In my upcoming homebrew campaign, the characters (4-5 Level 1) pursue a three cultists over the course of roughly 9 miles, all (presumably) on horseback (Riding Horse). They are trying to regain a ceremonial dagger stolen by the cultists. The DMG is helpful for short distances, but how do I maintain enthusiasm for 9 miles? Since there are over 47,000 feet in 9 miles, is there a way to simplify the chase so it's not constantly round-by-round, minute-by-minute, so it could be conducted in a single session? Should I make it less of a chase sequence and more of a tracking scenario? The characters ultimately need to follow the cultists all the way to their lair 9 miles away. What is the best way to go about this?
Implementing a series of skill checks where the players must succeed a certain amount of times is one way I've seen. Maybe start with mobile combat while they're keeping up, and then move towards more of a tracking/navigation scenario with said checks. Add in light combat or hazards as a consequence of failing and that should take up some time.
1) Make a check each mile. A "failure" indicates they are pulling away, character's lose sight of them because of a bend in the road, etc. A success means they regain sight, close the distance (make it to where 5-8 successes in a row means they get within bowshot range, penalty for shooting mounted plus disadvantage for range) If you drag it out too long, they'll get bored and stop.
2) You sure they don't have magic which can end the chase sooner? Fly, Haste, Expiditious Retreat, etc.?
3) Consider having the some of the cultists split up, either taking different paths or have some rein up and turn to fight the PC's, sacrificing lives for time. Then it turns into a tracking scenario for the end bit.
You really don't want to have a skill challenge that just keeps using the same skill over and over again. (In fact I don't allow the same skill check made twice by the any single character and character must be proficient in the skill to use it during a skill challenge, every party member must roll one skill check per challenge minimum and no character can have more than +1 skill checks over any other character)
4) Cutscene it... Not a challenge anymore, but really since you are saying they NEED to follow the cultists to their lair, there really is no FAILURE result, hence no conflict, hence no challenge. And since it is the case, you best plan on at least two other ways the party can locate the lair.
Fantasy aside for a moment, nine miles is a HELL of a long time for a horse to run full speed. The Kentucky Derby is a mile and a quarter. If you're amenable to a tracking situation, I'd go that route. Maybe there's a chase, but the heroes get distracted or stalled by something, the bad guys get away and then the good guys have to start tracking. Or, during the chase, they took a prisoner who leads them to the hideout..
On the Encounters of the Week on this site, they seem to like the “tell me something your character is doing to try to catch up with the cultists.” way of handling stuff like this. One might say “I’m looking out for tripping hazards in our path.” OK, give me a DC12 perception check. Another might say, “I’m spurring the horses to keep them moving quickly” OK, Animal handling check. Another, “I’m playing the bagpipes to keep our morale up.” OK, performance check. If it can bear any relevance to the chase, allow it. If you get more successes than failures, your party has gotten within bowshot of the cultists. If more failures, this becomes a tracking mission and they may suffer other setbacks for the delay in getting there.
I’d just go straight tracking. If you need them to get to the cultist base and you do a chase what happens if they catch them? If they can’t possibly catch them, it’s pretty much a railroad situation where they might be rolling dice, but the rolls don’t matter. Maybe something where the cultists have an hour head start, so they can’t possibly catch them, but they can still feel hot on the trail.
Once you have established that the chase won't end immediately (there's enough of a speed difference that the results are not in doubt), you should convert it to a non-combat encounter. Usually, this means contests of Athletics or Handle Animal, with the possibility of Advantage due to clever tactics
I agree with the skill checks. Why not have some of the baddies break off and attack the players in an attempt to stall/kill them as well. You could even throw something else at them encounter wise. Plain on the chance of the party not managing to catch up and have something else in the works for them to get what they are after.
Lot of good advice above. The length of the chase doesn't matter, it is the number of skill checks that do. Have a plan for what happens if they fail (if you don't have that, you are just railroading them).
I think I would have "forgotten" about the chase. I'm guessing that you'll need the PC's to catch up with the bad guys, if so it's almost impossible to make it exciting. Instead focus on other difficulties. Traps set, rivers that must be crossed, attacks by wild animals etc. It is also a brilliant opportunity to have encounters where the goal isn't to kill everything, but rather get through as fast as possible.
