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Eryk the Red
I don't care for the chase rules in the book for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that they use a different standard for what a turn is than all other rules in the book. So here's what I've come up with. It's long, and a little complicated, but it seems to resolve pretty fluidly.

It's worth noting that I resolve combat rather differently than in the book, using ticks instead of turns (like in Exalted 2E). This means that someone who is normally entitled to 1 IP gets to take an action 5 'ticks' (moments in time, each represents about 1 second) after his previous action. Each additional IP you'd have reduces the 'cooldown' time till your next action by one tick. This fact might affect the balance of these rules a bit, though the way they're written they can work in the normal IP structure.

Here it is, let me know what you think:

Car chases take place using the normal combat sequence, with certain environmental modifiers in place, as well as certain special actions available to the drivers.

In general, people on foot cannot participate in chases, as the chase will tend to zip past and leave them behind. They may perform actions that do not target chase participants as normal. The GM may rule that, given a suitable vantage point and suitably long ranged weapons, or some other special circumstance, a person could violate this rule to target a person or vehicle involved in the chase.

Ranges and movement are not measured by exact distances during a chase. The range between pursuers and their quarries is abstracted: a vehicle is assumed to be at Short, Medium and Long ranges from its opponents. The range a vehicle is at determines the type of vehicle actions the driver may take. It also determines the range penalties attacks suffer. For example, if at Medium range, all ranged attacks suffer the -1 penalty for attacks at Medium range, regardless of normal weapon ranges.

Movement is presumed to be constant, though drivers will be jockeying to gain control of the chase and change the range between them and their pursuers/quarry. Each side of the chase has a Maneuver total. This starts at zero. Each hit gained on a Maneuver action roll (see chase actions) adds one to that driver's total. The quarry may have a considerable lead at the start of the chase. If this is the case, the GM will assign a Lead number. The pursuers do not count any Maneuver hits toward their Maneuver value until they have accumulated a total number of Maneuver hits equal to the Lead. All excess hits (and any later hits) will add to the Maneuver total normally.

There are two sides to any chase: the pursuers and the quarry. If there is more than one vehicle on a particular side, that side has a leader. The leader is the driver who's maneuvering guides his side. The leader is the only one who maintains a Maneuver total. His Maneuver total is his whole side's Maneuver total. A side's Top Speed and Acceleration ratings are considered to be equal to the lowest Top Speed and Acceleration rating of the vehicles on that side.

It is possible for drivers being pursued to split up, becoming separate quarries to be chased. This is described below, under the Split Up action.

The Maneuver total is used to determine which side is controlling the chase. If a side has a higher Top Speed than the opposing side, then it is in control if its Maneuver total exceeds the opposing Maneuver total. If a side's Top Speed is lower than the opposing side's Top Speed, that side is in control if its Maneuver total exceeds the opposing Maneuver total by an amount equal to the Speed difference divided by 20.

That bit sounds more complicated than it is.

Certain vehicle actions require the driver be in control of the chase.

Chases are assumed to always start at Medium range (regardless of the amount of Lead the quarry already has).

When vehicle tests are called for, the driver rolls his vehicle skill + Reaction + Handling. The GM may assign a Threshold to the roll based on the terrain. If the test is opposed, the other side's leader makes an opposing vehicle test.


MEDIUM RANGE ACTIONS

Maneuver – Complex Action - This is an attempt to out-maneuver an opponent, to gain an advantage and control the chase. This action may only be performed by the leader if the side is a group of vehicles. Make a vehicle test. If your Acceleration is greater than the Acceleration of the opposing side, gain one automatic hit for each time their Acceleration divides fully into yours. Add the net hits to your Maneuver total, as described above.

Move to Short Range – Complex Action – A pursuer may only attempt this action if he controls the chase. Make an opposed vehicle test. Acceleration can benefit this test in the same way as for Maneuver. The quarry may also perform this action. Success is automatic in this case. If successful, the chase moves to Close Range. Regardless of whether you succeed, your Maneuver total is reduced by the number of hits the opposing driver achieved on his roll.

Move to Long Range – Complex Action - A quarry may only attempt this action if he controls the chase. Make an opposed vehicle test. Acceleration can benefit this test in the same way as for Maneuver. The pursuer may also perform this action. Success is automatic in this case. If successful, the chase moves to Long Range. Regardless of whether you succeed, your Maneuver total is reduced by the number of hits the opposing driver achieved on his roll.

Evade – Complex Action – This is a full defense, using your vehicle skill. (Add your vehicle skill to all defense rolls until next action.)

