Rules for a track race?

[Oryan77]

I'll be running a set of elephant races in our next game for a fun change of pace. A couple PCs wanted to participate in it. It simply involves about 6 contestants riding elephants and racing around a village.

What kind of dice rolls could I use to determine who wins each race? I don't want anything complicated at all. I'm thinking of having each player roll 3d6 to determine their mounts Con score, then allow them to use that bonus towards their die roll during the race. Would simply rolling a d20 and adding the bonus be good enough? Or is that kind of boring? I know there are running rules that involve going fatigued or something, but I don't think I want to get that complicated with rules for this race.

If having a single check seems boring, maybe I could come up with some hazards along the race to require them to do some sort of skill checks or a ride check. Anyone have any ideas of some hazards to spice it up?

 

[Dandu]

A Rules of the Game article touched on the subject of chases, which is sort of like racing.

Basically, Dex checks to avoid losing speed due to obstacles (iirc, you lost 5 feet of movement every time you failed), and endurance checks to keep running after a while.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Use the Car Wars rules, substituting Elephants for Cars, and translating PC stats into Driver stats.

Be careful with the lasers, though.

 

[Oryan77]

Be careful with the lasers, though.

Oh no, it's cool. These are those 'lasers that shoot out of the eyes' elephants. That's how the crooked racer is going to cheat and disable the PCs elephant in mid race. It was either laser eyebeams or spikes on the ankles for when they side swipe. I went with the eyebeams.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Hot Pursuit: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=18966&it=1
Best d20 Chase rules I've ever seen. Adapt as desired.
There's also a foot-chase supplement, Hot Pursuit: On Foot: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=19217&it=1

Best of luck.

 

[Jack Simth]

I'll be running a set of elephant races in our next game for a fun change of pace. A couple PCs wanted to participate in it. It simply involves about 6 contestants riding elephants and racing around a village.

What kind of dice rolls could I use to determine who wins each race? I don't want anything complicated at all. I'm thinking of having each player roll 3d6 to determine their mounts Con score, then allow them to use that bonus towards their die roll during the race. Would simply rolling a d20 and adding the bonus be good enough?

There's rules for that, although they are rather thin. Dex for short chases (agility around obstacles and such), Con for long chases (endurance).

Or is that kind of boring?

Yes it is. However, unless you're very good with narrative, you've got a problem: Simple or non-boring.

Of course, to make things more dependent on the characters, you could assume that the elephants are all effectively identical, and make it all based on Ride and Handle Animal checks, instead (say, Ride checks for two 'tight turns' where you've got the opportunity to pull ahead... maybe... and a Handle Animal check when that no-good-dirty-cheater throws a mouse in the elephant's path - seriously, there was a Mythbusters episode on that - Elephants walk around mice, not over them).