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In my upcoming homebrew campaign, the characters (4-5 Level 1) pursue a three cultists over the course of roughly 9 miles, all (presumably) on horseback (Riding Horse). They are trying to regain a ceremonial dagger stolen by the cultists. The DMG is helpful for short distances, but how do I maintain enthusiasm for 9 miles? Since there are over 47,000 feet in 9 miles, is there a way to simplify the chase so it's not constantly round-by-round, minute-by-minute, so it could be conducted in a single session? Should I make it less of a chase sequence and more of a tracking scenario? The characters ultimately need to follow the cultists all the way to their lair 9 miles away. What is the best way to go about this?
Implementing a series of skill checks where the players must succeed a certain amount of times is one way I've seen. Maybe start with mobile combat while they're keeping up, and then move towards more of a tracking/navigation scenario with said checks. Add in light combat or hazards as a consequence of failing and that should take up some time.
Time and thus distance is relative.
1) Make a check each mile. A "failure" indicates they are pulling away, character's lose sight of them because of a bend in the road, etc. A success means they regain sight, close the distance (make it to where 5-8 successes in a row means they get within bowshot range, penalty for shooting mounted plus disadvantage for range) If you drag it out too long, they'll get bored and stop.
2) You sure they don't have magic which can end the chase sooner? Fly, Haste, Expiditious Retreat, etc.?
3) Consider having the some of the cultists split up, either taking different paths or have some rein up and turn to fight the PC's, sacrificing lives for time. Then it turns into a tracking scenario for the end bit.
You really don't want to have a skill challenge that just keeps using the same skill over and over again. (In fact I don't allow the same skill check made twice by the any single character and character must be proficient in the skill to use it during a skill challenge, every party member must roll one skill check per challenge minimum and no character can have more than +1 skill checks over any other character)
4) Cutscene it... Not a challenge anymore, but really since you are saying they NEED to follow the cultists to their lair, there really is no FAILURE result, hence no conflict, hence no challenge. And since it is the case, you best plan on at least two other ways the party can locate the lair.
Fantasy aside for a moment, nine miles is a HELL of a long time for a horse to run full speed. The Kentucky Derby is a mile and a quarter. If you're amenable to a tracking situation, I'd go that route. Maybe there's a chase, but the heroes get distracted or stalled by something, the bad guys get away and then the good guys have to start tracking. Or, during the chase, they took a prisoner who leads them to the hideout..
On the Encounters of the Week on this site, they seem to like the “tell me something your character is doing to try to catch up with the cultists.” way of handling stuff like this. One might say “I’m looking out for tripping hazards in our path.” OK, give me a DC12 perception check. Another might say, “I’m spurring the horses to keep them moving quickly” OK, Animal handling check. Another, “I’m playing the bagpipes to keep our morale up.” OK, performance check. If it can bear any relevance to the chase, allow it. If you get more successes than failures, your party has gotten within bowshot of the cultists. If more failures, this becomes a tracking mission and they may suffer other setbacks for the delay in getting there.
I’d just go straight tracking. If you need them to get to the cultist base and you do a chase what happens if they catch them? If they can’t possibly catch them, it’s pretty much a railroad situation where they might be rolling dice, but the rolls don’t matter.
Maybe something where the cultists have an hour head start, so they can’t possibly catch them, but they can still feel hot on the trail.
Once you have established that the chase won't end immediately (there's enough of a speed difference that the results are not in doubt), you should convert it to a non-combat encounter. Usually, this means contests of Athletics or Handle Animal, with the possibility of Advantage due to clever tactics
Do the cultists know they're being chased? If so, I'm sure they'll have left a few traps and obstacles in their wake to shake off the PCs ...
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Never tell me the DC.
I agree with the skill checks. Why not have some of the baddies break off and attack the players in an attempt to stall/kill them as well. You could even throw something else at them encounter wise. Plain on the chance of the party not managing to catch up and have something else in the works for them to get what they are after.
Lot of good advice above. The length of the chase doesn't matter, it is the number of skill checks that do. Have a plan for what happens if they fail (if you don't have that, you are just railroading them).
I think I would have "forgotten" about the chase. I'm guessing that you'll need the PC's to catch up with the bad guys, if so it's almost impossible to make it exciting. Instead focus on other difficulties. Traps set, rivers that must be crossed, attacks by wild animals etc. It is also a brilliant opportunity to have encounters where the goal isn't to kill everything, but rather get through as fast as possible.
Ludo ergo sum!