Chases

Storyteller Notes

Decide the nature of the chase scene
  Race. Is there an end point (someone can get there first)?
Chase. Does someone needs to eventually get away?

Common Range Terminology

Close. Characters are in melee range with each other
Short. Characters are in pistol short shooting range or about 12"
Medium. Characters are in pistol medium shooting range or about 24"
Long. Characters are in pistol long range or about 48"
Extreme. Characters are beyond long range or farther than 48"

Races

Races work as a dramatic task. Determine a number of "Race Tokens" per range of movement to represent moving from Close (the starting line) to Extreme (the finish line) and run as a dramatic task.

• Challenging. 4 Race Tokens
• Difficult. 6 Race Tokens
• Complex. 8 Race Tokens

Chases

Also work as a dramatic task, but the person being chased escapes if they reach Extreme range.

• In a chase scene, the end point is not so much of a problem as the fact that someone is being chased.
• Determine the starting position. Are both parties close to each other? Is one at medium range?

Driver Actions

In a turn, the player gets a single action. The are assumed to be maintaining control of their vehicle as their "free action" unless otherwise noted. They may ALSO take one of the below actions. Actions may also be done as part of a Multi-Action if applicable to the character.
  If a player chooses to use their Free Action for something besides "keep the vehicle moving", they need to roll on the Out of Control table below.
  Any roll where the driver gets a "1" on their Wild Die provokes a Complication at Storyteller Discretion, which can be anything from a narrative response to the Out of Control Table below.

Maneuvering Roll

Athletics. Foot Chase
Driving. Motorcycle, Car, or Truck
Riding. Mount or Wagon
Piloting. Boat or Plane

Change Position

Attempt to change ranges by one section, such as moving from Close to Short, or Short to Medium with a Maneuvering roll. This can only be done once per turn.
  If you are faster than the other group, add +1. If you're twice as fast, get a +2. A raise may move you one additional range category further, to a limit of 2, such as going from Close to Medium.

Evasion

Focus on not getting hit instead of trying to escape. This can only be done once per turn.
  This gives a -2 to anyone trying to target you or or your passengers with an attack and any attacks that you or your passengers try to make.

Hold Steady

Drive smoothly, allowing the driver or their passengers an easier time to aim.
  The driver and passengers may ignore the "Unstable Platform" Penalty of -2, but attackers get a +2 to attack the vehicle and passengers.

Other

Anything a passenger may do, the driver may also do.

Passenger Actions

Attacks made from vehicles are normal but suffer the "Unstable Platform" penalty of -2 until the driver chooses to "Hold Steady".
  Players may do any other action that they can normally do, such as Test, Support, or Cast Spells, but may suffer the "Unstable Platform" penalty.

Close Range Actions

Board

An attacker may take an opposed maneuvering roll to attempt to bring the two vehicles close enough to allow boarding.
  Grapples, mooring lines, etc, give a +2 to the aggressor to begin or maintain a boarding action.

Attacker Wins

Passengers may move from vehicle to vehicle only using movement as a Free Action

Defender Wins

The vehicles remain far enough apart but still at close range. Passengers may still attempt to board by making an Athletics test as their action. Failing this test would be...unfortunate.

Force

An attacker can make an opposed Manevuering roll to force the defender into an obstacle, off the road, into traffic, etc.
  This causes a Complication as if the defender had rolled a "1" on their Wild Die. This can also be used to force another car to Change Position.

Ram

An attacker can make an opposed Maneuvering roll to ram their vehicle into someone or something else, doing damage to both vehicles.
 

Attacker Wins

Calculate the damage based on the size of the vehicle.

• Small size. 1d6 (Bicycle)
• Normal size. 2d6 (Motorcycle)
• Large size. 3d6 (Car)
• Huge size. 4d6 (Semi-Truck)
• +1d6 for a Raise on the Ram roll.
• +1d6 for whichever vehicle has the higher toughness.
• +1d6 for whichever vehicle has the higher speed

Defender Wins

Neither vehicle takes any damage.

Example

Medium, Long, or Extreme

Flee

Someone attempting to evade the chaser may make an opposed Maneuvering roll to escape and "lose the tail".

• Medium Range. -4 Penalty
• Long Range. -2 Penalty
• Extreme Range. No penalty

Horseback or from Motorcycle

Characters making a melee attack from horseback or a motorcycle use the lowest of their Maneuvering roll and Fighting roll.
  Damage to horses is not allowed in Steel Horizons given our expectations of animal cruelty or injury. Characters can use the "Force" mechanic to cause someone force their horse to throw the riders or stop.

Vehicle Damage

• Vehicles cannot be shaken. This means damage must exceed their toughness by at least four to cause damage.
• Vehicles have 3 wounds before they're Wrecked. Each wound gives a -1 to Maneuvering rolls.
• When a vehicle takes damage, but not a wound, roll on the "Out of Control" Chart.
• When a vehicle takes a wound, roll on the "Out of Control" chart as well as the Vehicle Critical Hit Chart.

Out of Control

2d6	Effect
2	Major Collision: Everyone in the vehicle is Distracted. It takes d4 Wounds and one Critical Hit.
3-4	Minor Collision: The vehicle takes a Wound and a Critical Hit.
5-9	Distracted: Ground vehicles spin out of control or skid. Everyone on board is Distracted until the end of their next turn.
10-11	Vulnerable: The vehicle and everyone on board is Vulnerable until the end of their next turn.
12	Glitch: Something is jarred loose or breaks from rough handling. The vehicle suffers a Critical Hit.

Vehicle Critical Hits

2d6	Effect
2	Scratch and Dent: The attack just scratches the paint or passes clean through the body without hitting anyone or anything vital. There's no permanent damage.
3	Guidance/Traction: The wheels have been hit. Reduce Handling by one each time this occurs (to a maximum penalty of -4).
4-5	Locomotion: The engine is hit. Top Speed is reduced by 10% each time this occurs (to a minimum of 60% Top Speed)
6-8	Chassis: The vehicle suffers a hit in the body with no special effects.
9-10	Crew: For direct damage, subtract the vehicle's Armor and apply the remainder to a random passenger. Area effect weapons affect everyone in a section determined by the Storyteller. If this is a result of a Collision, the occupants are Shaken.
11	Weapon: A random weapon is destroyed. If there is no weapon, this is a Chassis hit instead.
12	System: The vehicle loses an electronic system, its airbags, or some other system determined by the Storyteller. If it doesn't have any special features, treat this as a Chassis hit instead.