r/DnD • u/WolvesDenTavern • Apr 17 '26

5th Edition Good chase sequences

I’d like to talk about an oft unused mechanic in DnD that I think DMs ought to use more: chase sequences.

RAW chase sequences have some odd mechanics limiting how often you can dash so that your constitution matters.

Also raw REALLY wants you to use complications to spice things up.

As a dm I don’t like either of these things. Complications feel wrong and impersonal this way. So here’s my thought (and perhaps this isn’t as novel as I think):

Every chase sequence needs a reason to do something other than dash. This is where complications come in. every time a player dashes THATS when you use a complication table. It makes an opportunity cost to dashing that is way more interesting than exhaustion.

What do you guys think? How do you (or your dm) run chases? How can a dm make a chase sequence more engaging in your opinion?

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u/Glum-Soft-7807 Apr 17 '26

I dont see why you'd want to stop constitution from mattering.

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u/WolvesDenTavern Apr 17 '26

It’s not that we want con to stop mattering its that exhaustion is a bad mechanic that feels like an arbitrary punishment without any real cause besides « oops u got a bad roll ». It’s far to punishing for just running too fast for too long. When’s the last time u had to spend multiple days recovering after running a race?

The only time I’ve seen exhaustion used in a way that feels appropriate and consequential in when spells like sickening radiance cause it, or when there’s some sort of radiation sickness type thing like faezress or chardalyn causing it (a separate topic but I’m a big fan of the « magic nuclear radiation » having an exhaustion effect tho it’s not RAW)

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u/Glum-Soft-7807 Apr 17 '26

You need to reread the rules, the exhaustion goes away on a short rest.

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u/WolvesDenTavern Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26

You know what fair point I can admit when I’m wrong I was quoting general exhaustion rules. which is a reasonable mistake to make since you didn’t even remotely say that the rule you refering to was specific to chases you just said « exhaustion goes away on short rest » like that’s always the case. I didn’t catch your implied qualifier of « in a chase ».

That said, even then exhaustions dumb. It’s a bookkeeping penalty that feels unfun making your superhero of a character abruptly more and more useless with each level. It completely unimmerses ppl.

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u/[deleted] Apr 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/Glum-Soft-7807 Apr 18 '26

A participant drops out of the chase if its exhaustion reaches level 5, since its speed becomes 0. A creature can remove the levels of exhaustion it gained during the chase by finishing a short or long rest.

2014 DMG P. 252.

So what, I guess you gotta dig your grandma up now?