Chases in Faith Corps

In one of my Patreon adventures I tried my hand at a chase scene, where the Demon Hunters piled into a boat and chased after a Kraken. I had the opportunity to run it and was inspired to try and adapt the chase rules from the old Victory Games 007 James Bond Roleplaying Game. Speaking of Patreon, if you like what I'm doing, please consider supporting me on Patreon. Now I present to you...

The Bond Method

What I am calling “The Bond Method” is a combination of the Chase Track and an adaptation of the classic 007 RPG chase rules (007 James Bond Roleplaying Game pages 55-61). The characters are still performing actions trying to check off boxes or clear boxes on the Chase Track as before, it’s just those actions have a lot more going on than just a simple Overcome roll.

The rounds behave a little differently than your standard conflict rounds in the core game. There are 8 steps to every round in The Bond Method chase rules. I’ll discuss each step in more detail below.

1.       Determine the starting range.

2.       Bidding action.

3.       Highest bid wins and winner decides who goes first.

4.       Maneuver action: The side going first declares their maneuver.

5.       Maneuver action resolved at the highest bid opposition.

a.       Success – effects applied immediately.

b.      Fail – determine if there is a mishap.

6.       First side can now make an attack action or perform any other action normally.

7.       Second side declares maneuver and resolves as in Step 5.

8.       Second side can now attack or take other actions as in Step 6.

Once the second side resolves Step 8, the round ends and the next round starts again at Step 1. Repeat until the chase is over.

Step 1 – Determine the Starting Range

Ranges are divided into 5 designations: Close, Medium, Long, Distant, Extreme. In the first round, a chase cannot start at Extreme range. The distances are used to resolve attacks and other actions, and to better visualize the characters and vehicles involved in the scene.

On a typical 10-box Chase Tracker, we might split it up as below:

Note that Extreme range doesn’t appear on the track. We can just assume it’s one square to the left of Distant. If the range is set to Extreme the pursuing side must close the distance enough to get back onto the Chase Tracker on their next action, or the chase is over.

Step 2 – Bidding Action

The players and the GM take turns in a bidding war, first one side declaring a bid, then the other. The bid numbers represent the opposition that must be Overcome, with all bidding participants rolling against the highest bid opposition.

The opposition always starts at 0. Bids can be in any increment but are often bid in increments of 5.

Each player bids separately if they are separated (on foot or in different vehicles, for instance), otherwise the player controlling the vehicle bids for the group, with one maneuver performed for the group.

The GM bids for all of the NPCs involved in the chase at once, whether they are separated or not. All NPCs perform the same maneuver, though each NPC or group resolves their actions separately.

If vehicles are involved, they are given a Redline. This limits the highest opposition that can be bid safely without incurring a potential mishap. Vehicles may also have a vehicle bonus die that can be added rolling to resolve the maneuver. (More about vehicles later)

Step 3 – Winning Bidder Decides Who Goes First

The winning bidder decides which side goes first. It may be advantageous to go last rather than first, depending on the situation. The GM can decide the order that the other PCs will go, or the winning bidder PC can decide which PC will go next. When that PC resolves their maneuver, they choose the next PC to go, and so on.

Step 4 – Side Going First Declares Their Maneuver

If the PC decides to go first, they describe to the GM what they want to do and together the GM and the PC agree on which maneuver is to be performed.

NOTE: Some maneuvers may not be available due to range or other factors. If the NPCs go first, the GM chooses one maneuver for all of them.

Step 5 – Maneuver Action Resolved

The side going first now resolves their maneuver, rolling against the winning opposition bid.

• Success with Style – the effects of the maneuver are applied immediately, and the acting character can choose to receive a boost OR advance the Chase Track one box in their direction. No Safety Roll required if the opposition was higher than the Redline of the vehicle.

• Success – the effects of the maneuver are applied immediately. If the opposition was higher than the Redline of the vehicle, as Safety Roll is made to determine if there is a mishap. The opposition of the Safety Roll is the Safety Rating of the maneuver.
• EXAMPLE: if the maneuver chosen was Pursue/Flee, the Safety Rating is 5. The opposition to beat for the Safety Roll is 5.

• Tie – Acting character can choose to succeed the roll. If they do, the GM gets a Demon Die.

• Failure – A player makes a Safety Roll to determine if there’s a mishap. The opposition for the Safety Roll is the Safety Rating of the maneuver.

If the opposition of the maneuver action was higher than the Redline of the vehicle, a second Safety Roll is required to determine if there’s a mishap.

