OSR: Travel and Pursuit Rules

from A Time to Get

These rules are largely drawn from the Angry GM, who came up with them.  

Travel Rules:

The Referee should plan Multiple routes, of varying danger and length of time.  Measure distance in days. 

Divide the wilderness up into territories of various monsters/enemy factions.

Each region/territory is ranked on a Danger Scale.

Danger Scale:
1- Civilized area with rule of law, or barren wilderness
2- The Frontier
3- Enemy Territory
4- Extremely well patrolled and guarded enemy territory
5- A place where every living thing is trying to kill you or is a potential threat, a la the Abyss or the Nine Hells. 

For Encounters, gather six d6s.  Roll them.  Every time you roll the Danger Number or lower, that will equal an encounter.

The six dice equal the six times of day: Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Dusk, Midnight, and Predawn.

Each encounter need not be a fight, but should present some form of danger or obstacle to the party.  Depending on who the party encounters and what happens next should determine whether or not violence occurs and if so, how much.  An encounter between a pack of blood-thirsty Orc Raiders will go differently than a squad of deserters from the nearby army, desperate and low on supplies.    

When the party makes camp, log how many days of progress they made.  If they traveled at a normal pace, they will have made one day of progress.  If they went fast, then they make 1 1/3 days of progress.  If they went slow, they made 2/3 of a day.

When traveling fast, the party cannot forage.  They get a -4 penalty to their Navigation check and to their check to avoid people, should they want to do so. 

When traveling normally, no penalty.  The party may forage for food or supplies along the way. 

When traveling slowly, the party has +4 to their rolls to navigate, forage, and avoid stumbling into someone. 

Yami's Modification:

Base Travel Table looks like this, assuming Danger Level 1:

1d6
1- Encounter.  Need not be violent, but there is definitely the chance for combat.
2- Omen.  Sign of a monster nearby. 
3- Difficulty.  You encounter some kind of non-combat difficulty.
4- Quest Event (if applicable).  Ex: if you're hunting a monster, you find signs that it was here.
5- Friendly NPC.  You meet an NPC who will be friendly, assuming you don't try to brutalize him/her.
6- Chance of Treasure.  If you try.

by

imprzz

Pursuit Rules:

These are rules for running away or chasing someone who is running away.  Only use these if you are dealing with two or more characters or groups of approximately equal speeds.  If one character or group is dramatically faster for some reason, simply let them catch up or escape.

For example, use these rules for when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are chasing the Uruk Hai after the latter kidnapped Meri and Pippin.  Do not use it for when the human bank robber is attempting to run away from Superman.

Da Rulez:

First, everyone should roll a DEX check (1d20+DEX).  If there is a group of roughly similar enemies, they should roll only 1 die per group.  Compare the results of the pursuers to the one being pursued.  If the pursuers roll higher or equal to, they get within striking distance of the one being pursued.

Second, everyone on their turn can choose to Dash or run and take another action.  Dashing means you focus entirely on running.  Dashing gives you advantage on your DEX check and on saves based on dodging, evading or getting out of the way using speed and agility.  If you choose to run and take another action, you can also do something else, such as attempting to tackle or attack someone you are pursuing.

Thirdly, if the pursued creature rolls higher than the pursuers 3 times in a row or 2 times in a row with wide margins (10 or more on a d20), the pursued creature loses their pursuers for the moment.  Depending on the resources of the creatures pursuing, they might be able to find a trail and eventually catch up to the target they were pursuing, but for the moment, the pursued creature has escaped.

Examples:

Royce and William Longtooth are fleeing from the city guard.  Royce rolls a 9 and Longtooth rolls a 3, as compared to the guardsmen's 16.  The Guardsmen catch up to them and can attempt to grapple them to stop their movement, attack them or run ahead to cut them off.

Lord Dreadgrave is fleeing from the remains of his destroyed zombie army, pursued by Bold Alicia and Jon Silverfist.  Dreadgrave rolls a 12, which is enough to beat Alicia's 10 so he manages to stay ahead of her, but not enough for him to escape from the quick hands and sharp blades of Jon Silverfist, who rolled a 17.

from Batman Adventures #9

Chase Complications: 

Roll on the following table to spice up a chase through an environment.  For the purpose of this table, the one being pursued will be referred to as the prey and the one pursuing will be referred to as the hunter. 

