Vroom! Car Chases in DFRPG

[Sanctaphrax]

I think the whole striking distance thing ties into the aspects you tagged to get there, but in general they're going to be fragile aspects even if you rolled well above what you needed to place them. At most, I might let someone stay at striking distance until they used that benefit if the roll and specific maneuver made sense. I wouldn't let something like "Right Behind Him" set up an ongoing striking distance; chases are just too variable and positions too fleeting.

And sure, my rules stray a bit into "minigame" territory. However, if you strip out vehicle stats and most of the optional rules I suggested, it's really all about the Shaking Pursuit action and the striking distance condition.

Still trying to wrap my head around vehicles as Weapon/Armor values. But then I run a game about bikers, so vehicles come up more often than not. I'll be using more detailed stats for my own games.

So you get to be in Striking Distance until you do something that requires you to be within Striking Distance? Solid.

As for vehicles as weapons/armour, it's extremely simple. If you have a faster and more maneuverable vehicle, your attempts to catch/escape your foe are more effective and theirs are less effective. This is represented through weapon and armour ratings.

[admiralducksauce]

I took some time and wrote up an example using (mostly) my rules, one with a zone map and one without.

Chase Example: Zone Map

D: Dallas Junior Brown (Drive 4 all others 2), driving a muscle car (Speed:4 Body:2)
Chase Stress: OOOO
R: He is pursued by Mr. Ransom (Drive 3) and Mr. Bale (Guns 3) in an SUV (Speed:2 Body:3).
Chase Stress: OOOO
P: There is one police cruiser (Drive 2, Speed 4, Body 3) and they will take down whoever they can.
Chase Stress: OOOO (The trooper’s Drive is modified by the cruiser’s speed to 3, increasing stress track to 4)

Everyone rolls Drive for initiative. Ransom wins and places himself and the next highest person on the map. Dallas goes next, placing the trooper. Note: This is completely made up on the spot. Sometimes placement will already follow from the narrative, or you might have a different way that you like.



Regardless of placement, the quarry goes first. Dallas Junior Brown will attempt to Shake Pursuit right off the bat because he sees Mr. Bale hanging out the window with a rifle. He chooses a difficulty of 4.
Dallas rolls Drive modified by Speed (no change): 4 -2 = 2. Not good, Dallas. He takes 2 stress for failing his chosen difficulty by 2.
Chase Stress OXOO
Ransom rolls Drive modified by Speed (-1): 2 +0 = 2. Whoops, he fails by 2 as well. As he tied Dallas, there’s not really any stress traded either way.
Chase Stress OXOO
Police rolls Drive modified by Speed (+1): 3 +2 = 5. Not only does this cop beat the difficulty, he beats Dallas’ result as well. He opts to move 1 zone closer.



Ransom’s turn. He is going to use his SUV to run Dallas off the road.
Ransom rolls Drive modified by Body (no modifier): 3 +2 = 5.
Dallas defends with Drive modified by Body (-1): 3 +0 = 3.
That’s 2 more stress, +1 because SUVs have a 1-point edge in Body over muscle cars, for a total of 3. This chase isn’t going the way Dallas hoped.
Chase Stress: OXXO

Mr. Bale doesn’t want the cop up in their business. He hangs out the window and opens fire, since the trooper (foolishly, perhaps) gained ground as a result of Dallas’ bungled action.
Bale rolls Guns: 3 +1 = 4
The trooper rolls Drive restricted by Speed (no change):2 +0 = 2
2 shifts +Weapon:3 (assault rifle) = 5 stress to the cop. The trooper takes a Mild consequence.
Chase Stress OOXO Mild: “Windshield Spiderwebbed by Gunfire”

Now it’s the cop’s turn. He takes a supplemental move, placing him into the same zone as Ransom and Dallas, then tries to PIT Ransom:
Cop rolls Drive modified by Body (+1): 3 +1 = 4
Ransom rolls Drive modified by Body (no change): 3 -1 = 2
He decides to take the free tag on the cop’s Consequence, raising his total to 4.
The SUV and cruiser have the same Body, so Ransom’s SUV doesn’t take any stress.

Dallas would rather let the cop take on Ransom and Bale, so he supplemental moves 1 zone and rolls a Block to place an obstacle value on the zone border between them. Dallas powers through an emergency turnoff on the highway and fishtails down the on-ramp going the wrong way. The GM decides Speed applies to that kind of move.
Dallas rolls Drive (-1 supplemental move) modified by Speed (no change): 3 -1 = 2



Now to run him off the road, his pursuers will have to take an entire move action to get to him.

