If you’ve ever wondered how to run a chase scene in D&D, you’re not alone. Whether your party is sprinting through torchlit alleys, thundering across desert dunes on camels, or leaping rooftop to rooftop to escape assassins, chase scenes are some of the most thrilling—and often underused—set pieces a Dungeon Master can bring to life. This guide will show you how to run cinematic, fast-paced chases with examples for foot races, mounted pursuits, and magical mayhem.
Chase Structure: Use Initiative for Clarity and Drama
At its core, a chase works best when framed like combat, with initiative and rounds. Each participant takes a turn to move, act, or react, keeping the tension high.
🛠 Example: Alley Chase in Baldur’s Gate
- The rogue lifts a merchant’s coin pouch, triggering a chase with two Flaming Fist officers.
- Initiative is rolled. The rogue is 30 feet ahead.
- Each round, players can Dash, use spells, interact with obstacles, or create diversions.
Use terrain shifts every few rounds: a market square, slippery tiles, or a crumbling stairwell. Adjust the DCs and keep players guessing.
Add Obstacles That Demand Quick Thinking
To avoid repetition, inject one meaningful obstacle every 1–2 rounds. These should force players to make split-second decisions—leap, detour, slow down, or risk it all?
🧱 Obstacle Ideas (with checks):
- Fruit Cart Explosion – Acrobatics DC 13 to leap or slide under; fail and lose 10 feet of movement.
- Startled Horses – Animal Handling DC 12 to steady them or get trampled.
- Angry Civilians – Persuasion or Intimidation DC 14 to get through the crowd.
Let the players suggest wild ideas too: “Can I misty step onto the roof and rain barrels down behind me?” Absolutely—reward that creativity.
Mounts Make Chases Epic and Chaotic
Running a chase scene in D&D gets even better with mounts. Think horse-drawn wagons, stolen wyverns, or even flying carpets.
🐎 Example: Mounted Caravan Escape
- A desert thief gang ambushes the party’s merchant wagon.
- Two members jump on riding lizards to flee. The rogue grabs the reins of the caravan’s oxen cart.
- Terrain: shifting dunes, a ravine, a narrow stone bridge.
- Obstacles: one wheel breaks; Animal Handling DC 15 to keep control.
Mounted chases emphasise speed, control, and endurance. Let mounts dash, but suffer exhaustion or speed penalties if overused. Terrain types also matter—horses struggle in swamps, and lizards thrive on rocks.
Let Magic Shape the Mayhem (But With Limits)
Magic can help or hinder—but don’t let it instantly “solve” the chase.
🔮 Spell Examples:
- Misty Step – Great for gaining distance or bypassing a trap.
- Grease / Web – Drop behind you to hinder pursuers (DEX save or movement loss).
- Fly – Powerful, but consider wind, ceilings, or visibility.
- Dimension Door – Endgame-level escape, but perhaps someone was waiting at the exit…
Impose line-of-sight, spell duration, or concentration limits to keep things exciting and balanced. Give enemies their own magical tools, too—an NPC might cast entangle or mirror image to confuse pursuers.
Zones and Distance: Keep It Simple and Fluid
You don’t need a detailed battlemap. Use distance zones or a chase track to visualise progress.
📏 Zone Example:
- Far (150+ feet) – Out of spell range, mostly dashing.
- Medium (60–150 feet) – Spells like firebolt or command become viable.
- Close (0–60 feet) – Melee range or grapple attempts possible.
Or use a linear tracker: each player/enemy is a token on a strip. Move forward or back based on their actions and checks. Winning the chase means reaching a goal (a bridge, a portal, a ship) before pursuers close the distance.
Bring It to Life with Cinematic Descriptions
A chase should feel like a high-stakes action sequence. Describe breathless sprints, clattering hooves, the sting of cold rain, or the roar of a crashing cart.
Let each success or failure change the scene:
- A failed jump knocks over crates that scatter down the alley.
- A critical success on Athletics lets a barbarian tackle an enemy into a puddle, buying time.
🎬 Example: Rooftop Pursuit
- The bard sprints across the tiled rooftops of a misty coastal town.
- Behind, a bounty hunter leaps with supernatural grace.
- One tile slips—DEX save or fall 20 feet.
- An elderly halfling watches with tea in hand, bewildered.
These moments make the scene memorable.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Lose the Story
Knowing how to run a chase scene in D&D means embracing chaos while staying in control of pacing. Every good chase has:
- Clear stakes (freedom, treasure, time).
- Dynamic environments (keep the world alive).
- Player-driven choices (reward ingenuity).
End the chase with a twist—an unexpected barricade, a waiting ally, or a second wave of enemies. Chases aren’t just sprints—they’re full chapters of your adventure.