Depending on the nature of the failure, the GM may require all other characters in the same vehicle to make Safety Rolls to avoid taking a condition.

Step 6 – Side Going First Can Attack or Take Other Actions

If the PCs went first, after the player controlling the vehicle resolves their maneuver action and the results are applied (Increase/decrease in range on the Chase Tracker, vehicle damage, etc), the other players can make Attack, Overcome, or Create an Advantage actions normally. The driving character chooses who goes first, then that character chooses who goes next, and so on. The GM may adjust the opposition for these actions according to the outcome of the preceding maneuver. For example, a maneuver success might result in an opposition reduction of 5, whereas a failure may result in an increase of 5. Depending on the circumstances, some of the actions the players choose may need to be made at the winning bid opposition.

Step 7 – The Other Side Resolves Their Maneuver

The other side now resolves their maneuver also at the winning bid opposition and the results are applied immediately as per Step 5.

Step 8 – The Other Side Can Attack or Take Other Actions

As per Step 6, for the other side.

Maneuvers

Bidding players describe to the GM what they want to do, and the GM helps choose which maneuver fits best. As players become more familiar with this chase method, they will be able to select which maneuver fits best with their character. The maneuvers to choose from are: Pursue/Flee, Force, Quick Turn, Doubleback, and Trick. Each maneuver is explained below.

Redline – Outcomes: For all maneuvers, if the opposition of the maneuver is higher than the Redline of your vehicle

·         Success with Style – No Safety Roll required.

·         Success – You must make a Safety Roll using the Safety Factor of the chosen maneuver.

·         Tie - You must make a Safety Roll using the Safety Factor of the chosen maneuver.

·         Failure - You must make a Safety Roll using the Safety Factor of the chosen maneuver in addition to the Safety Roll of failing the maneuver.

Pursue/Flee

SAFETY RATING 5

Pursue/Flee is the attempt to check off or clear boxes on the Chase Track, closing or increasing the range between the two parties.

·         Pursuing party checks the boxes on the Chase Track.

·         Fleeing party clears the boxes.

·         Success with Style – Move 2 boxes in your direction OR move 1 box in your direction and gain a boost.

·         Success – Move one square in your direction.

·         Tie – Can move one box in your direction. If you do, the GM gets a Demon Die.

·         Failure – Make a Safety Roll. Your opponent gets a boost or moves the track one square in their direction.

When all the boxes are checked, the chase is over. When all the boxes are cleared, the pursuing party must advance the Chase Track at least one box on their next action or the chase is over, and the fleeing party has escaped.

Limitations – Pursue/Flee cannot be performed if the opponent is significantly faster. For instance, a human can’t outrun a car. However there maybe mitigating circumstances, like traffic, that may make the maneuver possible.

Force

SAFETY RATING 10

A Force maneuver is the attempt to physically interfere with your opponent’s vehicle in order to cause a mishap or apply an aspect. The character performing the maneuver receives a bonus (or penalty) equal to the difference in scale between their vehicle and their opponent’s. For example, if a car was doing a Force maneuver on a motorcycle, it would get a +1 to the roll, whereas the opposition would increase by one if the car was attempting to Force a van.

·         Success with Style – You get a boost and your opponent makes a Safety Roll, OR your opponent receives an automatic mishap and must make a Safety Roll in order to avoid another one.

·         Success – You Force your opponent to make a Safety Roll.

·         Tie – You can choose to make your opponent make a Safety Roll, in which case the GM gets a Demon Die.

·         Failure – You must make a Safety Roll.

Limitations – This maneuver can only be attempted at Close range.

Quick Turn

SAFETY RATING 10

This maneuver is the attempt to cause your pursuer to lose track of you by quickly taking evasive action like ducking into an alleyway or hiding in a cloud bank.

·         Success with Style – The Chase Track clears one box and you get a boost OR you clear two boxes. The pursuers lose track of you.

·         Success – The Chase Track clears one box. The pursuer must make an Overcome roll against an opposition equal to your success roll +2 to figure out where you are.

o   If they Succeed with Style, they check one box on the Chase Track and gain a boost, having discovered you.

o   If they Succeed, they know where you are.

o   If a Tie, you can choose that they don’t know where you are, the GM gets a Demon Die. If you choose that they find you, you gain a Faith Die.

o   If they Fail, they have lost track of you.

·         Tie – You can choose that the pursuers don’t know where you are, and the GM gets a Demon Die. If you choose that they find you, you gain a Faith Die.