Mr. Bale smirks, turns around in his seat, and squeezes off a burst at Dallas as a gap appears in traffic.
Bale rolls Guns: 3 -1 = 2
Dallas rolls Drive: 4 +1 = 5.
A miss!

Mr. Ransom decides to trade paint with the cop again:
Ransom rolls Drive (Body): 3 +1 = 4
Trooper rolls Drive (Body): 3 -2 = 1
3 Stress to the police:
Chase Stress OOXX Mild tagged

The cop is going to roll a Contacts maneuver, and call in some fellow officers to lay out some spike strips and funnel the perps towards backup. The GM decides that the difficulty is 3 to get them there in time to do any good.
Cop rolls Contacts: 2 +0 = 2. Sorry, officer.

Now that Dallas’ block worked to keep him one step ahead, he supplemental moves again and tries to Shake Pursuit (his block disappears as a matter of course). He chooses difficulty 5, knowing full well it will only be difficulty 4 for Ransom and the trooper because there is 1 zone separating them from Dallas. He drives through a gas station parking lot, creating a madhouse of scrambling pedestrians and spooked vehicles.



Dallas rolls Drive (Speed): 4 +0 = 4 vs DC5.
Dallas takes 1 stress.
Chase Stress XXXO
Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2 -1 = 1 vs DC4. 3 stress!
Chase Stress OXXO
The trooper rolls Drive (Speed) 3 +0 vs DC4. 1 stress!
Chase Stress XOXX Mild tagged

Ransom takes a supplemental move, so Mr. Bale can threaten both their opponents. Then Ransom tries to Shake Pursuit on the police cruiser (remember, he’s the cruiser’s quarry as well as Dallas’ pursuer). He chooses difficulty 3, playing it somewhat safe.
Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2 +0 = 2. ok, 1 stress.
Chase Stress: XXXO
Trooper rolls Drive (Speed) 3 -1 = 2. He also takes 1 stress.
Chase Stress: XXXX
He could keep going, but this trooper’s going to Concede. He’s taken fire and he’s going to hang back and wait for a helicopter to be retasked.

That leaves Mr. Bale within range of Dallas:



Bale rolls Guns: 3 -2 = 1
Dallas rolls Drive: 4 -1 = 3. Another miss, Mr. Bale.

Dallas has to keep moving else Ransom is going to get within range and use his vehicle’s superior bulk to ram him, or Bale is going to connect before too long. His plan is to put some distance between them to start, then try for some Maneuvers to build up an advantage.
Dallas rolls Drive (Speed) to move: 4 +2 = 6
That’s actually more than he needs to get anywhere on the zone map.



Ransom is then forced to move after him, and hopefully get Bale within range.
Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2 -2 = 0. Wow. I still let people move 1 zone even if they fuck up their rolls to below 0, so Ransom moves 1 zone and Mr. Bale has no target this round.



Dallas tries a navel-gazing Drive Maneuver and applies “Redlining the Engine” to himself.
Ransom’s next, as usual, and once again tries to move within range.
Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2 +0 = 2. Just enough.



Bale opens fire: Guns: 3+ 1 = 4
Dallas fucks a chicken this time. Drive: 4 -3 = 1. He’ll have to tag his maneuver for a reroll:
Drive: 4 +0 = 4. Better than nothing. Bale hits and his AR deals 3 stress. Dallas is almost done but he has a full suite of consequences still:
Chase Stress XXXX

And now it’s Dallas’ turn. He wanted to have a tag available but assault rifles tend to ruin plans like that. He decides to go balls out, powering his supercharged Chevelle down an off-ramp and through some train tracks (hopefully) just before a CSX freight monster plows through!

Dallas Shakes Pursuit, chooses difficulty 8, and rolls Drive (Speed): 4 -2 = 2. DOH!
Dallas takes 6 stress, which he’ll have to soak with a Severe Consequence “Cracked Radiator”.
Chase Stress: XXXX Severe “Cracked Radiator”

It’s bad luck all around, as Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2 -2 = 0. He takes 8 stress, but can reduce it to 4 with just a Moderate “Blown Tire” and fill his last stress box.
Chase Stress: XXXX

Ransom’s in the same zone and Mr. Bale has a fresh mag. This is exactly where Dallas doesn’t want to be.
Ransom tries to sideswipe Dallas off the road and rolls Drive (Body): 3 +0 = 3
Dallas defends with Drive (Body): 3 +2 = 5. Safe...

