Chases

When your characters are on a mission, you can be sure at some point they are going to be chased or do some chasing themselves.

Chases are played out in Action Rounds, like combat. Before each round, all the characters involved in the chase join in a bidding war to determine which side has the advantage. The bidding uses numbers which equal the Ease Factor of any maneuver a character chooses. The lower the Ease Factor a character bids, the more daring he will be as he attempts his maneuver. This simulates the ability of someone to dare a more spectacular maneuver than his enemy in order to intimidate him.

Since it’s impossible to predict where all of your chases will take place, these rules are played out without worrying about environments and terrains (such as city streets, countryside, mountains and the like) to complicate play. Your GM will supply the color, detail and modifiers which those situations dictate.

### Chase Related Skills

When your character is involved in a chase on foot, they use Evasion; if they are driving any land vehicle, they use Driving; if using a horse or other animal, they use Riding; in the air they would use Piloting; under or on top of water in a vehicle, Boating; underwater without a vehicle, Diving. Whenever you are called upon to make a roll for your character during a chase, you use one of the skills listed above unless otherwise indicated in this chapter.

## The Chase Sequence

Any chase that takes place during play is resolved in the order indicated below. Each of the following steps is resolved individually, and when they are completed, one Action Round is completed.

1. The GM determines the range at which the chase begins; if this is not the first Action Round, the range will be that determined by the maneuvers undertaken during the last round.
2. The bidding for this Action Round is resolved.
3. The side which bid lower declares which side goes first.
4. The side going first declares which maneuver will be attempted.
5. The maneuver is resolved. If it is successful, the results are applied immediately; if it is unsuccessful, determine whether a mishap has occurred.
6. The first side can now fire any weapons it has.
7. The side going second declares which maneuver(s) it wishes to attempt; the maneuver is resolved as in step 5.
8. The second side can now fire its weapons.

The Action Round is completed. Go back to the first step and repeat the sequence until the chase is over. The GM will decide when the chase is completed.

### Explanation of Steps

**Step 1**: There are five range categories in the chase sequence: Close, Medium, Long, Distant and Extreme. With the exception of Extreme, these distances correspond to the ranges of weapons in combat (see here). Close range in a chase equals Close range in combat, Medium equals neutral, and Long and Distant equal Long. Extreme range does not have an equivalent in combat. The distances are used to resolve gunfire and to visualize the positioning of the characters and vehicles involved in the chase.

**Step 2**: Each side takes part in a bidding war, first one side making a bid and then the other. The numbers you are bidding represent the Ease Factor of the maneuver you will perform (the various maneuvers are explained later). There are distinct advantages in going either first or last during an Action Round, depending on what you want your character to do. You have to balance the advantage of gaining the initiative against the danger involved if you fail your maneuver by bidding low.

The bidding always starts at an Ease Factor of 7 and moves down, with the lower bidder winning — that is, determining who will go first in the round. You can bid any Ease Factor lower than 7 to start the bidding, and can skip numbers if you wish. Each player bids individually if the characters are separated (in different vehicles, on foot, and so on), and performs their character’s maneuver in Step 5 or 7. If the characters are together in one vehicle, the player whose character is controlling the vehicle bids for the group, and only one maneuver is performed for the whole group. The GM bids once for all the NPCs involved in the chase, whether they are separated or together in one vehicle; the NPCs all select the same maneuver though each NPC or group will be checked individually to determine their success at their maneuver.

If vehicles are involved in the chase, their Performance Modifier (see here) may affect the final Ease Factor for the maneuver. Vehicles are also given a Redline, which limits the lowest Ease Factor number that can be bid without incurring a potential mishap. A good analogy for bidding is that the lower you bid, the harder you will press down the accelerator and the likelier a mishap will occur.

At this point, neither side reveals which maneuver it will do. The first side will announce its maneuver and perform it in Step 5 and the second side in Step 7.

**Step 3**: The winning bidder now announces whether his character will go first or last. Depending on the situation, it may be advantageous to go last instead of first. The GM determines the order in which all other Player Characters will perform their maneuvers.

**Step 4**: If a player decides to go first, they describe to the GM what they wish their character to do in this Action Round. The GM decides the character will perform either a Pursue/Flee, Quick Turn, Double Back, Force, or Trick maneuver (see below for explanations). If the NPCs goes first, the GM selects one maneuver for them. Certain maneuvers may not be possible given the range and speed of the vehicles.

**Step 5**: The first side now resolves its maneuver. All maneuvers for all bidders are resolved at the Ease Factor of the winning bid, including any modifiers the GM may apply. The Performance Modifiers of the vehicles affect the final Ease Factor.

If the maneuver for the first side is successful, its effects are brought about (see below for the effects of maneuvers). If the maneuver failed, then a mishap may occur and the dice are rolled again to make a Safety roll. Each maneuver has a Safety Ease Factor listed with it, which is modified by the GM to determine the final Ease Factor for the Safety roll. If the Safety roll succeeds, there is no mishap, and play continues. Player Characters can use their Hero Points to affect either the initial maneuver roll or the Safety roll (see here for the use of Hero Points).

