Chases in the Daring Tales of Adventure series

There are at least three chases per Daring Tales of Adventure scenario; the Daring Tales chases used different rules from those specified in the Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorers’ Edition rules and they are also markedly different from the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition chase rules.

Wiggy wrote some excellent set piece chase action scenes. If you can use these chases with minimal change, I suggest doing so. Some minor changes are needed. For example, if the chase calls for an Agility trait roll to maneuver, you will most likely want to call for the Athletics skill.

There will be cases where you may want to use a Quick Encounter to handle a chase scene. For example, you may want to keep the pace of the game going and move on to the next scene before the session ends.

Obstacles and Complications

As per the rules, if the action card that is dealt to a character at the start of a chase round (SWADE p 114) is a club, there’s a problems of some kind; the hero needs to make a maneuvering roll.

In standard chases, you check the chase card suit against the Complications table to determine the mechanical effect of the complication and the hero makes a maneuvering roll (SWADE p 116).

In many of the set-piece chases in Daring Tales of Adventure scenarios, when the action card is a club, the GM refers to the Obstacles listed for the scene, looking up the card value to determine what’s next.[1] The obstacle descriptions provide useful narrative color, indicate the maneuvering penalty, and state what happens if the maneuvering roll fails.

In some Daring Tales of Adventure chase scenes, the obstacles and events of a chase are fixed beforehand; the heroes are running a gauntlet.[2]

At the fixed event points (called increments) in the chase, stuff happens when the heroes reach that increment, no matter if they pass that stage or not. If the scene defines 20 increments, lay down 20 chase cards. Use some kind of counter to mark the increments on which fixed events occur.

Vehicles

The vehicles listed here are from the era of the 1930s.

Land vehicles

VEHICLE SIZE HANDLING TOP SPEED (MPH) TYPICAL TOUGHNESS CREW NOTES
scooter 0 +2 40 7 (2) 1+1  
motorcycle 2 +2 120 9 (2) 1+1  
roadster 3 +2 75 10 (3) 1+2 Wolseley Motors Hornet
jeep 4 +1 65 10 (2) 2+3 Four-Wheel Drive
Ford 1934 sedan 4 +1 65 12 (3) 1+5  
limousine 5 +1 65 13 (3) 1+8  
cargo truck 6 +0 75 14 (2) 1+7  
bus 7 +0 75 15 (2) 1+50  

Marine vehicles

VEHICLE SIZE HANDLING TOP SPEED (MPH) TYPICAL TOUGHNESS CREW NOTES
rowboat 0 −2 5 8 (1) 1+3  
jon boat or air boat 3 +1 10 8 (1) 1+5  
air boat 3 +1 15 8 (1) 1+5 For use in shallow conditions.
motorboat 4 +1 30 12 (2) 1+5  
yacht, motorized 10 -1 25 15 (3) 10+10 Machineguns are mounted on swivels fore and aft, but are not displayed except under unusual circumstances. Optional weaponry: 2 x M1919 0.30 machinegun (bow and stern)

Aircraft

VEHICLE SIZE HANDLING TOP SPEED (MPH) TYPICAL TOUGHNESS CREW NOTES
Experimental airplane 4 +0 120 11 (2) 1 +3 Listed as speed 50/200 in DToA. 2 x 13 mm MG (range 30/60/20, damage 2d10, ROF 3, AP 2)

