| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Background
I watched Lindybeige's speech for Chases in RPG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVgRlPGS69c
and I started thinking and looked for some interesting rules. Short and long chases got some interesting rules and various variants of rules, which I will test someday, but is there any good way to become an obstacle of escaping/charging character. Also alternately, to way avoid of being trampled over.
The Move Check from http://geek-related.com/2009/12/13/life-in-the-big-city-chase-rules/
seemed promiding and to be quite aproved set of rules. But it still need bit of jiggering for my taste. Well, for this purpose.
So, my idea
Whenever any of players wan't change his position out of his turn as a pre-emptive reaction, he must roll Initiative Check against the triggerer of the action, including following modifiers:
+2 per each 5 ft of speed
+2 per each 5 ft of distance the opponent must go before nearest intercepting point
-2 if you are fatiqued
-6 if you are exhausted, as well only using half speed
-4 if you are flanked
If the character in turn wins, nothing changes.
If the reacting character wins, he can take 5 ft step and additional 5 ft movement from each 5 points he beat the opponent. To maximum distance of his normal speed. These are substracted from the movement he can do at his next turn.
Possible uses
Avoid being a target of attack or charge.
Give a way for your ally, who want's to take your place.
Be obstacle by getting in the way of opponent.
Prevent enemy of opening or closing a door, cathing an unintended item, etc. (You can't do that and get an attack of opportunity same time.)
Save your ally from trap or accident, like catch him when he slips or falls.
Your Feedback
Thoughts, ideas of development and critics are welcome. I especially want's to know where this might clash against rules, feats etc. Or give better rules if you have.
Go ahead and try this mechanic out at your table, but you should know that there is already an existing mechanic in place. You can use a readied action (a standard action) to move your speed. Obviously, the exact conditions in the battle and the wording of the readied action are important, but it can work.
You can use a readied action
Well, readied action is actually too often do nothing, because the thing you wait does not happen. So, turn wasted. Also, in combat you probably wan't to hit enemy first instead of waiting that he tries to escape.
Think that you are same room with goading orc and big button which read Self-Destruct. With orc ferocity, when he has clearly lost, even below 0 hp, he can take single move action to move toward button and push it free. Now, how would you try prevent that?
Ok, I read again what I have writen and it seems that my idea did grow a bit, but Lindybeige also have good point why current initiative system is broken. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P7iSbnd4WU
Attack of Opportunity is good example what you can do out of your turn, but very limited of what you can do. So what if you want to make Step of Opportunity? Or maybe even Handshake of Opportunity? You give your opponent change to surrender, but if he acts only after your friends, can he make Surrender of Opportunity by dropping his weapon?
Or is he too busy for waiting his turn?