Joe Kenobi

Glad you found what you were looking for. When I run scenarios, I usually try to stick to the dates and months, but I adjust the years as needed--either by literally adjusting the handouts, or by asking my players to assume every year they see is in fact two years earlier. So, if my most recent scenario was set in June 1923, for example, I might run a scenario set in August next, and just make it August 1923 through one of those two methods.

@ColoradoCthulhu, it's a great idea--another bonus of which would be that it could allow the unpinning of so many pinned scenario threads. The Chaos Library subforum currently starts off with a full 21 pinned threads, which greatly complicates navigation and ease of checking for updates. If a single pinned thread at the top linked to the 19 pinned scenario threads in that subforum, you could unpin those individual ones and make navigating the subforum that much cleaner. Of course, doing so would require someone who was fine creating and maintaining that list, and that would likely take some work.

This is crazy cool. I've never seen--it's never even crossed my mind!--that players might adopt minor historical figures as their investigators. I think @DevintheGM's got it right. Early on, there'll be some hamming it up--although you'll avoid the curse of players who aren't sure how to embody their investigators or what their personalities should be like. But when the Sundance Kid confronts a Lovecraftian horror against which he's clearly overmatched... well, in some ways, isn't that even scarier?

Name: Aaron Country: USA City: Twin Cities, MN I've been playing Call of Cthulhu for the better part of a decade, but only moved into the Keeper's chair within the past year (the timing of the Starter Set's publication was perfect). I now have a regular CoC group that I Keep for on about a monthly basis.

Totally valid. I just don't have personal experience with it so wanted to make sure I wasn't wandering too far afield--on your insight, I've now included it above. Also added in the Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos for 5th edition. Thanks for flagging it!

*pant, pant* Okay, edits are made! I also did some slight rearranging. The Laundry is right on the bubble for me, since it's not technically a Cthulhu RPG, but rather an RPG based on a book series with clear Mythos elements. The fact that it's currently unavailable and being revamped tipped the scales so that I'm not going to include it. Since the 2d20 Achtung! Cthulhu implementation is in beta and not in wide release yet, I'm going to leave that off for the time being, too. Nemesis is a tough one, because while it contains some Cthulhu Mythos elements and Lovecraftian influence, it looks like it's designed to be more of a general horror RPG, with several horror influences. I'd like to keep this list focused on Cthulhu roleplaying--I'm a big fan of Dread as a horror RPG, for instance, but haven't included it because I don't think it belongs here. I'm going to leave Nemesis off, too, unless someone who's played it argues that its central conceit is in fact Lovecraftian.

Thanks, @measuredrums! Not sure how I overlooked Dreamlands. I appreciate you putting it in a matching format I could easily drop into the main post! I'm still working on compiling the others and should have a batch edit ready to go in soon--possibly later tonight, most likely in the next day or two. @andyl, I can't find any info on World of Cthulhu. Do you have a link/resource I could reference?

I've updated the Dark Streets link--thanks for flagging, @rsanford. I'll try to look into the others and get them added, described, and categorized within the next week or so. I'll admit, it's turning into more of an undertaking than I anticipated! I expected there would be a small handful of systems I'd missed that would be notable enough to revise and include. We're already at 19 suggested additions--and it hasn't even been three days since the initial post!

Mansions of Madness immediately comes to mind as one I'd love to see up-converted to 7th edition and re-released.

Thanks, all. I've added in the latest suggestions while also reorganizing the list into a few categories in hopes of keeping things from growing too unwieldy.

Thanks, all. I've revised the original post to add in entries for each of the systems you mentioned. Obviously, it will be near-impossible to include every form of Cthulhu roleplaying in a single message board post, but I'm hopeful I can maintain this list to accurately capture prominent systems that newer Cthulhu roleplayers might come across mention of. There are many systems on this list that I've never touched, so if I've misrepresented any, do let me know and I'll happily revise. I've also attempted to keep the main post neutral in tone and free of any value comparisons between the systems, but if you have systems you particularly like or dislike, I'd think this thread could be a useful place to promote their adoption or discourage their use.

