Car Chase Rules, THW style
About Car Chase Rules
These rules were written to allow a simplified chase between two vehicles in the style of Two Hour Wargames rules. When I began playing their pulp-era rules, Larger Than Life (LTL), I quickly ran into a situation where the fleeing villains (minions of the Overlord) had to be pursued by the forces of good (in this case, Operative Blue-5). I could have just assigned a likelihood of success, or put some driving skill value to each side and diced for it, but I wanted more suspense. These rules are the result.
This isn't a full game (those are in the works) but will suffice for chase scene.
Notes:
Skill roll: roll two 6-sided dice (2d6) and compare each die to the target skill value. If the die value is equal to or lower than the target value, the die is said to "pass".
Opposed roll: each side rolls some number of 6-sided dice. Each side counts the number of dice showing a 1, 2, or 3. This is the number that side "wins". The side that has the most "wins", well, wins. (Ties usually have no effect)
How do you know who wins?
The goal of the vehicle being chased is to escape. This can be achieved by outrunning the pursuit or by disabling the pursuing vehicle and so making a getaway.
The vehicle doing the chasing wins by passing the fleeing vehicle (it is assumed to have been forced to stop), reducing the gap between vehicles to zero and passing a skill test, or in some other way forcing the fleeing vehicle to stop (through damage or a crash).
Set up
Assign each vehicle driver with a skill/rep rating
Assign each vehicle a damage factor roughly based upon size: Trucks 3, cars 2, motorcycle 1
Each vehicle MAY have a speed or handling bonus, based upon the scenario.
A vehicle MAY be equipped with armor.
Each vehicle may shoot at the other, but there is a penalty for the driver doing the shooting. In other words, vehicles with passengers may shoot without penalty.
If the damage factor is reduced to 0, the vehicle is disabled.
Sequence of a turn
Shooting (optional)
Either, both, neither may shoot a weapon, assuming the use of a hand weapon.
Risky maneuver (optional)
If one side decides to attempt a risky maneuver (slide, evade, over-speed, etc.), the other side must also roll on the Risk Table or "lose" one unit from the gap.
That is, if the fleeing vehicle attempts a risky maneuver and the pursuit declines, the gap widens by one immediately. If the chase vehicle tries something and the vehicle in front chooses not to risk it, the gap decreases by one.
Roll for a change in the gap between vehicles
Begin
Unless the scenario dictates otherwise: begin 1d6+2 units apart. Determine how many units lead constitutes a getaway, something around 10 works well.
If a vehicle's damage reaches 0, the vehicle is considered to be disabled and stopped.
If the pursuer catches (gap equal to 0), test 2d6 against pursuer's driving skill.
Pass 2d6: fleeing vehicle is stopped violently, the occupants stunned to inaction.
Pass 1d6: fleeing vehicle is stopped safely, but the occupants remain active.
Pass 0d6: fleeing vehicle is stopped, but pursuit is stunned to inaction.
(Being inactive only matters if there is a follow-on scene and you need to know if one side or the other is able to continue to fight or flee on foot.)
If the pursuer passes the front vehicle, assume it has been forced to the side of the road. Both sides should be considered able to act if there is follow-up action planned.
Each turn
1. Shoot
Shooting between vehicles: opposed rolls. Even if one side chooses not to shoot, it must still roll against its shooting skill.
Note that if one car does not shoot for some reason, but wins the roll, there is no effect.
Dice adjustments (start with a number of d6 equal to the skill in question)
+1d6 for shooting at a truck or large vehicle (size 4+)
-1d6 for a small vehicle, motorcycle, etc. (size 1)
-1d6 if in front
-1d6 if only driver is shooting
+1d6 if you have armor
Each side rolls their dice, with 1-3 as a "pass", 4-6 as a "fail". Compare the counts:
Pass 3 or more than opponent: loser takes 2 damage, winner gains 2 gap spaces immediately, loser makes remainder of rolls this turn at -2d6.
Pass 2 more than opponent: loser takes 1 damage, winner gains 1 gap space immediately, loser makes remainder of rolls this turn at -1d6
Pass 1 more than opponent: loser makes remainder of rolls this turn at -1d6
Pass same number: no effect
2. Risky maneuver
Risk roll:
One may try a risky maneuver (If the other side declines, gain 1 unit automatically. This isn't an opposed roll, so it is 2d6 vs. driving skill.
force opponent to stop (or into a crash!)
cut a corner or take a shortcut
power slide through turn
Roll 2d6 vs. Skill as driver
Pass 2d6: you got away with it, gain 2 units
Pass 1d6: lose 1 unit distance, take 1 vehicle damage.
Pass 0d6: crash!
3. Distance roll
Primary tests are against driving skill. Roll (skill)d6, counting 1-3 as pass, 4-6 as fail.
Skill roll modifiers:
Faster car: +1d6
Better maneuverability: +1d6
Driver shooting: -1d6
Each "damage" to vehicle: -1d6
Each side rolls dice; if leader wins, increase gap by however many dice of margin. If the pursuer wins, reduce the distance by the margin amount.
Links
Examples
A police cruiser is in pursuit of an armored Van
Van: size 3, plus armor for damage of 4; driver of skill 4, passenger shooting skill 3
Cruiser: size 3 for damage of 3; speed bonus; driver skill 4, passenger shooting skill 4
Initial gap: 6
Turn 1, gap of 6
Neither shoots, neither tries anything risky.
Van rolls 4d6, getting 1 win; Cruiser rolls 5d6 (4 for skill, +1 for speed advantage) with 2 wins. Cruiser wins by one.
Turn 2, gap of 5
Van and Cruiser shoot at each other: Van shooting skill of 3, plus 1 for armor: 4d6 against 4d6 of the Cruiser: the Cruiser wins by 2! The Van takes damage, the gap is reduced by 1 (to a 4 now), and the Van rolls at -1d6 for the remainder of the turn.
The Cruiser attempts a tricky maneuver of some sort, but the Van declines. The Cruiser rolls 3 and 4, passing 2d6! Gap is reduced by two, putting it at 2 units.
Distance roll: Van dice are 3+1-1-1 for 2d6 (skill + armor + damage + penalty from being shot). The Cruiser rolls 5d6 (skill + speed bonus). The Van passes only 1d6 while the Cruiser passes 4. The Cruiser wins by 3, but the gap was only two at this point, so the Van is forced to the curb and the game continues with a shoot-out.