**Step 6**: After the results of the maneuver are determined (such as a change in range, damage to the vehicles, etc.), the first side may now fire at the other side, if it is eligible to do so. The rules for Fire Combat (see here) are used to resolve these situations.

**Step 7**: The other side now resolves its maneuver(s) at an Ease Factor equal to the winning bid. The effects of the maneuver are applied immediately.

**Step 8**: The other side may now resolve its Fire Combat as is Step 6.

## Maneuvers

You explain to the GM what you wish your character to do during the Action Round, and they will help you decide what kind of maneuver your character will perform. As you become more familiar with the chase routine, you will then be able to select whichever maneuver you think is correct for your character. The maneuvers that can be selected include Pursue/Flee, Force, Quick Turn, Double Back and Trick. Each maneuver is described on the following pages.

### Pursue/Flee

SAFETY EASE FACTOR: 6

Pursue/Flee is an attempt either to close the distance between characters or to increase it. If you wish to close the distance, you are Pursuing; if you wish to increase it, you are Fleeing.

The chart to the right indicates how many distance ranges have been either closed or increased, depending on the Quality Rating. You can never get any nearer than Close, but you can get farther than Extreme (that is, Extreme +1, Extreme +2, etc.). If a character is trying to Flee, and they move beyond Extreme and is the last to move in that Action Round, they escape. If a character is trying to Pursue and is beyond Extreme range, they have until the end of that Action Round to come back into Extreme range to continue the chase. A character may voluntarily lessen the amount of categories changed (the distance may never be better than Close range).

**Limitations**: If a character’s maximum speed is less than his rival’s cruising speed, a Pursue/Flee maneuver cannot be chosen. If a character is on foot and the other side has any kind of vehicle, this maneuver cannot be chosen by the character. Thus, a character on foot would be unable to Pursue a helicopter, since their speed is so much less than the helicopter’s. Likewise, a character on foot cannot Flee a helicopter for the same reason, so they would have to choose some other maneuver, such as Quick Turn. The environment in which a chase takes place may affect a Pursue/Flee maneuver, and the GM will determine any limitations to characters or vehicles as they see fit.

### Force

SAFETY EASE FACTOR: 4

A Force is an attempt to physically intimidate another character into a mishap, roughly equivalent to being pushed off the road, run down by a taxi on the sidewalk and the like. Each vehicle has a Force Rating, indicating in a general way how massive the thing is (see here). This rating acts as an Ease Factor modifier to any Force attempt. When a Force maneuver is attempted, add the forcing vehicle’s Force Rating to the Ease Factor and the subtract the forced vehicle’s Force Rating.

A character must receive a Quality Rating 3 or better for the Force to succeed. If they succeed, the side being forced makes a Safety roll to avoid a mishap at an Ease Factor equal to the Quality Rating of the forcing player’s dice result (with modifiers applied due to Performance Modifiers, weather, and so on). If the forcing character fails their dice roll, they must perform a Safety roll to avoid a mishap.

If the purpose of the force is not to cause a mishap, the forcer must state what result they wish to obtain and the GM may allow it as they see fit. For example, one plane may wish to force another to land but not to have it crash. The GM allows this attempt but applies a —2 Ease Factor modifier. If successful, the plane has been forced to land.

**Limitations**: A Force may be attempted only if the range when the maneuver is chosen is Close. A successful force attempt between two characters who are on foot means they are now engaged in Hand-to-Hand Combat.

### Quick Turn

SAFETY EASE FACTOR: 4

A Quick Turn is an attempt to have the pursuer lose track of your character by their ducking into an alleyway, hiding in some bushes, diving into a cloud bank or something similar. If the attempt is successful, the pursuer attempts a Perception roll at an Ease Factor equal to twice the Quality Rating of the fleer’s result. If this response roll is also successful, it means the pursuer has anticipated the maneuver, and the range is now Close. If the pursuer fails their roll, the chase is over since they have lost track of their target.

**Limitations**: This maneuver may be chosen only by a character being chased, and only if the range is Long or Extreme.

### Double Back

SAFETY EASE FACTOR: 4

A Double Back is an attempt to make a 180 degree turn back upon a pursuer. If successful, the two characters will pass each other going in different directions.

If the maneuver is successful, the range immediately becomes Close. Then, if their pursuers do not immediately successfully perform a Double Back maneuver at a Ease Factor equal to the Quality Rating of the first character’s maneuver, the range immediately becomes Extreme prior to the next maneuver. Once the two characters are in Close range, the pursuer may attempt a Force maneuver instead of a Double Back. If their Force fails, the range will then become Extreme.

**Limitations**: This maneuver cannot be attempted by the pursuer. Also, it may be attempted only at Close or Medium range. If the range is greater than Medium, it is assumed the pursuer could see the maneuver begin and have enough time to react before the two vehicles passed and thus avoid it if they wished.