While I’ve been playing Call of Cthulhu for nearly a decade, I only recently made the jump to the online community, coinciding with my start GMing games. One thing that surprised me was the high volume of Cthulhu RPG variants and systems, only a few of which I’d previously been aware of. I did some looking around and couldn’t find a good guide differentiating between the different systems—so, inspired by klecser’s post, I decided to do the research to make one. Some of this is cribbed from Jalor218 on Reddit and Morgan on 21st Century Philosopher. Jalor218’s comment that he hadn’t played half the systems he summarized gave me the confidence to take a stab at something similar. I've drawn attention to the most high-profile systems—the ones that I've seen referenced time and again online—by putting them in green. If I’ve misrepresented something or left out essential details, please let me know and I’ll be happy to revise this post. Additionally, if there's a prominent system I haven't included, let me know and I'll revise to add it. I. Classic Call of Cthulhu and its near-variants: Call of Cthulhu – Utilizes a d100 percentile dice system called the Basic Roleplaying System, or BRP. Scenarios are usually set in the 1920s. Call of Cthulhu is currently on its 7th Edition, though the rules are very similar and scenarios can be easily converted across editions. Call of Cthulhu focuses on investigation, leaves plenty of room for failure, and has lethal combat. Characters will usually die or go insane. The gamemaster is called the keeper and characters are called investigators. Essential rulebook(s): Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook, 7th Edition Free resource: Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Quick-Start Rules There are several Call of Cthulhu modules that share an identical ruleset and gaming system to the usual Call of Cthulhu, but have special names to denote a special setting and a unique reference book to assist with roleplaying in that setting. These are: Cthulhu Invictus – Set in Ancient Rome (circa 100 AD). Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu Invictus Cthulhu Dark Ages – Set during the Dark Ages (circa 1000 AD). Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu Dark Ages Down Darker Trails – Set in the American Old West (circa late 1800s). Essential rulebook(s): Down Darker Trails Cthulhu by Gaslight – Set in 1890s Victorian England. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu by Gaslight Achtung! Cthulhu – Set during World War II, with investigators playing Allied agents fighting the Secret War against the Nazi Black Sun. Essential rulebook(s): Achtung! Cthulhu: Keeper's Guide to the Secret War Cthulhu Now – Set in modern times. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu Now H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands – Set in H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands, where investigators travel down the seven hundred steps, through the Gates of Deeper Slumber, and into the realm of dreams.  Essential rulebook(s): H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands  Punktown – Set in a cyberpunk future, where Lovecraft meets Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, and Total Recall. Essential rulebook(s): Punktown: A Setting Book for Call of Cthulhu and Basic Roleplaying Pulp Cthulhu – Utilizes a d100 BRP system similar to Call of Cthulhu, but with several unique rules. Scenarios are usually set in the 1930s. Pulp Cthulhu changes the game to turn the investigators into action heroes, similar to Indiana Jones, who are much less likely to die in combat and more equipped to fight the Cthulhu mythos directly. It has a pulpy, action/adventure tone. Essential rulebook(s): Pulp Cthulhu Trail of Cthulhu – Utilizes a mostly diceless points-based system (some limited use of d6) called the GUMSHOE System. Scenarios are usually set in the 1930s. The GUMSHOE System is designed for investigative roleplaying such that a failed dice roll cannot prevent the finding of a clue. Trail of Cthulhu emphasizes storytelling and interpreting clues, as opposed to roleplaying and gathering clues. Essential rulebook(s): Trail of Cthulhu rulebook Free resource: Trail of Cthulhu downloads and resources Cthulhu Confidential – Trail of Cthulhu designed for play with one gamemaster and one player. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu Confidential Cthulhu City – Trail of Cthulhu set in a New England overrun by the Cthulhu Mythos. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu City Delta Green – Utilizes a d100 BRP system similar to Call of Cthulhu, but with several unique rules. Scenarios are usually set in the 1990s or modern times. Delta Green presents a scenario in which characters are government agents investigating and combatting mythos elements, similar to The X-Files. It takes the investigative tone of Call of Cthulhu and adds an air of conspiracy and secret societies. The gamemaster is called the handler and characters are called agents. Essential rulebook(s): Delta Green: Agent’s Handbook Free resource: Delta Green: Need to Know quick-start rulebook The Fall of Delta Green – A Delta Green prequel that utilizes the mostly points-based GUMESHOE System used in Trail of Cthulhu. Scenarios are usually set in the 1960s. Essential rulebook(s): The Fall of Delta Green Dark Streets – Utilizes a d100 percentile dice system from Renaissance Deluxe, which takes its system from OpenQuest, which is based on BRP. Scenarios are set in 1750s London. Characters are members of London’s proto-police force. Dark Streets gameplay is very similar to traditional Call of Cthulhu, emphasizing investigation and deduction while keeping combat occasional and deadly. Essential rulebook(s): Dark Streets 2nd Edition - Core Rulebook Raiders of R’lyeh – Utilizes a d100 percentile dice system based on RuneQuest, a BRP system. Scenarios are set in 1900-1913. Characters are mercenary