By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer

Available as a PDF and print version through RPGNow.com.

Initiative Round
Hot Pursuit: The Definitive d20 System Guide to Chases is a d20 System supplement from Adamant Entertainment. This 40-page PDF is penned by Corey Reid and features line art by Jupitermedia Corporation. Hot Pursuit retails for $6.50 as a PDF.

The PCs have just come from talking to their contact in San Francisco and are on their way to the next thrilling location when they are spotted by Dr. Yes’ thugs. Our heroes make for their vehicle and roar out of the parking area, the bad guys close behind. The heroes have a slight lead, but the enemy agents have called in some friends. From a narrow alleyway on each side of the avenue, a black jeep emerges, carrying three heavily-armed men…

In any action movie, one of the most exciting moments is the chase scene. In fact, so enticing is the thrill of the chase that entire movies have been written around it. Smokey and the Bandit is a classic example of a movie that is, in actuality, one extended chase sequence. Why do we love the chase so much? Because we were designed to be hunters, and society has alleviated the need to hunt. So we get the same thrill from watching or being a part of the chase.

Turning to the example above, what happens next? Reducing a chase scene to a simple system of Drive skill checks robs the players (and the GM) of much of the thrill. Having the GM simply narrate what happens is even worse! Your characters came to play, not listen to you read a pre-scripted scene! That’s where Hot Pursuit comes in.

These rules are designed to work with the d20 System to provide an abstract and flexible system for capturing the thrill of the chase scene. You don’t need any miniatures, though you can certainly use them if you desire, nor any other special materials. Through a simple system of maneuvers, you can make every chase as thrilling as the latest James Bond film. Here’s how it works…

When a chase begins, the GM needs to determine the conditions relevant to the chase. If the chase sequence has been plotted into the adventure (for example, the GM knows that when the heroes leave their San Francisco contact, the bad guys will pursue), this can be determined ahead of time. But these factors are also easy enough to put together on the spur-of-the-moment.

The factors to be considered are range between the participants (this determines which maneuvers are available and the modifiers for ranged weapons), speed categories (which determine modifiers to certain maneuvers, defensive bonuses, and collision damage), terrain (determining the maximum speed category that can be achieved and the likelihood of sudden obstacles cropping up), and surfaces (limiting speed categories and maneuvers). For example, a chase along a modern highway in light traffic (open terrain, clear surface) is vastly different from a chase along the cobbled streets of a small village marketplace (tight terrain, unsteady surface).

Once these factors have been determined, the chase is on! A chase works very similarly to a combat; it is divided into rounds, which are handled in order of initiative. During a round, each character can attempt only one maneuver (no full actions are permitted). In effect, the chase consumes the movement portion of the characters’ actions. Available maneuvers differ according to the terrain, distance, surface, and the role of the character taking the maneuver.

For example, the driver might choose to drive defensively, making his vehicle more difficult to target, or try to force an enemy vehicle alongside him off the road. Meanwhile, each passenger may take an action as well, such as make a ranged attack (or melee attack if a target is close enough), take control of the vehicle, or leaping from one vehicle to another. Finally, obstacles may force the driver to choose from a different set of maneuvers, from holding on to the wheel and plowing straight through to jumping over the obstacle. Maneuvers are resolved with a roll of the dice, modified by the action attempted and the conditions. Slamming on the brakes is easier, for example, on dry asphalt than on a muddy side road. A failed maneuver could result in injury, a collision, damage to the vehicle, or even being removed from the chase.

The book provides tables of drivers, passenger, and obstacles maneuvers, a blank chase form (for keeping track of all the details, and advice on incorporating chases into your campaign and keeping them interesting.

Critical Hit
The problem with a lot of the third-party materials out there (an even some of the Wizards materials) is that they are little more than fluff, adding more unnecessary detail to a game that is already saturated with detail to the point of being unwieldy. This supplement is different. It doesn’t add any new feats or skills, but builds on the existing system to add a new dimension of excitement to the game.

Critical Fumble
The downside is, Hot Pursuit concentrates primarily on land-based vehicular chases, assuming that one or both parties are in vehicles or on a mount of some sort. The book does offer some points of advice for handling foot chases, aircraft chases, or spacecraft chases, but for those elements, much of the details are left to the discretion of the gamemaster. This is especially true in outer space chases, where the book as much as tells you that you’re on your own.

Coup d’Grace
Hot Pursuit is a valuable addition to the library of any GM who runs a game that is primarily action-based, with lots of opportunities for a chase to begin. This book also makes it easy to write a chase sequence into an adventure and makes preparing the details almost as much fun as participating. However, the concentration on vehicle-based pursuits left me feeling flat. I’d like to have seen more detailed rules for air, space, and particularly, foot chases.

Final Grade: B