Help with a chase encounter - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Help with a chase encounter

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Thangor
Feb 03, 2012 17:56:22 The Story: The PCs are tracking a Golem across unknown wilderness. Since the Golem never rests, the PCs need to keep up a breakneck pace.
Meanwhile, a rival adventuring party is also tracking the Golem and will hamper the PCs any way they can.

Question 1: How would you adjudicate this situation?

Question 2: What are some fun "travel" challenges to throw into this mix?

In the end, whether they catch the Golem or not, I would like this journey to tax the PCs significantly.

All idea are appreciated!
#2
Saranghae
Feb 04, 2012 19:10:38 I'll answer #2 first. There's the obvious things like weather, taking the right paths, etc. Perhaps the golem is aware of the PCs, so maybe he'd take out bridges, move giant trees, set up falls tracks, etc. Also, the rival party could attempt to steal their supplies or something.

If, and once, the PCs finally reach the golem, maybe it could be a PC vs. NPC vs. Golem battle/skill challenge. It could get a little complicated but might be fun.
#3
theapokalypseshovel
Feb 05, 2012 19:08:35 Golems are incredibly durable and depending on their type, are likely to be able to withstand a variety of different encounters that would challenge the flesh and blood. At the same time, if this is a heavy golem, it should be easy to track and relatively slow, and they shouldn't have trouble keeping on it's trail. The Golem should only gain distance because it's followers are having to go out of their way and take the long way.

That is, unless the rival party creates some false tracks..

The Golem might simply walk through a raging river that the party will have to find another way around or risk getting washed downstream. It might march straight through a bog or swamp that would slow down the party. It could have walked through a giant ants nest (or really anything that's territorial) and stirred them into a frenzy, but kept marching on, leaving an angry encounter for the party. It might ride a landslide down a steep cliff, making it dangerous and unstable for future travellers.

You can use the rival party as part of these terrain challenges, either having them arrive behind the party and try to hinder them, or getting ahead of the party and making the future challenges more difficult (as Saranghae said, taking out bridges or removing ladders or other things).

#4
Kaganfindel
Feb 07, 2012 15:09:32 When I'm building a skill challenge, the first thing I figure out is what the party is good at. I want everyone to feel like their character has something useful to do, so I jot down which skills the party has covered (if I can know that in advance,) and try to build a scenario that will call for them.

You've got a great starting point - a magical construct plowing through the wilderness with another group racing the party to catch it gives you opportunities to let them use social, knowledge and physical skills.

Another thing I read here that I think adds a feeling of progress to the challenge is having successes at one skill "unlock" opportunities to use other skills. For instance, one of the heroes tries to track the golem. A successful Perception (hard) or Nature (easy) reveals that something big came through here recently. If someone thinks to use Arcana, Religion (mod) or Dungeoneering (hard,) they can determine that it wasn't the golem. If the result is high enough, they discover what it was - a bullette or some other large, dangrous creature that is not native to the area. A clever party might think to use the false trail to try and mislead the other group. That might start with a Bluff check (moderate) that can be assisted by any player trained in Nature, Arcana or Dungeoneering, or it could start with the Bluff and require one or two successes in one of those three skills after the Bluff check to succeed.

That brings me to the other thing I like to include: alternative goals. Let's say they do think to throw the other group off the trail using that false trail. That little side challenge with the Bluff and so forth could add to their number of successes, or it could eliminate the other group from the chase.

Finally, I like to keep a few prompts handy in case anyone seems to be struggling to think of a way to contribute. Again, you've got to know your party to do that. This golem just won't quit! YOU THERE, give me an Endurance check to see if you can push the party to keep up with it. Nature and Perception are coming up bupkiss. YOU THERE, it's a construct. It's thrumming with magic energy.  Can you feel it (Arcana or Religion)? EVERYBODY give me Perception. Remember that false trail? You hear the thing that made it blundering your way. Sneak or sprint, unless you think you've got time to stop and fight. Have the creature statted up, just in case they really do decide they've got time to stop and fight.

How do you see the challenge ending? Does failure mean the thing gets away or the other group finds it first, or does it mean they are at a disadvantage when they catch up? Maybe success means they get a surprise round on the golem, but failure means they are surprised. Maybe failure means the other group fed them a false trail, and it's they who end up fighting some other threat (hey, potential story hook) while the rival group brings in the golem. Maybe every failure costs them all a healing surge, and they find the golem in the hands of some other hostile creatures who aren't willing to give it up. . .