rogues exploring the frontiers of the known world. Closer to Pulp Cthulhu than traditional Call of Cthulhu, Raiders of R'lyeh looks to Robert E. Howard’s Mythos and Weird stories as an additional influence. Essential rulebook(s): Raiders of R’lyeh: Gamemaster’s Guide & Complete Rules GORE – Utilizes a d100 percentile dice system that is fairly rules-light and based on the Mongoose Runequest 1 Systems Reference Document, which is based on BRP. GORE stands for Generic Old-school Roleplaying Engine, and is designed to allow Lovecraftian adventures in science fiction, fantasy, investigative, and classical horror settings. Essential & free rulebook: GORE APOCTHULHU – Utilizes a d100 percentile dice system based on Mongoose's Legend RPG system, a BRP system. Scenarios are set in various post-apocalyptic landscapes following the reemergence of the Old Ones. Characters are called Survivors, who seek to investigate the horrors of their new reality in an effort to guarantee their community's survival, or maybe even to unearth secrets that can lead to the defeat of their Mythos overlords. Essential rulebook(s): APOCTHULHU RPG Core Rues II. Variants with a strong “rules-light” emphasis: Cthulhu Dark – Utilizes a d6, rules-light system. Loosely related to Trail of Cthulhu, with an emphasis on storytelling and the how of things rather than the whether of things. Maintains a focus on cosmic horror within a barebones rules environment. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu Dark hardcover rulebook Free resource: Cthulhu Dark: A Rules-Light System for Lovecraftian Horror Cthulhu Grey – Utilizes a d6, rules-light system closely based on Cthulhu Dark. Cthulhu Grey adds in a Harm stat, greater character differentiation, and rules for Magick. Essential & free rulebook: Cthulhu Grey: A Cthulhu Dark Hack Cthulhu Grim – Utilizes a d6, rules-light system closely based on Cthulhu Dark and Cthulhu Grey. Cthulhu Grim adopts rules specifically suited for campaign play. Essential & free rulebook: Cthulhu Grim, based on Cthulhu Dark and Cthulhu Grey Spiralis – Utilizes dice of multiple sizes in a rules-light system inspired by Cthulhu Dark and the Powered by the Apocalypse system. Tailored for mini-campaigns of 2-6 sessions. Essential rulebook(s): Spiralis - A Lovecraftian Roleplaying Game Free resource: Spiralis player rules and Investigator sheet Lovecraftesque – Utilizes a diceless, GMless system. Creates a GMless story of a lone character confronting cosmic horror in the form of a mystery that builds to a climax. Each playthrough will create a single one-shot scenario designed for completion in a single session. Players take on the roles of Narrator, Witness, and Watchers. Essential rulebook(s): Lovecraftesque rulebook Free resource: Lovecraftesque free references and handouts De Profundis – Utilizes a diceless, GMless, correspondence-based system. Players take turns writing letters in-character to one another in the style of H.P. Lovecraft. Includes an option for solo play. Essential rulebook(s): De Profundis Second Edition The Cthulhu Hack – Utilizes dice of multiple sizes in a rules-light system called The Black Hack. As a rules-light system, The Cthulhu Hack emphasizes storytelling and offers player-focused gameplay designed for quick and easy pick-up play. Essential rulebook(s): The Cthulhu Hack rulebook Free-ish (PWYW) resource: The Cthulhu Hack: Quickstart Eldritch Tales – Utilizes dice of multiple sizes (primarily d20) in a fairly rules-light system modeled on old-school games. Applies an old-school sword & sorcery RPG approach to Cthulhu settings. Essential rulebook(s): Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing tremulus – Utilizes a d6 system that is fairly rules-light called Powered by the Apocalypse. tremulus is a storytelling-first game that requires limited prep and emphasizes investigation and survival. Essential rulebook(s): tremulus rulebook Mythos World – Utilizes the fairly rules-light d6 Powered by the Apocalypse system. Mythos World is specifically designed to apply the Powered by the Apocalypse system to 1920s roleplaying. Essential rulebook(s): Mythos World Free resources: Profession Playbooks and Basic Player Moves Cthulhu Abides – Utilizes a d6 “poker dice” system that is fairly rules-light and similar to a system called The Whispering Vault. Scenarios are generally set in 1920s Britain. Cthulhu Abides is designed to be heavier than Cthulhu Dark, with greater character differentiation, while still lighter than Call of Cthulhu and Trail of Cthulhu. Intended as a Pick Up & Play RPG. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu Abides: A Roleplaying Game of Investigation & Madness Free resource: Cthulhu Abides: A Roleplaying Game of Investigation & Madness (PDF) Unnamable – Utilizes a d6, rules-light system. Unnamable greatly simplifies skill checks so that character descriptors, personality traits, and descriptions rather than ranked skills are used for skill checks. It also preserves character sanity to a greater degree than Cthulhu Dark. Essential & free rulebook: Unnamable: A Little Lovecraft Game Unspeakable – Utilizes a d6, rules-light system closely based on Unnamable. Unspeakable adds a bit more character differentiation as well as increases the risk of character insanity. Essential rulebook(s): Curse of the Yellow Sign Collected Tiny Cthulhu – Utilizes a d6, rules-light system called TinyD6. Set in any era, with options that include fantasy, superheroes, and a science fiction future, Tiny Cthulhu features investigators defending the world from the dark powers of cthonic entities. Essential rulebook(s): Tiny Cthulhu III. Adaptations intended to bring Cthulhu roleplaying into other RPG universes: Call of Cthulhu d20 – Utilizes the d20-based system of Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5 edition. It was created to maintain the feel of the original Call of Cthulhu, but using a dice system that would be more familiar to Dungeons & Dragons players and which could allow for the porting of characters, monsters, and other content between the two universes. Currently out of print. Essential rulebook(s): Call of Cthulhu d20 edition rulebook Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos for 5E – Utilizes the d20-based system of Dungeons & Dragons, 5th edition. Sandy Peterson's Cthulhu Mythos is designed to allow Cthulhu roleplaying within the most recent implementation of the Dungeons & Dragons universe and system. Essential rulebook(s): Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos (5E) + D&D Dungeon Master's Guide + D&D Monster Manual + D&D Player's Handbook Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos for Pathfinder – Utilizes the d20-based system of Pathfinder. Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos is designed to allow Cthulhu roleplaying within the Pathfinder universe and system. Essential rulebook(s): Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos (PF) + Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook World of Cthulhu – Utilizes the d10 system of World of Darkness called the Storyteller System. World of Cthulhu is designed to allow Cthulhu roleplaying within the World of Darkness universe and system. Essential rulebook(s): World of Cthulhu: Lovecraftian Roleplay in the World of Darkness (free) + New World of Darkness Rulebook (1st edition) Cthulhu Pulp: Tales from Beyond Pulp – Utilizes the d20 system of Pulp Adventure. Designed to allow Cthulhu roleplaying within the Pulp Adventure system, with a focus on using super-science and muscle to fight the forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. Out of print. Essential rulebook(s): Pulp Adventure, Second Edition: Cthulhu Pulp: Tales from Beyond Pulp IV. Other variant systems: Cthulhu Live – Utilizes a points-based live action roleplaying (LARP) system with no randomizer. Aims to stay true to the feel of Call of Cthulhu, where investigators are flesh-and-blood humans and violence is consequential. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition (LARP) Realms of Cthulhu – Utilizes dice of multiple sizes in a fairly rules-light system called Savage Worlds. Realms of Cthulhu remains investigative in nature but incorporates a faster pace and more action, along with the addition of Combat Magic. Essential rulebook(s): Realms of Cthulhu rulebook + Savage Worlds Adventure Edition Shadows of Cthulhu – Utilizes a d20 system called True20. Scenarios are usually set in the 1920s. Shadows of Cthulhu presents an experience similar to Call of Cthulhu d20, but with a higher degree of action/pulp and while utilizing the True20 system, intended to provide a d20-based system that requires no other kinds of dice and minimizes the need for tracking things like hit points. Essential rulebook(s): Shadows of Cthulhu + True20 Adventure Roleplaying, Revised Edition Nemesis– Utilizes a d10 dice-pool system called One-Roll Engine. Nemesis focuses on dark horror inspired by Lovecraftian themes and utilizes a Madness Meter to simulate insanity and mental trauma. Free & essential rulebook: Nemesis: Roleplaying in Worlds of Horror Silent Legions – Utilizes a d20 system based on Stars Without Number. Scenarios are usually set in modern times, and while inspired by Lovecraft, includes tools for gamemasters to create their own gods, monsters, cults, and more. The rulebook is intended as a creation toolkit focused on sandbox adventures. Essential rulebook(s): Silent Legions V. Cthulhu-adjacent games with their own unique tone: Cthulhu Risus – Utilizes a d6, rules-light system called Risus. Cthulhu Risus offers a fast-paced and humorous take on Lovecraftian horror. Essential & free rulebook: Cthulhu Risus CthulhuTech – Utilizes a d10 dice pool “poker dice” system called Framewerk. Scenarios are set during the Aeon War in 2085. CthulhuTech blends Lovecraftian horror with anime-style mecha, sci-fi, and magic. For mature audiences only. Essential rulebook(s): CthulhuTech Core Book Free resource: CthulhuTech V2: The Shadow War Open Beta Cthulhu for President – Utilizes a d6 system called the BEER Engine. Cthulhu for President offers tongue-in-cheek humor as players take on the role of Elder Party staffers in an attempt to get their Great Old One elected. Essential rulebook(s): Cthulhu for President: The Game Fantasy Cthulhu – Utilizes the custom dice (d6) system of FATE. Fantasy Cthulhu places the Cthulhu mythos within a fantasy setting powered by the FATE system. Essential rulebook(s): Fantasy Cthulhu powered by FATE Core Post-Cthulhu – Utilizes a custom dice (d6) system called FATE. Scenarios are set in the future, after Cthulhu has risen. Players take on the role of survivors of the Cataclysm who wander a post-apocalyptic landscape stalked by Lovecraftian monsters. Essential rulebook(s): Post-Cthulhu FATE of Cthulhu – Utilizes a custom dice (d6) system called FATE. Scenarios are set in the present day, with characters who are time-travelers from a dark future in which the Great Old Ones have returned. FATE of Cthulhu sets Lovecraftian horror against a Terminator-like backdrop. Essential rulebook(s): Fate of Cthulhu Eldritch Skies – Utilizes dice of multiple sizes in the fairly rules-light Savage Worlds system. Set in an alternate timeline where the Miskatonic Antarctic Expedition found the elder ones' city in 1931 and humanity reached Mars in 1958 and discovered lightspeed travel in 1994. Essential rulebook(s): Eldritch Skies + Savage Worlds Adventure Edition GURPS CthulhuPunk – Utilizes a 3d6 system called the Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS. Set in a Cthulhu Mythos-cyberpunk mashup where investigators have supercomputers, cyborg bodies, and deadly new hand weapons, but society has broken down, giving Mythos entities new breeding grounds for corruption and decay. Currently out of print. Essential rulebook(s): CthulhuPunk: Ancient Horror Crawls into the Dark Future + The GURPS Basic Set, 4th Edition

