Chase Countdown

You can use dynamic countdowns to track the progress of a chase scene, whether the PCs are pursuing an NPC or being pursued themselves. When the chase begins, set two countdowns: one for the pursuing party and one for the escaping party. First pick a die for the pursuers’ countdown—the more time you want the chase to take, the higher the starting value should be—then set that die at its highest value. Next, select another die with the same starting value for the escapee’s countdown, but set that die at a lower value to reflect how much of a lead they have (1 lower for a small lead, 3 lower for a decent lead, 5 lower for a substantial lead).

For example, a chase through a town market could use d6 dice and each tick of the countdown could represent one range band (Very Close to Close, Close to Far, Far to Very Far, etc.). For a chase playing out over a longer distance, such as the PCs pursuing bandits across the countryside, each tick on the countdown might represent several miles.

Regardless of whether the PCs are pursuing or escaping, their action rolls advance both countdowns, as shown on the earlier Dynamic Countdown Advancement table. When a PC succeeds on an action roll, it ticks down their countdown, which is a progress countdown. When they fail on an action roll—or roll a success with Fear—it ticks down the other party’s countdown, which is a consequence countdown. When setting the Difficulty of these rolls, consider the adversary’s Difficulty plus any other narrative considerations.