·         Failure – One box is checked on the Chase Track, the pursuers know where you are, and you must make a Safety Roll.

Limitations – This maneuver can only be performed by the fleeing party and only if the range is Long or Distant.

Doubleback

SAFETY RATING 10

A Doubleback maneuver is the attempt to make a 180 degree turn back up on the pursuer.

·         Success with Style – As a Success and you gain a boost.

·         Success – The range immediately becomes Close. Pursuers must make an immediate Doubleback or Force maneuver at an opposition equal to the success roll of the fleeing character. Otherwise the range becomes Extreme prior to the next maneuver.

·         Tie – You can choose for this to count as a Success. If you do, you choose whether to take a Mild condition or the GM gets a Demon Die.

·         Failure – Make a Safety Roll. The range immediately becomes Close.

Limitations – This maneuver cannot be initiated by the pursuer and can only be used at Close or Medium range.

Trick

SAFETY RATING 15

This is the maneuver the covers everything else that can be attempted in a chase – jumping a wide ditch, popping a car on two wheels to duck down an alleyway, skiing at top speed through a dense forest, etc. The player describes what they want to do, and the GM decides whether to allow it or not. If the maneuver is disallowed, the player can choose a different maneuver instead.

·         Success with Style – As a Success and you gain a boost or move the Chase Tracker one box your direction (if applicable).

·         Success - Opponents must make the maneuver at the same opposition in order to maintain the same range.

o   If your opponent fails this roll they must immediately make a Safety Roll or suffer a mishap.

·         Tie – You can choose for this to count as a Success. If you do, you choose whether to take a Mild condition or the GM gets a Demon Die.

·         Failure – You take a Mild Stunned condition and Make a Safety Roll. Pursuers check a box on the Chase Track.

Mishaps

When you fail a Safety Roll, your vehicle takes a condition. The character in control of the vehicle can choose to take a condition in place of the vehicle.

Example conditions: Cracked Windshield, Dented In Door, Crunched Hood, Broken Headlight, Smoking Engine, Taking on a Little Water, Sail Stuck, Damaged Breaks, Bent Landing Gear, No Life Jackets, Loss of Cabin Pressure.

Vehicles

Average vehicles have 3 aspects and can take up to 2 Mild Conditions. Exceptional vehicles can have up to 5 aspects and can take up to 3 Mild and 2 Moderate conditions.

Vehicles may have a vehicle bonus that applies to all vehicle-based maneuvers. The average vehicle does not provide a bonus. Exceptional vehicles may have a bonus of 1d6, 1d8, or 1d10. A vehicle bonus do not apply to Safety Rolls.

As mentioned before, vehicles are also given a Redline rating. Redline again is the maximum opposition it can perform safely without incurring a Safety Roll. On the next page are some example vehicle Redline ratings and vehicle bonuses.

Example of Play

Continuing with the Demon Hunters example with Chapter Kappa Five and using the Bond Method, we need to split out the vehicles from the characters as more than just a couple aspects. They need to have a Redline and maybe a Vehicle Bonus.

• Demon-Possessed Red Silverado – Redline 20, Vehicle Bonus – 1d6.
• Infernally Self-Healing Tires
• Supernaturally-Tuned Engine
• Black High-End Escalade – Redline 15, Vehicle Bonus – none
• Bullet-Resistant Armor
• Weapons Cache

GM: The Novus Ordo goons in the red Silverado are JUST inside of Medium range. We start at Medium range with 7 boxes checked. They’ve been waiting for you. They lurch forward, spraying bullets at you as the rest of your party just barely piles into the Escalade. 

 GM: Now we bid. The Novus Ordo have to close the distance and so they bid an Opposition 10. You can hear their tires squeal.

AIDAN: I floor it and attempt to take the first corner of the parking garage as tight as possible. I bid a 15.

GM: With a holler and a roar, the red Silverado attempts to use the surrounding cars as bumpers to quickly turn and gain on you. They bid an 18.

AIDAN: Fine, let’s see what they got.

GM: They’ll go first using the Pursue/Flee maneuver. Gunning after you with their Reckless Abandon discipline, they spend a Demon Die and invoke Supernaturally-Tuned Engine. They also get their Vehicle Bonus of 1d6. They roll a 17. That’s a fail. Now they make a Safety Roll against an opposition of 5. They easily make their Safety Roll with a 16. The goons raise their weapons and attempt to shoot out your tires. They roll an 11.

AIDAN: I’ll brake a bit to let the armor soak the bullets. I defend using Quick Combat & Tactics and I get a 16!

