D&D 5E Bravely running away

[cbwjm]

From another thread, the topic of retreat has come up, it sounds like it might be difficult for a couple of reasons:

1. The Cyclical nature of initiative makes it difficult for the party to retreat (Ol' Tim the Timid can still run off on his own though).
2. Movement speeds are largely the same between PCs and NPCs/Monsters, if you run away by dashing, the enemy can mostly keep up.

The only time I can recall players retreating in my game was during a session which was played more narratively rather than with the actual rules, so it doesn't really count (it was a hit and run on an opposing army's baggage train). They did also manage to escape engaging in a combat using a skill challenge, which again doesn't count, and perhaps that's what I'd switch to once the players discuss that they want to retreat, but it'd be interesting to hear what others would do.

So, to other DMs, if in the middle of combat players decide they should retreat, how would you run it?

 

[Clint_L]

I strongly encourage players to keep retreat as an option, and am not shy about creating situations where it is almost certainly the best or even only survivable option. I am very clear when the odds look heavily against them.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Players can't see what the DM sees. They don't know that they are outmatched unless you make it clear. Players absolutely will retreat if they understand the situation, but this never happens unless the DM telegraphs what is clear to the DM but invisible to the players.

Also you have to do something narratively about why on earth the enemies don't just follow the players and kill them as they run, because the 5e game mechanics don't enable running away against enemies who are motivated to follow.

Edit to better answer the original question, I've had better success with encouraging outmatched players to negotiate a surrender (which can have really interesting story implications) instead of making them choose between a TPK or dragging out an entire gaming session with painfully boring chase scene.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Players often only consider retreat when something has already gone wrong - likely someone's gone down. The combination of going to pick up fallen partymember, disengaging, and somehow getting away from enemies (who are all also moving 30ft+) is kind of impossible.

There basically needs to be an established houserule: 'at any time, you can declare retreat, and we will handle it narratively as a group', because otherwise there's no reason for the players to even try, knowing it's a futile effort.

 

[Azzy]

From another thread, the topic of retreat has come up, it sounds like it might be difficult for a couple of reasons:

1. The Cyclical nature of initiative makes it difficult for the party to retreat (Ol' Tim the Timid can still run off on his own though).
2. Movement speeds are largely the same between PCs and NPCs/Monsters, if you run away by dashing, the enemy can mostly keep up.

The only time I can recall players retreating in my game was during a session which was played more narratively rather than with the actual rules, so it doesn't really count (it was a hit and run on an opposing army's baggage train). They did also manage to escape engaging in a combat using a skill challenge, which again doesn't count, and perhaps that's what I'd switch to once the players discuss that they want to retreat, but it'd be interesting to hear what others would do.

So, to other DMs, if in the middle of combat players decide they should retreat, how would you run it?

Have you looked at the chase rules in the DMG (pp 252-255)?

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Have you looked at the chase rules in the DMG (pp 252-255)?

Chase rules that are still in initiative time, track movement to the foot, and allow attacks during them (which could be grapples, any of which holding down one PC means the whole party needs to stop and back into the fight we go)...

They're not great.

 

[cbwjm]

I

Have you looked at the chase rules in the DMG (pp 252-255)?

I did a while back, but it was a short notice chase scene which led me to use a skill challenge instead because I couldn't really understand them.

 

[cbwjm]

I strongly encourage players to keep retreat as an option, and am not shy about creating situations where it is almost certainly the best or even only survivable option. I am very clear when the odds look heavily against them.

That is a good way to prevent combat and have the players consider other options, but if the party is already in combat, how do you allow for them to retreat?

 

[cbwjm]

Players often only consider retreat when something has already gone wrong - likely someone's gone down. The combination of going to pick up fallen partymember, disengaging, and somehow getting away from enemies (who are all also moving 30ft+) is kind of impossible.

There basically needs to be an established houserule: 'at any time, you can declare retreat, and we will handle it narratively as a group', because otherwise there's no reason for the players to even try, knowing it's a futile effort.

I think that's an excellent houserule which I might include in the next game I run so that players will at least consider retreat instead of a TPK.

 

[Stormonu]

This is something I have been thinking on lately, as there's been a couple of times of late I'd have wished our party beat a hasty retreat (we actually did a retreat tonight - my Warlock used Scatter to get the party out of a bad situation so we could plan, heal, buff and retry from a better prepared position).

I've been thinking about using a "Retreat Declaration". When one side or the other decides to beat feet, they declare a group action to retreat. I don't have a process yet, but it would probably be some sort of group skill check - party describes how they want to evade, makes a skill check with appropriate skill and if 3/4 or so of the group make it, they pull back to a safe distance. Not sure what to do in case of failure, but may leave that open to the DM resolving it - loss of hp, HD, or some sort of expenditure to ensure a fail-forward escape, or possible re-engagement by the enemy. Whatever fits.

I would like to be able to apply it to either side, so NPCs could attempt an escape if overwhelmed by PCs (anything that helps prevent a slog of chewing through unnecessary hit point pools). I'd encourage players to let fleeing enemies go in most cases on a tit-for-tat sort of scale ("If you let no-name NPCs flee the area, I promise they won't show back up and if you need to do the same, I'll allow for the party to bug out if needed without likewise being chased down"). If the situation were to change for any reason (the room has sentries that will go run for reinforcements, it's a named plot NPC or otherwise), I'd call it out that escape rules are changing so the party would be aware of it (Somewhat reminding me of Destiny 2's "Respawn restricted" warning indicating you've reached a crucial part of the story/adventure).