A Minor Mechanical Problem

[Sanctaphrax]

There is basically no way to chase someone down in combat in this game. As long as your opponent moves at least 2 zones with each sprint action, you'll never be able to get into their zone long enough to make a non-ranged attack unless you have speed powers.

This is rarely a problem. Combat doesn't occur on infinitely large flat surfaces. And chasing someone generally uses the non-combat contest rules.

But I wish that there was a way to simulate a retreat and pursuit in combat. I also wish that characters with Supernatural or Mythic Speed couldn't theoretically be completely immune to attack from non-Speed-power-having close-combat guys.

So, a houserule seems appropriate. The first thing that comes to mind is letting characters use overflow on Sprint actions to make attacks, possibly with the spray attack rules. The second is letting characters sacrifice their next action to attack after sprinting, which would actually make a good stunt under the regular rules now that I think about it.

Thoughts? Other suggestions? Random insults?

[ways and means]

I have to admit that I have used the mythical speed powers to do exactly what mentioned attacking then just moving two zones to be out of the range of mortals and then just moving in and out never giving the enemy and opportunity to hit, though my gm dealt with this problem by having someone ambush me. To some degree higher level speed powers should make you reasonably untouchable in conflict with slow mortals so it might not be a problem.  

[bobjob]

I would start limiting all of those move actions in a chase by Endurance. I don't know exactly how I'd house rule it for a long chase, but after a while Endurance would restrict. Thing I know about normal foot chases though, is that they are normally limited to a few rounds. You're just trying to make enough ground to find cover and break line of sight. Eventually someone is going to tire.

With the speed powers, I'd do the same thing. Those with speed can move incredibly fast and cover distances like nobodies business, but they would still be restricted by Endurance after a while as they tire out, giving a persistent pursuer a chance to do some damage.

[BumblingBear]

The way I would run it is still allowing an attack when thematically appropriate for a higher skill nerf.  Like... 3 zones away would be -2 or -3 to the attack. 

[Belial666]

Supernatural Speed makes you faster than the fastest animals. Mythic Speed means you can casually keep up with cars without need to roll. Anyone moving with mortal speed should not be capable of keeping up and that's it.

Also, instead of just following someone in a chase, why not jump on him / ram him? People chasing eachother in the real world do not stop running to attack the one they chase - they simply use their own momentum to knock them down, trip or otherwise stop them from running. That could easily be reflected in the system; if you got enough athletics modifier to reach the other guy plus one, you reach him then take a supplemental action to fall on him /trip him/whatever using athletics or might. This is adjudicated as combined skill use, much like a grappler can take -1 to grapple to cause stress.

[Viatos]

To steal from World of Darkness...

Consequential Contest, using Athletics modified by Endurance. Fair?

[UmbraLux]

Thoughts? Other suggestions? Random insults?

Have you considered reskinning Diaspora's space ship combat?  It'd work for a full blown chase.

[Kommisar]

The rules allow for good chases!  You just have to be creative and think outside the box a bit.

As Belial666 posted, most chases don't end with a punch or kick; they end with a tackle or forcing the person into a corner/dead-end.  You box them in or they encounter some form of obstacle that slows them down or stops them.  Here are some simple ways I've ran such chases:

1)  Player chasing an NPC spends a Fate Point to Declare that there is a chain-link fence just around the turn in the alley (classic movie scene stop here).  NPC now has to make an athletics check to clear the zone block.  Could also drop it to declare that there is traffic on the street he has to cross.  Again, classic movie chase stuff; Roll Athletics or Endurance (or whatever) to cross the Zone Block of "Traffic".

2)  NPC chasing a player uses his athletics to create a Zone Block by diving/rolling for the door.  Could also work as a tackle against the target.

3)  One of my players has a Great (+4) Endurance skill; so he just flat out wore a guy down.  Ran him into the pavement with a series of Endurance checks to keep running.  Harry often comments that he is a die-hard runner/jogger not because he likes it, but as life insurance.

4)  Magic.  'Nuff said here. 

