Ian Cooper asked about this last week, so I've been giving it some thought...
>I want to model the big chase sequence from a movie/tv episode -
>where our hero(s) push themselves to the point of exhaustion, try
>cunning tricks to throw of their pursuers, etc. This is why I was
>thinking of an extended contest instead of a group simple contest.
Yes, as a "Big Chase Sequence" it should be an extended contest, and for maximum fun it needs to be more than just a "run fast" contest (unless of course the "big chase" is the race in Chariots of Fire)
>The kind of abilities that seem most relevant are movement,
>knowledge of local geography, concealment, and stealth.
That's good for finding shortcuts, and trying to avoid pursuers. There is also "Dodge" (for ducking between oncoming traffic), "Jump" for clearing obstacles, "Strength" for tipping over market stalls in the path of oncomers and so on.
>I am unsure of the best way of handling events - natural obstacles,
>wildlife, passers-by etc. Should these be added to the mix by the
>narrator and prompt bids by the hero ("There is a stream ahead") or
>should the heroes be allowed to insert them in a bid ("I look for a
>stream to help me throw the alynxes off the scent...."
Both would work, I think, even in the same contest - Some players/groups will be happier with players adding to the events than others. A good tip might be to "prepare" some events suitable for the locale beforehand, and be prepared to throw them in if the Players seem happy to just go "I keep on running - Bid 7AP" each round
>or should they be a nested simple contest or some sort
You could do it this way too, I suppose, in the same way that an Augmentation attempt is a nested simple contest - define your event and give it a resistance and possible bonus depending on how the player trues to deal with it. Roll a simple contest and describe the outcome in terms of a bonus or penalty (or edge/handicap) to the general movement contest that is forming the basis of the extended contest.
For example - There is a river that is blocking the path - wading across it will automatically succeed, but give a handicap of ^-10 this round in the main contest.
Swimming it is fairly easy (it is not too deep or swift) and will generally be faster than wading. It has a resistance of 10, but is otherwise treated as an attempt to (be) loan(ed) 5AP (a success means the participant has benefited from crossing the river, a failure means he has gained little and a fumble (whereby he looses the AP) means that the time taken to swim across has allowed the opponent to make up ground).
Leaping across is more difficult, but, if it works, be much faster. Resistance 1W, treat as a loan of 10 AP and a one round edge/handicap of ^+/-2 (If you leap successfully you will have a flying start this round, if you fail, you land in the river and will additionally find it more awkward to get momentum up again...)
...And so on for any other ideas (swing across on overhanging branches, "Run Across Water" feats, borrowing a conveniently moored boat and so forth).
I think, in addition, I would tend to make the pursuer deal with these obstacles one round later than the pursued, to keep in mind the nature of a chase. (It seems narratively awkward to have the pursuer leap effortlessly over the stream at the same time as the quarry is laboriously wading through it.) If this ends up with the quarry dropping to 0 AP at a point where they are separated by the obstacle, then (if they failed the simple contest to pass the obstacle) treat it as them being caught trying to bypass it or (if they succeeded) you could give them the chance of a final action while the pursuers pass the obstacle, just make the pursuers make a check to successfully pass the obstacle (if they fail, treat it as a "both loose" situation) or just ignore that part and assume they successfully passed!
>I think those are the basics - though I would be interested in other
>opinions. I would prefer not to use any new rules - I want to use the
>existing HW extended contest mechanics.
Another idea, using existing HW mechanics, but avoiding the extended contest, is to treat it in a similar way to a Hero Quest. This probably would take a little more preparation. Divide your chase into a number of discreet steps, some of which may be simple running contests, and others will use the other abilities we have already discussed (local Knowledge, jump, hide, dodge etc.). Roll each contest in turn, granting the winner a bonus in the next contest depending on the result (the Quarry presumably should start with a bonus unless they start together, since if they were not together at the start of the chase, and both performed identically they would still not be together at the end). The pursuers catch the quarry if their bonuses get to be higher than the quarries. The quarry wins if they are still ahead at the end of the chase. If the quarry is caught the pursuer's bonus can "carry over" into any ensuing contest...
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