Urban-

1d12
1- The prey encounters a beggar, who steps into his way, asking for money.  Succeed on a DEX check to dodge around him or a STR check to shove him down.  Throwing some money to the side will automatically move him out of the way.   
2- The prey runs into a tightly-packed crowd that is marching, watching something or simply filling the space ahead.  Make a STR check to shove your way through or allow yourself to be moved in the direction the crowd is moving.  If the crowd is stationary, this is not an option.  
3- The prey runs into a fight.  Two or more people are brawling in the street, with a group of people gathered around them to watch.  Prey and hunter must save or stumble into the crowd or the fighters and get dragged into the brawl.
4- The prey runs into a dead end.  There are 1d4-1 potential escape routes, but they are more difficult.  These might involve climbing a fence or wall, scrambling up the side of a building, ducking under a vehicle, etc. 
5- The prey's current path ends and he must turn.  The prey gets clues about what is at each end- one way seems to lead to a construction site, while the other leads to the open street, for example.  If far enough ahead, the hunter must make a guess at which way the prey went. 
6- The prey runs into an area with some hazard scattered across the ground, such as spilled water, small round objects, or sharp objects that could pierce a boot.  Both hunter and prey must either slow down or make a save to avoid injuring themselves or falling on their faces. 
7- The hunter finds the direction the prey ran in suddenly covered or blocked by something.  This could be a parade, a wall of vehicles, a barricade, etc.  The prey must quickly choose an alternate route or make a DEX check to attempt to vault or slide over the obstacle.   
8- The prey is suddenly faced with a potentially breakable obstacle in his way.  For example, a window or a sheet of glass, a fruit stand, a small person oblivious to the chase happening right behind them.  The prey and hunter must both make a STR check to successfully smash through, or a DEX check to avoid the wreckage.  If the prey smashes his way through, then the hunter does not need to, as the obstacle has been removed. 
9- The area the prey moved through is suddenly obscured by smoke, fog or some other obstacle that breaks line of sight with the hunter.  The hunter must succeed a COG save to spot the prey before they get too far ahead.
10- The way in front of the prey is partially blocked by a maze of crates, barrels or other low obstacles.  Both prey and hunter must succeed a DEX or STR check to dodge or push through.  Failed checks give disadvantage on next pursuit roll. 
11- A member of the local police force or a concerned citizen sees the chase and decides to intervene, making an attempt to stop either prey or hunter, whoever the creature's DEX check puts them closer to.  The obstructed party should make a STR check to shove him out of the way, a DEX check to dodge around them or a CHA check to impress upon the creature the importance of the chase. 
12- No obstacle, the path is clear.  

Wilderness-

1d20
1- The prey's flight disturbs a flock of birds, bats or some other small flying creature, which swarm out around them.  The prey and hunter must both succeed a COG save, the prey to not freak out and go in another direction and the hunter to not lose the prey in the chaos.
2- The prey and hunter pass through a muddy or slippery area and must succeed on DEX checks or fall on their facess, giving their opposite time to catch up/get further ahead.
3- The ground the prey was running across is actually not as stable as it appears.  They must make a DEX save to avoid falling into the hole that opens beneath their feet.  The hunter must make a DEX check to move quickly around it or a STR save to leap across the hole.
4- The prey accidentally startles a poisonous animal such as scorpion or snake.  He must succeed a DEX save to avoid being struck if he moves, or he can remain still and not need to make the save. 
5- The weather shifts and it starts 1d3 [1= Raining or snowing; 2= Fog rolls in; 3= Storming.]  Visibility is reduced and the hunter must succeed a COG check to keep track of where the prey went.  The prey may have to save, as determined by the Referee, to avoid getting lost unless the prey doesn't care about that and just wants to escape.
6- The prey stumbles upon a dangerous creature or group of creatures, such as a bear or a pack of Goblins armed with slings and shortswords.  The prey must make a DEX save to avoid being attacked out of reflex, while the hunter will have to either go around or risk confronting these creatures to try and catch the prey.    
7- The prey is suddenly faced with a natural obstacle, such as a fallen tree or a river.  He and the hunter must succeed a STR check to leap over this obstacle or find another way around it.
8- The wind suddenly blows up a cloud of grit, dust or other loose matter.  The prey and hunter must make a CON save or be temporarily blinded by the wind-borne matter.
9- The prey and hunter blunder into an area filled with thorny plants.  They both must succeed a DEX save or be caught on the thorns.  They can tear free as a free action, but this causes the thorns to slash into that creature's flesh, doing damage.
10- The prey and hunter stumble upon some uneven ground.  They both must make a DEX save to move quickly through it, otherwise they get disadvantage on their next Pursuit roll.
11- The prey is surprised by a sudden drop.  They must succeed a DEX save to not tumble down the drop, if they fail, they take some damage.  The hunter must save as well.  If the prey chooses to roll down, this calls for a CON check to get up and be able to run after rolling down the drop and being dizzy. 
12- The prey stumbles upon a hunter's snare, COG save to recognize this and avoid tripping it.  If the prey passes the save, the hunter must save as well, unless the prey yelled or made some indication of danger ahead.  If the snare is tripped, there is a 2-in-6 chance the hunter is nearby and will show up to investigate what he caught.
13- The prey spooks a group of animals, which flee away from them, scrambling in all directions.  The prey must succeed a DEX or CHA save or be injured by the fleeing animals.  The hunter must also save to avoid the few that scramble his way.
14- The prey runs through an area of obscuring foliage.  The hunter must succeed a COG check to spot which way the prey went.
15- The prey and hunter encounter an area of thick brush.  They both must make a STR check to shove their way through.  Failed STR save mean disadvantage on their next pursuit rolls. 
16- The prey and hunter's chase draw the attention of the spirit that rules over the wilderness they are traveling through.  This spirit will immediately manifest and demand to know what on earth they are doing.  The spirit may be hostile, or it may be simply confused.
17- 20- No complication, the path is clear.

from Goldeneye