I think perhaps in a modern setting, it's harder to establish some of the isolation and idea of vast uncovered secrets that I associate with Cthulhu. The Thing is a good example of how to achieve that--but it does so by setting things in a remote location. I don't think of The X-Files as particularly Lovecraftian horror; more monster-of-the-week.

I don't get the impression that the Inner Darkness scenarios embrace the conceit that the people behind the evils of this world are all secretly Cthulhu cultists. Frankly, if the point of these scenarios is to pretend cultists were behind the injustices of the 1920s the whole time, I'll be disappointed. My impression is the scenarios take some of the true-to-life horrors of the 1920s and layer on Lovecraftian events. For example, this update makes pretty clear the immigrant deportation scenario isn't going to pretend it was a cultist infiltration of the U.S. government that led to the round-up of immigrants; rather, it's going to set a story in the framework of those actual, real-world horrors, and drop a Cthulhu mythos creature of some sort into that event. My impression is these are historically-driven scenarios that spotlight some of the darker, more horrific truths of the 1920s, then drop Cthulhu elements on top of those historical realities. EDIT: By "drop in," I mean either (a) take a historical situation and place a Cthulhu element in its midst, or (b) take a historical event and have Cthulhu elements exploit those realities for their own ends. I'll myself be fairly frustrated if the implication is that any of these historical events only happened because Cthulhu elements and/or cultists were at work.

