Virtual Illusions

Last Nephilim Song session we had a big chase scene with no good chase rules, so I wrote up these chase rules for the Nephilim Song role playing game (rpg).

These rules were largely drifted from Spirit of the Century. The idea is that the chase continues until someone can not continue, it becomes a game of endurance. Once a chase scene is declared there are a number of exchanges until either the prey escapes of the hunters can’t continue. When a chase scene is started everyone has an amount of stress equal to their (Body + Soul) x2.

• At the beginning of each exchange the prey describes a maneuver and declares a difficulty.
• Everyone must attempt the maneuver at the set difficulty. Anyone who fails takes stress equal to the number they failed by. The maneuver should be a Dex+Athletics roll is almost all cases.
• At the end of each sequence everyone takes one point of stress

When someone runs out of stress they are out of the chase.

Simple as pie. Now we’ll talk about the things that make it complicated.

For the purpose of talent duration and quanta recovery every four exchanges is a sequence.

If a character has a movement talent that is applicable to a maneuver the character may add the level of the talent/power to their Dex+Athletics roll.

Movement Modes

If a hunter has a movement mode that the prey does not have, if that movement mode can be used he can forgo making the declared maneuver and instead employ his movement talent and attempt a difficulty 7 maneuver.

The prey can choose maneuvers and routes where alternate movement modes offer no advantage. For example running inside would offer no advantage to flying hunters. Choose a twisty path with broken line of sight to make a teleporter pursue you on foot.

If the prey has a movement mode the hunter does not he may use it in his maneuvers. If he does so the hunter must describe a way to keep up. Such an alternate maneuver will have a difficulty of +1 to +3 (or more) compared to the maneuver declared by the prey.

Shooting and Hampering

A hunter with a ranged attack may attempt to use it on the prey. This means all of their effort isn’t going into the chase. A character who is shooting has a -1 penalty to their athletics check. Their to hit check (rods, invoke familiar) is constrained by their athletics (i.e. they can’t use more skill than they have in athletics) and is also at a -1 penalty. They must roll the difficulty of the maneuver being attempted this exchange to hit the prey.

If the prey is hit, it is assumed the forcefield absorbs the damage, however hitting the prey at a key moment disturbs their stride. The prey is at a -1 penalty to attempt the maneuver for each time they are hit in an exchange.

The prey may attempt to make the path more difficulty as he passes (pull shelves down into the hallway, etc). In order to do so the prey suffers a -1 penalty to their Athletics check, however everyone that attempts the maneuver is also at a -1 penalty.