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Continued fom Part 1, here is the second half to creating an awesome mining cart chase scene. Now that we have the basic building blocks of the encounter down, we need to spice things up a bit and add in some elements to the encounter that force the players to change up their tactics round to round. It keeps them thinking and rewards (presumably) good choices. That is what keeps them engaged with the game and hnging on the edge of their seats.
For a typical N+0 Mining Cart Chase encounter, I like to break the action up into 5 distinct parts. The first four parts last precisely 1 round each, representing different areas and obstacles that the mining carts and their occupants traverse through. The last part is the end destination. This is a more standard area where all of the occupants are dropped off to finish the fight, and any occupants of destroyed carts can meet up in.
For this example, and what I wrote this for, is taken from the Demon Prince of Undeath Conversion of H2: Thunderspire Labyrinth. It replaces the chase scene through the ruined Dwarven fortress on foot with a chase scene of enemies racing against the PCs via mining carts that crisscross through vast underground caverns and the crumbling remains of a long-abandoned Dwarven outpost buried deep in the earth. In this encounter, there were both enemies in mining carts chasing after the PCs, as well as a Shadow Dragon racing after them.
This encounter features three (3) seperate tracks that the PCs must choose to go down in. Typically, players will split up their PCs into at least two different carts going down in different tracks. And really, that's he way to do it. It's pretty exciting to have a two-front battle like that unfold. Eventually, the players start getting wise to the system here, and will switch tracks so as to get all of their enemies on the middle track and then they have a cart on each of the outer tracks. It's not technically "flanking", but it does a great job of hitting the middle guys pretty hard.
This encounter really starts when it clicks for the PCs to start racing down the mining cart tracks. At that poin, describe in general terms what is down each track. In this case, there are tracks leading through the upper towers of the Dwarven fortress, there aretracks leading right through the center of the fortress, and there are tracks running through the deep underground parts of the citadel. It is assumed that the tracks crisscross and come back together enough so as to make the premise of the tracks being seperated by only a square (as described in Part 1) still plausible.
Each track then has different obstacles handed to it each round, small changes and checks that make shake up the battle. These effects, and any related skill checks or attacks, are done at the beginning of every combat round as free actions.
Track #1: Fort High Towers
The Shadow Dragon swoops down and floods the front cart with freezing shadow waters. Everyone in the first cart of this track is attacked:
Attack: + Level + 1 vs. Fortitude
Hit: Normal Low necrotic damage by Level and ongoing 5 cold damage per Tier (save ends).
Track #2: Center of the Fort
The mining carts on this track are headed straight for the fortress' courtyard, but the drawbridge is still up! The front cart occupants must make a ranged basic attack to shoot out two (2) chains holding the drawbridge up. If they do not, the cart smashes into the drawbridge, knocking it down, and attacking the front cart and its occupants.
The chains have defenses of AC 13 + Level, Fortitude 10 + Level, Reflex 1 + Level
The chains have 1 HP
Attack (smash into drawbridge): + Level +1 vs. Fortitude
Hit: Normal Moderate damage by Level and knocked prone
Miss: Half damage.
Track #3: Depths of the Fort
There are low hanging stalagmites everywhere in the caves. There is just enough room for the carts to go through unhindered, but your heads might not be so lucky. Everyone in each cart on this track is attacked:
Attack: + Level + 1 vs. Reflex
Hit: Normal Low damage by Level and the target is knocked prone
Track #1: Fort High Towers
A rope descends down toward you from an open tower ahead which you are about to pass through. The rope leads all the way up to the top of the keep's bell tower. Any occupant from the front cart may attempt to jump onto the rope, swing, and land in the cart immediately behind you. This action will also ring the ancient brinze bell, echoing throughout the caverns.
Check: Athletics or Acrobatics DC Moderate by Level
Success: Make a charge attack against 1 target in the cart immediately behind you as a free action and land in an unoccupied square in that cart. If there are no unoccupied squares, then you fall out of your cart (see Mining Cart vehicle)
Failure: You fall out of your cart (see Mining Cart vehicle)
Track #2: Center of the Fort
The walls of the courtyard are crumbling due to decades of neglect, and provide you with a perfect opportunity ot surprise your enemies! One occupant of each cart may make an attack against the ocupants of the cart immediately behind them.
Check: Dungeoneering DC Moderate by Level
Success: Make the following attack against each occupant of the cart immediately behind yours.
Attack: + Level + 3 vs. AC
Hit: Normal High damage by Level
Miss: Half damage.
Track #3: Depths of the Fort
Your cart enters into the deep chambers of the fortress, where Dwarven alchemists have stored crates full of an explosive substance. During this round, if any character on this track can put a flame to the nearby crates, they explode next to a cart of their choice on this track:
Attack: + Level + 1 vs. Reflex
Hit: Limited fire damage by Level
Miss: Half damage.
Track #1: Fort High Towers
The towers are on the verge of collapse, and the shaking of your carts racing down the tracks has triggered their end. Each creature and each cart on this track is attacked.
Attack: + Level + 3 vs. AC
Hit: Normal High damage by Level.
Miss: Half damage.
Track #2: Center of the Fort
The mining carts on this track are headed through the fortress, but the ancient oaken doors are still closed shut! The front cart and its occupants smash through the doors one by one and are attacked.
Attack: + Level +1 vs. Fortitude
Hit: Normal Low damage by Level and knocked prone
Miss: Half damage.
Track #3: Depths of the Fort
Your carts race into the Dwarves boiler room, where iron pipes are laid out in a complex pattern acriss the cavernous room. You can still see steam leaking out of the main cauldron. Some sort of Dwarven magic is keeping this system hot. Each occupant of each cart on this track can make a ranged basic attack to shoot out a valve and create a 2-square wall of steam anywhere on the track.
The valves have defenses of AC 13 + Level, Fortitude 5 + Level, Reflex 1 + Level
The valves have 1 HP each.
During this round, each occupants of a cart that moves through the steam takes ongoing 5 fire damage per Tier.
Track #1: Fort High Towers
At the top of the fortresses height, you look down to see that the tracks trwist and turn through tight passageways ahead to regroup with the other tracks. The occupants of each cart on this track must make a Thievery or Acrobatics check, Moderate DC by Level. If no one on a cart succeeds at this check, everyone in that cart is knocked prone.
Track #2: Center of the Fort
The Shadow Dragon reemerges and chases after you, attacking any cart with PCs in it with flooding necrotic waters:
Attack: + Level + 1 vs. Fortitude
Hit: Normal Low necrotic damage and ongoing 5 cold damage per Tier (save ends).
Track #3: Depths of the Fort
There are low hanging stalagmites everywhere in the caves. There is just enough room for the carts to go through unhindered, but your heads might not be so lucky. Everyone in each cart on this track is attacked:
Attack: + Level + 1 vs. Reflex
Hit: Normal Low damage by Level and the target is knocked prone.
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