Split Up – Complex Action – A quarry may choose to break from formation. He is no longer part of his group. Pursuing drivers may choose to either continue chasing their current quarry or chase the driver that is breaking formation. If another driver in your group performed this action since your last action, you may use this action to join them.

Keep Formation – Free Action – If participating in a chase as part of a group and you are not the leader, you are required to take this action on your turn if the leader performed a Maneuver action or an action to change the chase range since your last action. You do not need to perform this action if you are performing the Split Up action.


CLOSE RANGE ACTIONS

Ram – Complex Action – This may only be attempted if the driver's side controls the chase. This is the equivalent of performing a melee attack with a vehicle. The attacker rolls Reaction + vehicle skill + Handling, and the defender resists with Reaction + vehicle skill + Handling. If resisted, the target evades and the ram attempt fails. If successful, the target vehicle is struck and must resist damage with DV equal to the ramming vehicle's Body, halved, round up. The DV is increased by the ramming vehicle's Body, halved, round up, for each time the target's Acceleration divides fully into the ramming Vehicle's Acceleration. Use the vehicles' own Acceleration traits for this purpose (rather than their whole side's Acceleration). The DV is also increased by one for each net hit on the ramming test. The ramming vehicle must also resist damage from the collision. This is calculated as though the target had rammed the attacker, though the DV is not modified by net hits on the attack roll. After damage is resolved, both drivers must make a vehicle test to avoid crashing; the attacker's threshold for this test is reduced by one.

Pass – Complex Action – Only the pursuer may perform this action, and only if he controls the chase. Make an opposed vehicle test. If successful, the roles of pursuer and quarry are swapped.

Evade – Complex Action – This is a full defense, using your vehicle skill. (Add your vehicle skill to all defense rolls until next action.)

Maneuver – Complex Action – As described above.

Move to Medium Range – Complex Action - A quarry may only attempt this action if he controls the chase. Make an opposed vehicle test. Acceleration can benefit this test in the same way as for Maneuver. The pursuer may also perform this action. Success is automatic in this case. If successful, the chase moves to Medium Range. Regardless of whether you succeed, your Maneuver total is reduced by the number of hits the opposing driver achieved on his roll.

Split Up – Complex Action – As described above.

Keep Formation – Free Action – As described above.


LONG RANGE ACTIONS

Lose Pursuers – Complex Action – Only the quarry may attempt this and only if he controls the chase. Make an opposed vehicle test. Acceleration can benefit this test in the same way as for Maneuver. If successful, the chase ends and the quarry get away. If failed, your Maneuver total is reduced by the number of hits the opposing driver achieved on his roll.

Evade – Complex Action – This is a full defense, using your vehicle skill. (Add your vehicle skill to all defense rolls until next action.)

Maneuver – Complex Action – As described above.

Move to Medium Range – Complex Action - A pursuer may only attempt this action if he controls the chase. Make an opposed vehicle test. Acceleration can benefit this test in the same way as for Maneuver. The quarry may also perform this action. Success is automatic in this case. If successful, the chase moves to Medium Range. Regardless of whether you succeed, your Maneuver total is reduced by the number of hits the opposing driver achieved on his roll.

Split Up – Complex Action – As described above.

Keep Formation – Free Action – As described above.
deek
I am not sure what you mean with chase combat having a different standard. Based on what I was reading, a chase combat turn is made up of 20 regular turns...so you are all on the same time, its just that with vehicle chase combat, the range is only adjusted once per 20 turns...the same with the special vehicle maneuvers.

I think this allows a chase sequence to be resolved rather quickly. It also allows you to resolve the vehicle environment first and then spend the next 20 turns battling it out from whatever range you end up in. Obviously if it is just vehicle to vehicle stuff, without runners taking individual actions, it goes even faster.

Reading over your rules, it seems pretty similar to what the RAW already has set, just that you are adding some extra maneuvers and a little bit of complexity using a Maneuver total to keep track of stuff.

If I find the RAW doesn't work for me, I may come back and try your chase rules out, but so far, I haven't had any issues with vehicular chase or combat.

Eryk the Red
That seems a serviceable way to play the rules in the book. I like my method, though, because it keeps the activity of the chase constant and relevant. It gives the driver something to do the whole time.

It's definitely more complex, and that suits me. I like being able to focus a bit more on the chase itself. Not everyone is going to be as concerned with chases, so there won't be a reason for many to want the added complexity.

It's all part of my RPG gaming philosophy: Adapt the rules to serve your game. Adapt, or when needed, rewrite whole sections. wink.gif
Backgammon
Out of curiosity, have you ever played 3rd edition?
Eryk the Red
I haven't played 3rd edition, though I've read the rules. My rules here were actually more inspired by the new World of Darkness chase rules, mushed with SR4.
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