Pursuit/Tracking: play example

The explanation of pursuit mechanics is pretty limited in the Trail Mix pamphlet, so (following questions from reddit user u/Thedudeabides86 ( https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/1lsanv3/comment/n1jnw2c/?context=3 ), here are two play examples of tracking in action.

I'll write the narrative in plain italics.

I'll write the rolls/mechanics in quotation blocks like this.

I'll write designer notes/intention in code blocks like this.

Situation 1: very basic application of the dice ladder; no checks or roll modifications based on action- just the dice ladder on its own.

The party is trying to find the lair of a monster that has been raiding local villages. They are in a village, the day after the most recent attack. Tracks lead into the forest.

The PCs can find the tracks easily enough (especially with villagers helping), but the monster has a solid head start. The trail is cool but still pretty easy to see, so a d10 feels about right for the first PD. Player rolls 1d10 with the result=5. This is good for the pursuers as it shifts the position on the dice ladder to their benefit. The next pursuit die to roll will be 1d6 because it is the smallest die whose maximum value (6) is higher than the PD result (5). Or refer to the table: rolling a 4 or a 5 on any dice means that the next PD will be a d6.

The tracks are easy to follow- the monster seems to be unconcerned with the possibility of pursuit, and is not making much haste. The party seems to be gaining on the monster.

The player rolls 1d6 with result=6. Not good for them, as it means the next die to roll will be 1d8. max(1d6)=6, so the dice ladder steps up to 1d8. (Or refer to the table for result=6-7)

The tracks lead to a dense thicket of brambles and stinging nettles. The monster's thick hide make it virtually impervious to the nasty underbrush, but the party is slowed down by this obstacle. They are still on the trail, but have lost some ground.

The player rolls 1d8 with result=2. This is great for them- the next die to roll will be 1d4, which offers the chance of capture.

The party rounds a rocky bluff and finds flattened brush that looks like a place the monster bedded down for part of the night. The tracks beyond it are very fresh. Splashing through a stream, they can see wet, muddy footprints drying on the warm rocks ahead. An occasional crack from up ahead suggests that their quarry is close at hand.

The player rolls 1d4 with result=1. They have caught up. Play out the encounter.

One thing to note: when I run a pursuit I generally impose some sort of alternate escape condition, such as [in X rounds the quarry reaches safety] or [I am fleeing to the safety of the keep, X hexes away] or [after X rounds of pursuit, the pursuing monster checks morale every round to see if it gets bored and goes home]. In this case, I think I'd have the monster's lair be a given number of rounds away, so if the party didn't catch it in time they have to fight the monster in its home environment.

Situation 2: Pursuit with checks/PD modifications. I'll use checks as in Shadowdark (d20, roll-over, attribute-based) simply because I like it.

A lone PC (Ardo the L1 Halfling fighter) is being pursued by a squad of four goblins mounted on wolves. They are a few hours behind Ardo, chasing him through a pine forest. Ardo knows that pursuit is likely, so he is trying not to leave obvious tracks, but the urgency of making ground takes priority over taking care.

Like the Situation 1 setting, the quarry has a solid head start, and because he's at least conscious of pursuit I'll start the pursuit at 1d12 to make it a little harder on the pursuer. If Ardo rolls a 12 first go, he's free and clear. However, because the goblins are mounted on wolves, and the wolves can track by scent, the goblins have persistent advantage (or Ardo has persistent disadvantage - two sides of the same coin), so every roll will be two PD, taking the result that is better for the goblins.

Ardo rolls 2d12 with the results: 4 and 11. This is not good for him; the 4 (disadvantage result) means that the next PD roll will be 1d6, per the table.

Why doesn't a 4 shift the ladder to 1d4? This is because I need a max value roll on a given die to bump the ladder up to the next higher die. So rolling a 4 on 1d4 bumps to 1d6. Therefore a 4 on every other die also means the next roll is 1d6. A 6 on 1d6 leads to 1d8. Therefore a 6 on 1d12 (or any other die) also leads to 1d8.

As Ardo circles a lake he turns back and sees the goblins on the far shore. They have covered ground alarmingly quickly on their bloodthirsty mounts. He must find a way to dismount them! He dashes into the forest, scanning for any terrain that could give him an edge over his pursuers.

Ardo rolls 2d6, still with disadvantage (because the goblins still have their wolves). His results are a 5 and a 6. Too bad- the 6 would have bumped the dice ladder up, but at least the worse result (5) doesn't bring the goblins closer. Through discussion with- and description from- the DM, the player learns that in addition to the tall standing trees, the local terrain has several steep, rocky bluffs. The player would like to try climbing one of the cliffs, as he reckons that the wolves would not be able to follow.

It seems that the reedy wetlands around the lake have at least obscured Ardo's tracks a little bit, so the wolves have not caught up (yet!), but the situation is still dire. The Halfling scampers to a nearby crag, slithers into a crack just wide enough not to tear the buttons from his waistcoat, and wriggles his way to the top of the cliff. As he crests the summit he hears the howling of wolves and cursing of goblins at the base of the crag.

Using the scramble rules in Trail Mix, Ardo successfully rolls a DEX check (result=14) against a CR12 scramble. The goblins must dismount (and make successful DEX checks!) to follow, so now they have no advantage from the wolves. Ardo rolls the next PD: 1d6, result = 6. This is great- it is the max value on 1d6, so next PD is 1d8.

Ardo watches as one goblin rider leads the wolves away as the sounds of grunting and cursing waft up from the cliff below. He scampers deeper into the woods, but not before kicking dirt and pine needles down on the climbers.

Ardo rolls PD 1d8, result=8. Max again- awesome! Next roll is 1d10.

Without the nosework of their wolves, the goblins are left scouring the forest floor, trying to pick up Ardo's tracks by eye. Only the occasional scuff or freshly-broken twig points to his passing. Knowing their weakness, Ardo cuts out of the deep forest and into an open clearing, skipping from rock to rock, trying hard not to leave any tracks.

Negotiating with the DM, the player explains his strategy: goblins, orcs, etc. aren't great in bright sunlight. By sticking to hard ground out in the open, the tracks should be much more difficult for the goblins to follow. The DM says that the strategy is sound; he'll grant ARDO advantage to his PD roll. Ardo rolls 2d10, results: 2 and 10. Thank goodness for PD advantage! The 10 is a max result, and the third in a row which is enough to trigger the escape condition. Pursuit is over; Ardo has got away. Heads will surely roll back at Goblin HQ.

One thing to note: during this chase I wasn't making the goblins roll any sort of tracking check based on ability scores. With the wolves I assume that the scent is sufficient for them to follow the trail once they have it. If the shoe was on the other foot and it was Ardo tracking goblins, I'd have the player describe how he picks up the trail. If it's an OK-but-not-great approach I might call for a WIS check to see if it works. If it's a really solid approach (i.e. "I scour the edges of mud puddles and wet ground, looking for recent tracks, determine the direction of travel, and then move puddle to puddle, while keeping an eye on the vegetation on either side in case there is sign of the quarry cutting out off the path") then no roll is necessary.  Trail is found, and presumably the same method will be applied at every interval.