Or not. Bale rolls Guns:3 +1 = 4, tagging Dallas’ aspect for 6.
Dallas rolls Drive: 4 -2 = 2, and tags Ransom’s aspect for 4.
5 stress after the Weapon value is added in. Mr. Bale’s rifle fire finally finds its mark, shredding Dallas’ rear tire and sending him ramping in spectacular fashion off a parked car and rolling over countless times.

[admiralducksauce]

And here's one using no map but with the Striking Distance rule.

Chase Example: Zoneless

This time, I’m not going to modify the Chase Stress by the vehicles driven, but I will keep modifying their skills by their vehicles’ stats.

D: Dallas Junior Brown (Drive 4 all others 2), driving a muscle car (Speed:4 Body:2)
Chase Stress: OOOO
R: He is pursued by Mr. Ransom (Drive 3) and Mr. Bale (Guns 3) in an SUV (Speed:2 Body:3).
Chase Stress: OOOO
P: There is one police cruiser (Drive 2, Speed 4, Body 3) and they will take down whoever they can.
Chase Stress: OOO

Dallas is the quarry, so he goes first. Then Ransom, as he’s pursued by the police. Dallas is feeling rather unsportsmanlike after his failure in our last example, and he’s going to try to Shake Pursuit with a high difficulty of 6.

Dallas rolls Drive (modified by Speed): 4+0 = 4. He fails by 2 and takes 2 chase stress:
Dallas Stress: OXOO
Ransom rolls Drive (modified by Speed): 2+0 = 2. Ransom takes 4 chase stress:
Ransom Stress: OOOX
Finally, the cop rolls Drive (modified by Speed): 3+1 = 4. He takes 2 stress too.
Cop Stress: OXOO

Ransom needs to get within striking distance so Bale can light Dallas up with his rifle. He floors the pedal, charging ahead and trying to line Bale up for a shot. It’s a Drive/Speed-based maneuver, resisted by Dallas’ Drive/Speed.
Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2-3 = -1 vs Dallas’ Drive (Speed) 4+3 = 7. Dallas earns a point of spin for that defense, and needless to say, Ransom does not make it to striking distance. There’s more under Dallas’ hood than a stock Chevelle.

Mr. Bale fires into traffic ahead of Dallas with a maneuver. I think this is best as an opposed roll against Dallas’ Drive, as Bale needs to create mayhem before Dallas can simply power through the traffic.
Bale’s Guns: 3-1 = 2 vs. Dallas’ Drive (Speed): 4-1+1 spin = 4. Dallas manages to slip through the intersection before Bale’s shots hit innocent motorists, creating instant gridlock.

The police officer, however, knows if he can stop Dallas he can likely stop the SUV too. He rolls for the navigational trapping of Drive but it’s a navel-gazing maneuver, and now the cop has a “Shortcut Plotted by GPS”.

Dallas doesn’t see the cop anymore, so he figures some random right turns at high speed should throw everyone off his tail. Besides, shaking pursuit is the most bang for his buck, allowing him to hit multiple pursuers. He Shakes Pursuit against difficulty 4:
Dallas’ Drive(Speed): 4+2 = 6 - he makes it for once!
Ransom’s Drive (Speed): 2+0 = 2. He takes 2 chase stress:
Chase: OXOX
And the cop: Drive (Speed): 3+0 = 3. He takes 1 chase stress.
Chase XXOO

Ransom plows down the sidewalk, crashing through signs and scattering parking meters. He’s rolling Drive/Body to catch up with Dallas: 3-1 = 2 vs. Dallas’ Drive/Speed: 4+0 = 4. Dude is untouchable right now.

Bale Declares that he’s got a police band radio and he’s listening into the dispatch calls so Ransom can keep one step ahead. With no FP for this example, I make it a Resources Declaration, DC3.
Bale rolls Resources: 2+2 = 4. Makes it! The SUV is “Eavesdropping on the Five O”.

The police officer tags his “Shortcut” Aspect now, swerving out in front of Dallas and trying to PIT the muscle car! Dallas floors it, cutting left across traffic, trying to defend with Speed.
The cop rolls Drive (Body) : 3+0 vs. Dallas rolls Drive (Speed): 4+1 = 5. Dallas successfully defends. The cop falls out of striking distance automatically - his Aspect was fragile, and he’s used the benefits of his shortcut. Dallas opts to place himself within striking distance of the cop now, not wanting to pass up an opportunity.

