Don't run away, you make me angry...

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

This is just a comment.

A thing I seriously despise is when engaged in melee battle the opponent runs away when things get tough. What is up with that? I know that this is a favored tactic of many players (and DM's) and a meens to save your life, but I view it as tedious and cowardly.

It means the NPC is realistic and acting like a real human being/sentient creature. If you had the choice of running away and losing rep and honor, or being split from shoulder to crotch, what choice would you make?

As it is, the NPC should be gaining levels (so they can face you on an equal footing) but more slowly, so eventually he will lose, and big. He also shouldn't face the heroes too many times.

Under what circumstances are you facing this villain? Are you running through his castle, being injured by traps and stuff, when you finally face him and his bodyguards as he's planning his escape? Or did you just meet him on a street somewhere and kick his butt?

 

[Geoff Watson]

A lot of the time, it's impossible to flee.
Better to try and take down the opponent with a lucky shot, than get hit in the back as you run.

Generally, you need powerful magic or a well-prepared plan to get away, and many opponents won't have either.

Geoff.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

A lot of the time, it's impossible to flee.
Better to try and take down the opponent with a lucky shot, than get hit in the back as you run.

Generally, you need powerful magic or a well-prepared plan to get away, and many opponents won't have either.

Geoff.

Seems to me the NPC in question didn't find it impossible to flee...

 

[The Human Target]

Man some players really do hate the bad guy run away. A few weeks ago in my DnD campaign I had the werewolf that the players thought was prowling the area finally attack them as they argued among themselves outside. They so freaked out and all delayed 2 rounds when they found the beastie eating a farmers fleshy parts. They collected themslevs and engaged the (natural) werewolf in several rounds of battle and managed to get its hit points pretty low. He (the werewolf) realized he was in trouble and withdrew from combat to jump over a low wall to freedom. One of my players was so stunned he started to yell after the monster to try to get him to come back. He couldn't believe how someone could run from an honorable death like that. Take into consideration that in real life the player is kinda like Conan the Barbarian and was playing a chaotic neutral half-orc barbarian in the game. Upon realizing that the wolf wasn't going to return, the PC jumped over the wall into the night after the monster all by himself. He ran in the beasts general direction for a few minutes until he started to realize he was alone in the woods, seriously injured, and chasing a frikkin' werewolf. He stopped dead in his tracks and started to run back, but I decided to have him be attacked by three regualr wolves (a real threat for a single 2nd level character.) I rolled everything out in the open and in a room away from the other players. By sheer luck he managed to kill two wolves, but they had him at one HP. I gave a 50/50 percentile roll for the last wolf to flee the fight and it backed away snarling. The PC guzzled his last 2 Cure light wounds potions and booked it to the rest of the party. He doesn't complain as much when an opponent runs away anymore. And it goes to show you that the average wolf may be smarter than the average player.