Table of Contents
Evasion and Pursuit
In the Dungeon
Evasion
Compare the two sides’ movement rates:
- Fleeing side faster: The evasion automatically succeeds, unless the fleeing side is forced to stop.
- Fleeing side not faster: A pursuit occurs.
Pursuit
Time: Is measured in rounds (see Time, Weight, and Movement). Roll initiative each round.
Running: Each side is assumed to be running at full speed (see below).
Line of sight: Most monsters will stop pursuing if they lose sight of characters.
Dropping treasure: Intelligent monsters have a 3-in-6 chance of stopping pursuit to pick up treasure dropped by fleeing characters.
Dropping food: Unintelligent monsters have a 3-in-6 chance of stopping pursuit to eat food dropped by fleeing characters.
Obstacles: Burning oil or other obstacles can also slow or stop a pursuit.
Running
Movement rate: During a pursuit, characters run at their base movement rate in feet per round.
Mapping: Is not possible while running.
Exhaustion: Characters become exhausted after running for 30 rounds.
Effects of exhaustion: A –2 penalty to Armour Class, attack rolls, and damage rolls.
Resting: The penalties for exhaustion last until characters have rested for three full turns.
Waterborne
Evasion
The chance of evasion is determined by the difference between the two sides’ movement rates, listed in the table below.
Success: If the evasion roll succeeds, the pursuers lose sight of the fleeing side. They can only attempt to pursue again if they happen to encounter the fleeing side again the following day.
Failure: If the evasion roll fails, a pursuit occurs.
Waterborne Evasion Chance
| Fleeing Side’s Movement Rate (Compared with Pursuer’s) | Chance of Evasion |
|---|---|
| Faster than pursuer | 80% |
| 0′–30′ per round slower | 50% |
| 31′–60′ per round slower | 40% |
| 61′–90′ per round slower | 35% |
| 91′–120′ per round slower | 25% |
| 121′+ per round slower | 10% |
Pursuit
Time: Is measured in rounds (see Time, Weight, and Movement). Roll initiative each round.
Initial distance: The two sides begin a pursuit at normal encounter distance (see Waterborne Adventuring).
Closing in: The distance between the two sides decreases by the difference between their two movement rates each round (a minimum of 30′ per round).
In the Wilderness
Evasion
The chance of evasion is a percentile roll. If the roll fails, a pursuit occurs. Surprise determines the chance of evasion:
No surprise: If neither side is surprised, the chance of evasion is determined by the relative size of the two groups—see the Wilderness Evasion Base Chance table.
Surprised side: Generally has no chance of evasion. The referee may rule that environmental conditions give a small chance of evasion even when surprised. For example, dense woodland may give a surprised side a 10% chance of evasion.
Surprising side: The side with surprise can evade automatically—the surprised side is not even aware that the encounter occurred.
Wilderness Evasion Base Chance
| Fleeing Group Size | Chance of Evasion by Number of Pursuers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 1 pursuer: 50% | 2–3 pursuers: 70% | 4+ pursuers: 90% |
| 5–12 | 1–3 pursuers: 35% | 4–8 pursuers: 50% | 9+ pursuers: 70% |
| 13–24 | 1–6 pursuers: 25% | 7–16 pursuers: 35% | 17+ pursuers: 50% |
| 25+ | 1–10 pursuers: 10% | 11–30 pursuers: 25% | 31+ pursuers: 35% |
Evasion Modifiers
One side twice as fast: If the pursuing side’s movement rate is twice that of the other, the chance of evasion is decreased by 25%. If the fleeing side is twice as fast, the chance is increased by 25%.
Environment: The referee may modify the chance of evasion based on terrain and other conditions. For example, in a densely wooded area, the chance of evasion might be increased by 25%.
Minimum chance: The chance of escape is always at least 5%.
Pursuers Splitting Up
The chances in the Wilderness Evasion Base Chance table favour the smaller group, as larger groups cannot move as fast or as quietly. A large pursuing group may split up into smaller groups to increase the chance of catching the other side. In this case, make a separate evasion roll for each smaller group.
Pursuit
The following procedure is followed, day by day, until the pursuit is over:
- The fleeing side moves in a random direction, determined by the referee (no mapping is possible).
- If the pursuing side’s movement rate is greater than that of the fleeing side, there is a 50% chance of it catching up. If the roll succeeds, the fleeing side has been caught; the pursuit is over. Otherwise, continue to step 3.
- The fleeing side must decide whether to continue fleeing. If it decides to continue, it can make another evasion attempt (see above). If the attempt to evade fails, return to step 1. If the fleeing group decides to stop fleeing, it is caught (the pursuit ends).