Dallas slams on the brakes and the cop relishes the chance to retry his P.I.T. maneuver, defending with his cruiser’s Body. It’s an opposed roll, winner deals stress to the loser.
Dallas rolls Drive (Body): 3+2 = 5 vs. Cop’s Drive (Body): 3+0 = 3. What would ordinarily be 2 stress is reduced by one since the police cruiser has 3 Body to Dallas’ 2, but it rolls up to the third box anyways.
Cop Stress: XXXO
After his attack, Dallas falls back out of striking distance.

Ransom saves their “Eavesdropping” aspect, and rolls another maneuver, this time against the cop. He’s using Deceit to lure the officer into Bale’s line of fire.
Ransom rolls Deceit: 2+3 = 5 vs. Cop’s Empathy: 2-1 = 1. Ransom places “Thinks He’s Got Us” on the cop.

Mr. Bale can’t fire yet - he’s not within striking distance, so he tries to plan ahead for Dallas. He lets his rifle hang from its sling and pulls out his smartphone, trying to roll his own Drive to figure out where Dallas could be leading them. I say it’s opposed by Dallas’ Deceit, which isn’t very good.
Bale rolls Drive (navigation): 2+0 = 2 vs. Dallas’ Deceit: 1+0 = 1.
Mr. Bale successfully maneuvers “Think Like Your Prey” onto himself.

The cop, having lost his advantage against Dallas,  tries to force Ransom away from Dallas and into more open roads where there are fewer civilians. It’s a Drive maneuver.
Cop rolls Drive (Body): 3+1 = 4 vs Ransom’s Drive (Body): 3-1 = 2.
The cop’s placed “Open Highway” on the scene now.

Dallas’ll shake pursuit again. He stays to the side roads, looking for a place to head downtown, away from the highway. He chooses difficulty 4 again - he’ll nickle and dime his pursuers.
Dallas rolls Drive (Speed): 4-3 = 1. Whoops - 3 stress.
Dallas’ Stress: OXXO

Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2+1 = 3. 1 stress to the SUV.
Ransom’s Stress: XXOX

The cop fares slightly better: 3+1 = 4.
Dallas didn’t count on the highway having an off-ramp right in front of him. Now both Ransom and the police cruiser are within Striking Distance of Dallas! (They beat his shaking pursuit result, regardless of the chosen difficulty)

Ransom rams his SUV into Dallas’ Chevelle.
Ransom rolls Drive (Body): 3-1 = 2 vs. Dallas’ Drive (Speed): 4+1 = 5.
Dallas can’t hurt Ransom in return, but by choosing Speed for his evasion he can get within Striking Distance of Ransom. Dallas drifts left, lets Ransom overshoot, and falls even with him as Ransom overcorrects.

Mr. Bale, on the other hand, is concentrating on the cop. He tags “Eavesdropping” to put the SUV within striking distance, then rolls Guns 3-2 = 1 vs. the cop’s Drive: 2-1 = 1.
It’s barely a hit until Bale tags “Think Like Your Prey” and “Thinks He’s Got Us”. He hits by 4, adds 3 for his assault rifle, and sends 7 stress towards the cop.

The cop takes a Moderate Consequence, “Riddled with Bullets”, and reduces incoming stress to 3.
Cop Stress: XXXO Moderate “Riddled with Bullets”
The cruiser falls back, leaving Dallas and Ransom to their own devices for a moment (he leaves striking distance).

Dallas slams his car into Ransom’s, hoping for a good roll for once. Ransom defends with Body, swerving into the Chevelle as the two enemies trade paint.
Dallas rolls Drive (Body): 3+0 = 3 vs. Ransom’s Drive (Body): 3-2 = 1.
It was a gamble, but Dallas deals 1 stress (2 stress minus 1 for the difference in vehicle Body).
Ransom’s Stress:XXXX
Dallas pulls ahead out of striking distance and wonders if maybe he shouldn’t have tried to shake pursuit again or invested in a shotgun or something.

Ransom lets Mr. Bale worry about Dallas this time and tries to capitalize on the cop’s consequence. He Shakes Pursuit, which will only affect the police cruiser, and chooses difficulty 4. He’s hoping for at least a zero on the dice and then to tag the cop’s Moderate.
Ransom rolls Drive (Speed): 2+0 = 2, +2 for tagging “Riddled with Bullets” = 4 vs. the cop’s Drive (Speed): 3+0 = 3.
The cop takes 1 stress: XXXX Moderate tagged.
This is enough for the cop and he Concedes. He loses sight of the chase as his stricken engine finally gives up, leaking fluids all over the road.

Mr. Bale tries to maneuver Dallas back into striking distance with his rifle: 3-1 = 2 vs. Dallas’ Drive: 4-3 = 1. Bale successfully slaps Dallas with “Herded with Bullets”.