### Trick

SAFETY EASE FACTOR: 3

A Trick maneuver is virtually everything else a character might attempt during a chase — jumping a wide ditch, tilting the car onto two wheels, skiing at top speed through a dense thicket, grabbing someone else’s parachute off them in mid-fall, etc. A Trick maneuver is usually more difficult than other maneuvers and has the lowest Safety Ease Factor assigned to it.

You describe to the GM what you want your character to do, and they determine whether or not the character will be able to perform the requested action. Their decision will be based on the complexity of the task, the environment in which it will take place, the number of wounds your character has or the damage incurred by their vehicle, and so forth. If the maneuver is not allowed, you can choose a different one (though you may suffer a penalty). If the Trick maneuver succeeds, the other side must perform the same maneuver at the same Ease Factor to maintain the same range. A failed attempt will result in a mishap, unless a Safety roll succeeds.

If the Quality Rating is 3 or better, the maneuver happens as your character wished it to. On a Quality Rating of 4, the maneuver occurs as desired, but the impact, jarring, etc., causes your character to be Stunned as in combat (the character gets to make a Willpower roll each Action Round to recover). Check below under “Damage to Characters” in the Mishaps section to see what happens as a result.

## Fire Combat

Should there be gunfire involved during a chase, the rules for Fire Combat are used. The Structure Points for a vehicle (see here) will adjust the Damage Level for Fire Combat; the higher the Structure Points, the more protection they give a character and the lower the damage that results. The GM will also determine any modifiers for the environment as appropriate.

When firing at a vehicle in general, Normal Fire is used. When firing at a specific part of the vehicle — wheels, radiator, and so on — or at the driver, you need to use a Specific Shot.

## Mishaps

Whenever a dice roll results in failure when resolving a character’s maneuver, a mishap may have occurred. An accident will befall your character and their vehicle if the mishap is not avoided. This accident may damage your character and/or the vehicle.

To avoid a mishap, you make a Safety roll. Each maneuver is given a Safety Ease Factor, which is multiplied by your character’s Primary Chance with the skill (use the same skill for the Safety roll as was used to resolve the maneuver) to find the Success Chance for the Safety roll. If you succeed with the Safety roll, your character has avoided any damage to their vehicle and themselves. If the roll fails, a mishap has occurred and there will be damage.

Another way a mishap can occur is if you bid lower than the Redline of your vehicle. In any Action Round that you bid lower than the Redline for your vehicle, you will have to make a Safety roll as outlined above, regardless of whether or not the maneuver was successful. Thus, even if the maneuver is successful, you will still have to make a Safety roll if you bid lower than the Redline. If the maneuver does not succeed, you will have to make two Safety rolls — the first roll for failing the maneuver and the second for exceeding the Redline. Any damage arising from two Safety rolls will be cumulative (see the Damage Accumulation Chart).

To determine the damage resulting from a mishap, use the Mishap Damage Chart at the top of the next page. Cross-reference the maneuver chosen with the Ease Factor bid for that maneuver to find the damage level.

The damage indicated on the chart happens to the vehicle and is equivalent to the damage done to characters in Combat. Any characters in the vehicle suffer wound damage at one level less than the vehicle (if a vehicle suffers Medium Damage, then all characters inside suffer Light Wounds).

### Damage to Vehicles

A vehicle suffering damage reduces its maximum and cruising speed and incurs a negative modifier. (The original Performance Modifier for the vehicle does not change.) The chart to the right indicates what fraction of the original the speeds are reduced to because of damage and also the negative modifier for each level of damage. Any damage to aircraft is increased by one level.

### Damage to Characters

Any damage to a character affects them as if it were incurred by an attack in combat. If the character fails their Pain Resistance roll (versus WIL), they will not be able to take part in the bidding until they recover. If the character is controlling a vehicle, their vehicle will incur another mishap (at an Ease Factor 7 for the Safety roll) until they recover from the pain. This also occurs if the character is Stunned by a Trick maneuver. If the character is flying an aircraft, they do not check for a mishap every round; rather, the aircraft begins to fall. When it strikes the ground, it suffers incapacitating damage, and the characters suffer Heavy Wounds.

Damage done to a character while on foot is decreased one level. If there is a wound result, it is assumed the character has fallen or tripped in their attempt of the maneuver.

## Tailing

A character may attempt to follow another character discretely by tailing them. This attempt will often precede a chase. You may at any time state that your character is attempting to tail another character. Your GM will not state when they are having a Non-Player Character tail your character. If you suspect that your character is being tailed, ask the GM to perform a Perception roll for your character to detect the pursuer. If a tailing character is detected, a chase may result.

When a Player Character attempts to tail another character, they resolve the task at an Ease Factor 5, using whichever skill is appropriate to the situation. The GM will refer to the Skill Use Chart after rolling the dice in secret to tell you how much information you receive if your character’s Perception roll succeeds.

**Limitations**: The GM will decide whether or not a tail is possible. For example, it is impossible for a character on foot to tail a helicopter.