Thanks for fleshing that out, Bohemond. That elaboration helped, and I can see where you'd see a contradiction between "cold, uncaring, incomprehensible universe" and "injustice that's grounded in a clear sense of right and wrong." I still ultimately land in a different place, I think for two reasons: 1) I see structural injustice issues as inherently different from personal injustices--and much closer to cosmicism in effect. Rather than being about preventing or bringing to justice individuals who have done wrong, structural injustice is often about big, overwhelming forces that have a sense of inevitability to them and are often without clear evildoers. We've mentioned racism, but other issues on the scenario list include war and PTSD, as well as poor working conditions that result from unfettered capitalism. These are the types of issues where responsibility is diffuse, and where the horror can be about confronting the fact that the universe defaults to running in a certain cold, uncaring way that resonates with more Lovecraftian themes. 2) I appreciate the attempt from the creators to develop scenarios that tackle the warts of the 1920s. It's the era my group roleplays in, so it will be nice to sprinkle in some added realism via mixing in these scenarios. At the end of the day, klecser of course has it right--we're all going to land in different places as to what products appeal to us and that we choose to buy. I don't mean to debate you on these points. But I appreciated your thoughtful, well-reasoned post and wanted to put a bit more meat on the bone regarding my perspective.

I've only ever played 1920s, usually set in Lovecraft Country (although also did Masks of Nyarlathotep over a couple years). I have trouble imagining playing CoC with a modern setting. I'm sure there are ways it can be done well, but I've done so much in the 1920s that setting an adventure any other time feels like it would violate an essential part of the game.

I see your point, but I think it depends on how it's handled. My assumption is that the scenarios won't be dealing with "righting the wrongs of institutional racism," but rather with the oppressive force of institutional racism and the way any individual's actions to combat it feel insignificant and fruitless. That's part of why I think structural injustice could be such a nice match for Lovecraftian horror. It's not about helping granny recover her stolen purse, it's about large, pervasive, structural injustices that if handled well will compound the horror rather than present a do-gooder silver lining that can end things on a high note. Of course, I'm speculating here based only on what I know of the project. But the grounding in dark, real-life events rather than fictionalized injustice suggests to me that there won't be a lot of injustice-conquering in these scenarios.

Is anyone else following An Inner Darkness on Kickstarter? I'm pretty excited about this one. Mixing real-world horrors with the Mythos sounds like a great recipe for scenarios. And I like the idea of using structural injustice as a sort of moral analogue to cosmic horror.

For one long-running campaign I participated in, we'd write the cause of death on each investigator sheet and keep them all together. But I like some of the suggestions here--Son-of-the-Furies' idea is quite cool. Most character deaths occur at very memorable points in scenarios. It's nice to have some sort of way to track those, if only to give players something to see and reminisce about past adventures.

I recently ran 7th edition Chase rules in a campaign for the first time and it went over a lot better with my players than I'd feared. I thought it would feel mechanics-heavy and and like a mini-game, but my players said they thought it built tension and worked really well. My one piece of advice from this very limited experience: Throw obstacles/hazards at your players, but give them choices in how they address them. If they have a few options for handling the hazards--some that involve skill rolls, some that involve less-than-desirable choices--you'll keep agency in your player's hands. I raise this because while our chase was a car chase of equal-speed vehicles, I'd think the way to keep a chase of different-speed participants entertaining would be to give choices that will sometimes result in the characters slowing down or taking a less-than-optimal path by their own choice, rather than simply the luck of the dice roll.