Dallas is in trouble, but if he can remove that maneuver Ransom won’t be able to tag it to move into range. Dallas rolls Drive (Speed) against Bale’s original roll of 2: 4+0 = 4, and he crosses lanes to put a semi truck between him and Bale’s withering fire. The maneuver clears.

It behooves Ransom to get Bale within striking distance rather than try to ram Dallas. The AR’s Weapon value is too much of an advantage not to use. He rolls Drive (Body), trying to flush Dallas out by spooking the tractor trailer he was using for cover:
Ransom’s Drive (Body): 3+1 = 4 vs. Dallas’ Drive (Speed): 4+0 = 4.
Ransom does get “Flushed out of Cover” as a fragile aspect on Dallas.

Bale tags it for striking distance and tries to put Dallas down for good.
Bale’s Guns 3+1= 4 vs. Dallas’ Drive: 4+1 = 5. SO CLOSE.

Ransom and Bale fall back again, and we’re back at a neutral standing.

Dallas tries to Shake Pursuit. It’s an offensive action that he can at least maintain each round instead of setting up a maneuver alternating with attacks. The fact that he tends to do more stress to himself is an unwelcome side effect. He chooses difficulty 4 and hopes the dice are with him as he floors it through a red light.
Dallas’ Drive (Speed): 4+1 = 5 vs. DC 4. Success!
Ransom’s Drive (Speed): 2+0 vs. DC 4. FAIL!
Ransom’s chase stress is full, so he has to take a Mild consequence “Fender Bender” to keep the 2 stress off.

Ransom’s got to set Bale up better. He tries for another Body-based Drive maneuver check, simply driving over medians and grass where Dallas is taking sharp turns around a golf course road.

Ransom rolls Drive (Body): 3+1 = 4 vs. Dallas’ Drive (Speed): 4+0 = 4.
“The Direct Approach” is created as a fragile aspect.

Bale wanted to chain some maneuvers together but as Ransom’s assisting aspect is fragile, he’ll go for it now.
Bale tags “Direct Approach” to get within striking distance and fires!
Bale’s Guns: 3+1 = 4 vs. Dallas’ Drive: 4-1 = 3. Dallas tags “Fender Bender”, raises his result to 5, and Bale misses.

Dallas drives onto the golf course, scattering carts in his wake. He’s shaking pursuit, this time with a ballsy difficulty of 6!
Dallas rolls Drive (Speed): 4-3 =1 vs. DC6. EPIC FAIL.
Dallas takes 5 stress but will take a Mild consequence.
Dallas’ Stress: OXXX, Mild consequence “Battered Undercarriage”

Ransom rolls the same: 2-1 = 1 vs. DC6. ALSO EPIC FAIL.
He’s got to take a Severe consequence, and chooses “Riding on Rims”.
Ransom’s Stress: XXXX Mild “Fender Bender” (tagged), Severe “Riding on Rims”

Ransom Concedes after that. The SUV sits in a sand trap, digging itself ever deeper on shredded tires. Dallas’ wounded Chevelle limps back to the road and makes its getaway.

[ways and means]

Funny but that entire chase showed for me exactly why the body,speed and handling mechanics where lousy they just ended up being pointless complex.

[admiralducksauce]

Heh. During the course of making those examples, I was completely sold on having some sort of Weapon value for the better vehicle. The rifle was just too good an advantage compared to using sideswipes and maneuvering.

The zone map came off as a little more tactical-feeling to me, but sterile. I also felt that while both approaches devolved into "let's roll Drive a lot", at least the chase with striking distance had a little more variety in what was being rolled to generate maneuvers.

And I do like the Speed/Body breakdown still, but what I'd probably do now is use the difference between them as Weapon or Armor value when appropriate.

I liked that driving a big pig of an SUV made Ransom's Drive skill worse, and that the relatively lower-skilled police officer was a threat because he was in the best vehicle, but I think Weapon/Armor bonuses will work better now and be less complicated.

I am definitely sold OFF of having any sort of Durability stress separate from Chase stress. It would drag things out way too long and when you'd apply one stress or the other is sometimes really vague.

[Sanctaphrax]

Mm.

The zoneless one seemed better.

I'd still rather use a more standard conflict though.

[admiralducksauce]

Yeah, I'm not trying to convince anyone but myself at this point. People will either use something we've got here already or they'll use the parts to roll their own.

I like the bidding/shaking pursuit and I like striking distance, at the very least for a limiter against arbitrary firearm attacks. Maybe only requiring striking distance for non-Drive-based attacks, like Taran suggested is a good balance.