Adventures and Chases

Adventure Act Scene Maneuvering Chase Type
The Tale Of The Fabulous Four 1 2 Athletics Chase with obstacles
The Tale Of The Fabulous Four 2 2 Athletics Standard chase
The Tale Of The Fabulous Four 3 2 Athletics Standard chase with obstacles (variation)
The Tale Of The Fabulous Four 4 2 Athletics Standard chase with obstacles (variation)
Rocket Nazis On The Orient Express 1 2 Driving Chase with obstacles
Rocket Nazis On The Orient Express 2 4 Piloting Chase with obstacles
Rocket Nazis On The Orient Express 3 1 Athletics Chase with fixed encounters
Rocket Nazis On The Orient Express 4 2 Piloting Standard chase
To End All Wars 1 2 Driving Chase with obstacles
Chaos On Crete 4 1 Boating Standard chase
Web Of The Spider Cult 1 3 Athletics Chase with obstacles
Web Of The Spider Cult 2 2 Boating Chase with fixed encounters
Treasure Of The Templars 1 1 Driving Chase with obstacles
Treasure Of The Templars 3 4 Piloting Standard chase
The Talons Of Lo Peng 2 3 Driving Chase with fixed encounters
The Talons Of Lo Peng 3 2 Athletics Chase with obstacles
Sky Pirates Of The Caribbean 3 3 Athletics Standard chase
Sky Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 1 Piloting Chase with fixed encounters
The Palladium Peril 1 1 Driving Chase with obstacles
The Palladium Peril 2 2 Driving Chase with obstacles
The Palladium Peril 3 3 Driving Chase with fixed encounters
The Twelfth Gate 1 2 Athletics Chase with obstacles
The Twelfth Gate 3 3 Driving Standard chase
Terror Of The Z Bomb 1 2 Driving Chase with obstacles (variation)
Terror Of The Z Bomb 2 4 Athletics Chase with obstacles (variation)
Terror Of The Z Bomb 3 2 Driving Chase with obstacles
Terror Of The Z Bomb 3 4 Piloting Standard chase
Terror Of The Z Bomb 4 2 Athletics Chase with obstacles
Island Of Terror 1 1 Driving Standard chase
Island Of Terror 1 3 Athletics Chase with obstacles
Kingdom Of The Blood Gods 1 1 Driving Standard chase
Kingdom Of The Blood Gods 2 1 Boating Chase with obstacles (variation)
Kingdom Of The Blood Gods 2 5 Athletics Standard chase
Kingdom Of The Blood Gods 3 3 Athletics Chase with obstacles
The Hands Of Kali 1 4 Athletics Chase with obstacles
The Hands Of Kali 3 3 Driving Chase with obstacles
The Hands Of Kali 3 4 Driving Standard chase
Legacy Of Tunguska 1 1 Driving Chase with obstacles
Legacy Of Tunguska 2 1 Driving Chase with obstacles
Legacy Of Tunguska 2 3 Driving Standard chase
Legacy Of Tunguska 3 1 Piloting Standard chase
Legacy Of Tunguska 3 3 Driving Standard chase
Legacy Of Tunguska 4 1 Athletics Standard chase
Legacy Of Tunguska 4 2 Piloting Standard chase
The Devil’s Chalice 1 2 Driving Chase with obstacles
The Devil’s Chalice 3 2 Driving Standard chase
The Sword of Avalon 1 2 Athletics Standard chase
The Sword of Avalon 2 1 Boating Chase with obstacles (variation)
The Sword of Avalon 2 3 Athletics Chase with fixed encounters
The Sword of Avalon 3 3 Driving Standard chase
The Muramasa Curse 1 3 Athletics Chase with obstacles
The Muramasa Curse 2 2 Athletics Chase with fixed encounters and obstacles
The Muramasa Curse 2 3 Driving Chase with obstacles
The Muramasa Curse 4 3 Athletics Chase with obstacles (variation)
Empire of the Black Pharaoh 1 4 Driving Chase with obstacles

Scenarios in chronological order

Scenario Name Book Order in Compendium Chronological Order
The Tale Of The Fabulous Four N/A Not in compendium 1
Rocket Nazis On The Orient Express N/A Not in compendium 2
To End All Wars Compendium 1 1 3
Chaos On Crete Compendium 1 2 4
Web Of The Spider Cult Compendium 1 3 5
Treasure Of The Templars Compendium 1 4 6
The Talons Of Lo Peng Compendium 1 5 7
Sky Pirates Of The Caribbean Compendium 2 1 8
The Palladium Peril Compendium 2 2 9
The Twelfth Gate Compendium 2 3 10
Terror Of The Z Bomb Compendium 2 4 11
Island Of Terror Compendium 3 1 12
Kingdom Of The Blood Gods Compendium 3 2 13
The Hands Of Kali Compendium 3 3 14
Legacy Of Tunguska Compendium 3 4 15
The Devil’s Chalice Compendium 4 1 16
The Sword of Avalon Compendium 4 2 17
The Muramasa Curse Compendium 4 3 18
Empire of the Black Pharaoh Compendium 4 4 19

[1] See “Daring Tales of Adventure - The Devil’s Chalice”, Act 1, Scene 2.

[2] See “Daring Tales of Adventure - The Talons of Lo-Peng”, Act 2, Scene 3.