GM: Alright, the bullets splatter off your vehicle’s armor harmlessly and you gain a boost! Your turn, what’s your maneuver?

AIDAN: I’m going to do a Pursue/Flee as well.

GM: Sounds good. Remember you have to beat the winning opposition bid of 18. You also will need to make a Safety Roll since 18 is higher than your vehicle’s Redline.

AIDAN: Ok, I Quickly use Combat & Tactics, using my boost which I’m calling Adrenaline Rush, and I’ll invoke my Born Behind the Wheel aspect. I get a 21!

GM: Awesome. You clear one box! Make your Safety Roll, opposition 5.

 AIDAN: I will Carefully roll Combat & Tactics, getting a 9. We’re good.

GM: Great, your team can take actions now. Let’s start with Spencer.

SPENCER: Since this thing has a Weapons Cache, I’d like to rig up some defense mechanisms for closer combat. I’ll Cleverly use Combat & Tactics, Creating an Advantage to arm Caltrops to be deployed when needed. Shoot, I roll a 7. Sigh, I’m going to spend a Demon Die.

GM: Thank you very much.

SPENCER: 4. Good, it’s not a 1. That puts me at 11.

GM: That’s enough to create the aspect Caltrops with one free invoke on it. Charley, what do you do?

CHARELY: I begin preparing a spell to try and defang or suppress the demon in that Silverado. Essentially like the right holy symbol affecting a vampire, when it gets too close it wants to recoil.

GM: That’s awesome, and difficult but you have some time. I’m going to set the opposition at a 15.

CHARLEY: Ouch, okay I’m going to Cleverly use Mystic Arts to Create the Advantage Demon Repellant. I’ll use my stunt that gives me a +2 when Cleverly Creating Advantages to create protection spells. I’m not ready to spend a die to gain a die, so here goes… Yes! That’s 16!

GM: Fantastic. Your vehicle is surrounded by Demon Repellant with one free invoke on it. And we’re back to the top of a new round. The range is still Medium with 6 boxes checked. As you look behind you, fire erupts from below the red Silverado which is accelerating at an incredible pace. You’ve made it to the freeway and traffic is moderate.

AIDAN: I want to get over to the far right lane, weaving in and out of traffic to put some distance and obstacles between us. I’ll bid 13.

GM: They’re just going to barrel towards you and intimidate cars to get out of the way. They bid 15.

AIDAN: I look for a traffic cop turnout between the two directions of the freeway, the ones they use to cut through the median to go the other direction. I’m going to hit that hard and hope the tires on this thing can take it. I bid a 20.

GM: They’re game! You win the bid. You see your opening up ahead.

AIDAN: We’ll go first. I’m going to do a Doubleback maneuver. I’ll Quickly use Combat & Tactics, and my stunt that says once per session, when I invoke an aspect or use a free invocation I can roll twice and take the higher result. I’m going to invoke Born Behind the Wheel again. I better save my last Faith Die for next round. I roll a 15 with the reroll.

GM: Would you like to use Demon Dice?

AIDAN: Yeah, I’m going to roll 2. Here’s hoping to not rolling a 1! And… I get a 5 and a 3! That puts me at a 23.

GM: You pull off the Doubleback! Now roll your Safety Roll for going over your Redline again. The Safety Rating is 10.

AIDAN: I’ll Carefully use Combat & Tactics and use my stunt that grants me a +2 whenever I Carefully Overcome obstacles on the road. Yikes! That’s an 8.

GM: Your vehicle takes a mishap, a mild condition called “Bald Tires.”

AIDAN: Sigh. Yeah, that figures.

GM: The range is immediately Close now, and the Novus Ordo have to perform a Doubleback or Force Maneuver at a 23 or better! If they fail, the range becomes Extreme!

Good thing you’ve given me some Demon Dice! They are going to attempt a Force maneuver with their discipline Reckless Abandon, of course, use their vehicle bonus, and invoke Supernaturally-Tuned Engine, Fanatical Fury, and Demon-Possessed Red Silverado… and the roll a 21. Wow, they would have made the maneuver bid, but they fail the Force. The range immediately becomes Extreme.

Your team can now take actions. Charley, how about you start us off?

CHARLEY: I’m going to radio HQ about the situation and have the Cipher redirect police attention to the red Silverado…

The chase would continue with the other side resolving their maneuver and if they don’t get at least one box checked by the end of their turn, the chase would be over. As you can see if they are successful, the chase could go on for the whole session.