Rooftop Run
An event forces the party into a hectic rooftop chase! Roll 1d4 or select one of the following events:
1—a pickpocket steals something from one of the adventurers,
2—the party witnesses a crime down a nearby alley,
3—a noble’s exotic pet escapes,
4—the party sees an enemy they have encountered before.
The target flees, running, jumping, and leaping across angled shingles, chimneys, and warped wood struts.
Every participant on each side of the chase rolls initiative as normal. At the start of each participant’s turn, they choose what tactics to use to flee, pursue, or otherwise race forward, making an ability check. A participant cannot use the same tactic two rounds in a row. The first participant to achieve 10 successes wins the chase by either making an escape, blocking their competitors’ travel, catching their prey, taking the right shortcuts, or just being a little faster.
When a participant has a Speed of 45 feet or higher, they have advantage on ability checks made for the chase.
Examples of appropriate checks include:
- Acrobatics to run across ledges, ropes, and other precarious surfaces to cross the rooftops. On a failure, that adventurer falls 20 feet down to the streets, taking 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage.
- Athletics to leap from rooftop to rooftop. On a failure, that adventurer’s next ability check is made with disadvantage .
- Engineering to predict the arrangement of buildings ahead and take a more expedient route. On a failure, that adventurer stumbles into a minor hazard and takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.
- Perception to keep track of participants while stuck on the streets below.
- Stealth to use cover and confound the other side of the chase. On a failure, that adventurer cannot attempt another Stealth check next round.
Potential Outcomes
Critical Failure: Each time an adventurer rolls a critical failure they remove 1 success from their side’s total successes for the chase. An adventurer can choose to instead suffer a level of fatigue .
Failure: The participant holds their own, their position in the chase neither improving or worsening. An adventurer loses or otherwise ruins 1 Supply.
Success: The participant adds 1 success to their side’s total successes for the chase.
Critical Success: The participant adds 2 successes to their side’s total successes for the chase.