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Thangor Feb 03, 2012 17:56:22	The Story: The PCs are tracking a Golem across unknown wilderness. Since the Golem never rests, the PCs need to keep up a breakneck pace. Meanwhile, a rival adventuring party is also tracking the Golem and will hamper the PCs any way they can. Question 1: How would you adjudicate this situation? Question 2: What are some fun "travel" challenges to throw into this mix? In the end, whether they catch the Golem or not, I would like this journey to tax the PCs significantly. All idea are appreciated!
#2 Saranghae Feb 04, 2012 19:10:38	I'll answer #2 first. There's the obvious things like weather, taking the right paths, etc. Perhaps the golem is aware of the PCs, so maybe he'd take out bridges, move giant trees, set up falls tracks, etc. Also, the rival party could attempt to steal their supplies or something. If, and once, the PCs finally reach the golem, maybe it could be a PC vs. NPC vs. Golem battle/skill challenge. It could get a little complicated but might be fun.
#3 theapokalypseshovel Feb 05, 2012 19:08:35	Golems are incredibly durable and depending on their type, are likely to be able to withstand a variety of different encounters that would challenge the flesh and blood. At the same time, if this is a heavy golem, it should be easy to track and relatively slow, and they shouldn't have trouble keeping on it's trail. The Golem should only gain distance because it's followers are having to go out of their way and take the long way. That is, unless the rival party creates some false tracks.. The Golem might simply walk through a raging river that the party will have to find another way around or risk getting washed downstream. It might march straight through a bog or swamp that would slow down the party. It could have walked through a giant ants nest (or really anything that's territorial) and stirred them into a frenzy, but kept marching on, leaving an angry encounter for the party. It might ride a landslide down a steep cliff, making it dangerous and unstable for future travellers. You can use the rival party as part of these terrain challenges, either having them arrive behind the party and try to hinder them, or getting ahead of the party and making the future challenges more difficult (as Saranghae said, taking out bridges or removing ladders or other things).
#4 Kaganfindel Feb 07, 2012 15:09:32	When I'm building a skill challenge, the first thing I figure out is what the party is good at. I want everyone to feel like their character has something useful to do, so I jot down which skills the party has covered (if I can know that in advance,) and try to build a scenario that will call for them. You've got a great starting point - a magical construct plowing through the wilderness with another group racing the party to catch it gives you opportunities to let them use social, knowledge and physical skills. Another thing I read here that I think adds a feeling of progress to the challenge is having successes at one skill "unlock" opportunities to use other skills. For instance, one of the heroes tries to track the golem. A successful Perception (hard) or Nature (easy) reveals that something big came through here recently. If someone thinks to use Arcana, Religion (mod) or Dungeoneering (hard,) they can determine that it wasn't the golem. If the result is high enough, they discover what it was - a bullette or some other large, dangrous creature that is not native to the area. A clever party might think to use the false trail to try and mislead the other group. That might start with a Bluff check (moderate) that can be assisted by any player trained in Nature, Arcana or Dungeoneering, or it could start with the Bluff and require one or two successes in one of those three skills after the Bluff check to succeed. That brings me to the other thing I like to include: alternative goals. Let's say they do think to throw the other group off the trail using that false trail. That little side challenge with the Bluff and so forth could add to their number of successes, or it could eliminate the other group from the chase. Finally, I like to keep a few prompts handy in case anyone seems to be struggling to think of a way to contribute. Again, you've got to know your party to do that. This golem just won't quit! YOU THERE, give me an Endurance check to see if you can push the party to keep up with it. Nature and Perception are coming up bupkiss. YOU THERE, it's a construct. It's thrumming with magic energy. Can you feel it (Arcana or Religion)? EVERYBODY give me Perception. Remember that false trail? You hear the thing that made it blundering your way. Sneak or sprint, unless you think you've got time to stop and fight. Have the creature statted up, just in case they really do decide they've got time to stop and fight. How do you see the challenge ending? Does failure mean the thing gets away or the other group finds it first, or does it mean they are at a disadvantage when they catch up? Maybe success means they get a surprise round on the golem, but failure means they are surprised. Maybe failure means the other group fed them a false trail, and it's they who end up fighting some other threat (hey, potential story hook) while the rival group brings in the golem. Maybe every failure costs them all a healing surge, and they find the golem in the hands of some other hostile creatures who aren't willing to give it up. . .