No need to go about creating new rules and making things all complicated.  Just think about all the chases you've ever seen in a movie or read in a book (or performed yourself depending on the course your life may have taken) and figure out how to work them out as a Maneuver, Declaration, Scene Invocation, or Block.

[BumblingBear]

The rules allow for good chases!  You just have to be creative and think outside the box a bit.

As Belial666 posted, most chases don't end with a punch or kick; they end with a tackle or forcing the person into a corner/dead-end.  You box them in or they encounter some form of obstacle that slows them down or stops them.  Here are some simple ways I've ran such chases:

1)  Player chasing an NPC spends a Fate Point to Declare that there is a chain-link fence just around the turn in the alley (classic movie scene stop here).  NPC now has to make an athletics check to clear the zone block.  Could also drop it to declare that there is traffic on the street he has to cross.  Again, classic movie chase stuff; Roll Athletics or Endurance (or whatever) to cross the Zone Block of "Traffic".

2)  NPC chasing a player uses his athletics to create a Zone Block by diving/rolling for the door.  Could also work as a tackle against the target.

3)  One of my players has a Great (+4) Endurance skill; so he just flat out wore a guy down.  Ran him into the pavement with a series of Endurance checks to keep running.  Harry often comments that he is a die-hard runner/jogger not because he likes it, but as life insurance.

4)  Magic.  'Nuff said here. 

No need to go about creating new rules and making things all complicated.  Just think about all the chases you've ever seen in a movie or read in a book (or performed yourself depending on the course your life may have taken) and figure out how to work them out as a Maneuver, Declaration, Scene Invocation, or Block.

Good points.

[WillH]

If your going to fight a fast character in a wide open space, bring a gun.

[sandchigger]

If you're going to fight a fast character in a wide open space, set traps beforehand. Nets, tripwires, loose gravel, all that can work to your advantage.

Alternately: bring a bunch of friends to surround the place.

[WillH]

If you're going to fight a fast character in a wide open space, set traps beforehand. Nets, tripwires, loose gravel, all that can work to your advantage.

If you do that, it's no longer a wide open space. But you're right. There are lots of potential ways to deal with the fast characters advantage. On the other hand, there are times when they will have this advantage. That's one of the benefits of spending refresh on speed.

[sandchigger]

Wide open spaces don't preclude the inclusion of terrain. Loose gravel, a bag of marbles, ropes and pit traps are all available in various open spaces. But yes, I agree. If you spend the points on a "go fast" power then you should be allowed to use it.

[wyvern]

The mechanism I've used for this is to allow overflow from sprint actions to function as a one-round duration penalty to sprint actions by whoever they're chasing.

So, suppose we've got a fast person (F), who always gets an athletics check result of 6, and a slow person (S), who always gets an athletics check of 4.
On round one, S runs away, and can move 4 zones.  F catches up, and has two points of overflow, which applies a -2 penalty to S's next sprint.
On round two, S can only move 2 zones - he's getting hedged in and harried.  F catches up again - and this time has four points of overflow, applying a -4 penalty to S's next sprint.
On round three, S can't run away; he can still try something else (like a maneuver to trip F), but F is definitely going to get some kind of action off as well.
On round four, there's no penalty in place anymore, and S can move another four zones away - essentially, this is a repeat of round one.

[BumblingBear]

The mechanism I've used for this is to allow overflow from sprint actions to function as a one-round duration penalty to sprint actions by whoever they're chasing.

So, suppose we've got a fast person (F), who always gets an athletics check result of 6, and a slow person (S), who always gets an athletics check of 4.
On round one, S runs away, and can move 4 zones.  F catches up, and has two points of overflow, which applies a -2 penalty to S's next sprint.
On round two, S can only move 2 zones - he's getting hedged in and harried.  F catches up again - and this time has four points of overflow, applying a -4 penalty to S's next sprint.
On round three, S can't run away; he can still try something else (like a maneuver to trip F), but F is definitely going to get some kind of action off as well.
On round four, there's no penalty in place anymore, and S can move another four zones away - essentially, this is a repeat of round one.

Ok that's all well and good...

So what if F is running away and S is doing the chasing?