that someone could "aim twice", or so any other "scene changing" maneuver while running full out?

B. How then do you account for fatigue? They can move twice every round (normally costing 2 strain if they want to perform an action) AND perform up to two MORE maneuvers?

These are meant as open ended rhetoricals, not criticism

I call for competitive checks at the end of each round, but really, either way works. Initiative works as usual, and you have your full set of actions and maneuvers, but you can't use Maneuvers to move between range bands. I do allow maneuvers to add a Boost die to the Chase check, which can help keep low Athletics or Piloting folks in the chase.

So, as a one-round example, Hank, Dale and Bill are chasing the hoversled. The chase begins in a mostly empty hangar bay at Short range, but will soon continue into the crowded streets. All three of our heroes are running (which I call Speed 0), while the hoversled is driving, currently also Speed 0, but with a top speed of 1. Dale is pretty fast, so he spends one maneuver to draw his pistol, his action to shoot, and will rely on his Athletics to keep up. Bill is pretty slow, so he's spending both maneuvers to Boost his Chase check. Hank isn't all that fast, but he knows his way around. He spends a maneuver to boost his Chase check, and decides to try to find a shortcut. The GM calls for a Streetwise check. The minions on the sled shoot, while the pilot Accelerates to Speed 1 with a maneuver, then uses another to Boost his Chase check.

So we get to the end of the round, make out Chase checks, which in open terrain is a simple check, no difficulty. Dale gets 1 success and 3 Advantage, while Bill gets 1 success, 2 Advantage. Hank succeeded on his previous Streetwise check with a Triumph. He wants to spend the success to come out of an alleyway ahead of the sled as it pulls into the streets, which the GM says will add a Difficulty die to the Sled's Chase check. Hank spends the Triumph to Upgrade his own Chase check, and he gets an impressive 4 successes. The Minion group doesn't roll, as they're passengers, while the Pilot rolls two successes and an advantage, against that single difficulty. But wait! The sled is at Speed 1. I treat Current speed as "bonus successes" after a roll, so we call it three successes (Yes, in Open Terrain, speed is king, but just wait). So as the chase moves into the crowded streets, the Sled has increased the distance from Dale and Bill to Medium, but Hank has leapt out and may Engage the sled.

Now here's where the trouble begins. When you have to dodge things like asteroids and pedestrians, Speed and Size become a liability. You take half your silhouette, rounded up, and your speed. The higher of the two is your difficulty, the lower is how many times you upgrade the difficulty. So for a Human at speed 0, that will just be Difficulty 1, with 2 Black Setback due to the crowd. The sled is Silhouette 2, 1 Difficulty, at Speed 1, one Upgrade. So he's rolling 1 Red, 2 Black. And if he fails , he has to reduce his speed by 1, so it won't even help him out. If he gets a Despair, he's crashed into something and the vehicle will suffer a crit. Since Hank has closed and Engaged the sled, he may try to leap aboard and grapple with the pilot. He may try to knock him out, or just keep him from steering properly, making his check harder and offering Dale and Bill a chance to catch up.

2 minutes ago, Khyrith said:

I can see what you're saying. But to the use of maneuvers as you say (All available EXCEPT moving);

A. Is it realistic - or CINEMATICALLY NARRATIVELY realistic - that someone could "aim twice", or so any other "scene changing" maneuver while running full out?

B. How then do you account for fatigue? They can move twice every round (normally costing 2 strain if they want to perform an action) AND perform up to two MORE maneuvers?

These are meant as open ended rhetoricals, not criticism.

A. The GM should be throwing setback dice at anyone shooting, whether they're running, driving, or riding in back. They're on an unstable surface, things are crazy. The Aim maneuver will be pretty important for overcoming those black dice.

B. A character with high Athletics and Brawn should be able to keep up a chase for a while. One of the advantages of that "spend a maneuver to Boost your Chase check" trick is that it represents low-athletics characters having to burn through Strain just to keep up. Those Boost dice will help a lot, but if he wants to take any Actions, he can only keep up for so long.

7 minutes ago, Khyrith said:

I can see what you're saying. But to the use of maneuvers as you say (All available EXCEPT moving);

A. Is it realistic - or CINEMATICALLY NARRATIVELY realistic - that someone could "aim twice", or so any other "scene changing" maneuver while running full out?

B. How then do you account for fatigue? They can move twice every round (normally costing 2 strain if they want to perform an action) AND perform up to two MORE maneuvers?

These are meant as open ended rhetoricals, not criticism

What a GM allows for Maneuvers is up to them. In a foot chase I don't allow aiming.

I am a filthy, filthy double-poster.

7 hours ago, 2P51 said:

What a GM allows for Maneuvers is up to them. In a foot chase I don't allow aiming.

From a narrative perspective I like this short moments in a chase when the guy chasing is giving up on boosting his running performance, jumps onto a car for better oversight, stands just for a moment aiming, shoots and keep going again on the chase. I am sure we all have seen it in the movies a thousand times.

But what maneuvers are appropriated to any moment within the story is always up to the GM.

BTW, the Racer has some nice parcourt talents for on foot chases.

FN-1824 chase scene:

Quote

"I will leave the embassy with the gates open. And I will drop my weapon."

And that is how you are supposed to cleverly spend your advantages in a chase.