D&D 5e Chase Tool Calculator

Use this for chases in 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons. A chase can occur whenever someone decides to flee from combat or as part of the narrative. Instructions.

Complications

Roll for complications after every turn, they affect the creature next in initiative. Can use inspiration to negate.

Urban Complication:
A beggar blocks your way. Make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), or Charisma (Intimidation) check (your choice) to slip past the beggar. You succeed automatically if you toss the beggar a coin. On a failed check, the beggar counts as 5 feet of difficult terrain.

Wilderness Complication:
A beggar blocks your way. Make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), or Charisma (Intimidation) check (your choice) to slip past the beggar. You succeed automatically if you toss the beggar a coin. On a failed check, the beggar counts as 5 feet of difficult terrain.

Generic Complication:
A confusing maze stands in your way. Make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Intelligence check (your choice) to navigate the maze. On a failed check, the maze counts as 10 feet of difficult terrain.

Reroll

Instructions

This uses the rules on page 252 of the DMG. Add all your creatures and roll initiative. Set the distance for the quarries to 0 and determine the distance of the pursuers to the nearest quarry, the lowest value will be the lead (marked with crown). Take turns with 1 move+action each, tracking dashes and exhaustion (no opportunity attacks). Reroll and consult complications based on biome each turn.

Creatures can make 3+Con mod Dash actions for free, each additional is a DC 10 con save or +1 exhaustion. A creature loses at 5 exhaustion, restored on short rest.

Each quarry makes a stealth check at the end of each round (after everyone has gone) vs the highest passive perception if they're not in direct line of sight of the closest pursuer. If their stealth check passes, they escape.

Stealth check gains advantage if there are many things to hide behind, are in a crowded or noisy area, etc. Disadvantage if there are few things to hide behind, uncrowded or quiet, the lead pursuer is a ranger or has proficiency in survival, etc.

Variant: Older editions of D&D allowed you to drop coins/gems to to stop intelligent enemies from pursuing, or meat for unintelligent/hungry creatures. If you like, you can include this as an optional rule in 5th edition. During a chase, a PC can empty out a pouch (or other container) of coins onto the ground as they're fleeing. A pouch can hold 300 coins, so 300 random coins are lost. The pursuers then have a 50% chance of stopping to collect the coins, ending their pursuit.

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