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<blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 5283395" data-attributes="member: 463">PCs can hide/evade, they can split up so the monster has to choose who to chase.&nbsp; Against some foes they can make a stand at a defensible choke point.&nbsp; They may flee before combat starts, giving them a head start.&nbsp; If they spot the monsters first they may retreat before the monsters even notice them.Some examples I've seen:3e Low level PCs, including mine, encounter a fort with Ogres on the battlements.&nbsp; PCs retreat, unnoticed by Ogres.3e Mid-level PCs in the Lost City of Gaxmoor PCs encounter a large force of hobgoblins.&nbsp; They retreat to a defensible choke point and kill lots of hobgoblins until a stalemate ensues, then bug out. 3e Same PCs, in the process of retreating from the hobgoblins, encounter a high level but lazy Cambion, Heracules.&nbsp; In one round of combat Heracules carves up a tough barbarian NPC accompanying the group.&nbsp; The PCs flee into the ruins, Heracules, being lazy, doesn't pursue.&nbsp; Herac was CR 20, vs PCs around 7th level, so this was something like 13th level PCs being attacked by goblins, from his POV not worth pursuing - no XP and no loot worth having.4e PCs in Vault of Larin Karr attack a large Orc tribe in their lair, and are defeated after a long fight.&nbsp; Most of the PCs die, but the Rogue grabs an incapacitated fellow PC and hides outside until she can sneak away.&nbsp;&nbsp; It's bright daylight outside so the Orc search beyond the lair is perfunctory.4e Same PCs encounter a young red dragon under a town, fight a lengthy but losing battle.&nbsp; 2 PCs killed, survivors retreat outside where a bunch of town guard (4e Human Guard) ready at the exit to the dungeon with a forest of halberds.&nbsp; The young dragon is badly bloodied and gives up the chase, returning to its lair with the dead PCs and their gear.&nbsp; (This would have gone differently in a prior edition - in 1e-3e the dragon could have taken out a cellarfull of guards with 1 breath attack).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="S'mon, post: 5283395, member: 463"] PCs can hide/evade, they can split up so the monster has to choose who to chase. Against some foes they can make a stand at a defensible choke point. They may flee before combat starts, giving them a head start. If they spot the monsters first they may retreat before the monsters even notice them. Some examples I've seen: 3e Low level PCs, including mine, encounter a fort with Ogres on the battlements. PCs retreat, unnoticed by Ogres. 3e Mid-level PCs in the Lost City of Gaxmoor PCs encounter a large force of hobgoblins. They retreat to a defensible choke point and kill lots of hobgoblins until a stalemate ensues, then bug out. 3e Same PCs, in the process of retreating from the hobgoblins, encounter a high level but lazy Cambion, Heracules. In one round of combat Heracules carves up a tough barbarian NPC accompanying the group. The PCs flee into the ruins, Heracules, being lazy, doesn't pursue. Herac was CR 20, vs PCs around 7th level, so this was something like 13th level PCs being attacked by goblins, from his POV not worth pursuing - no XP and no loot worth having. 4e PCs in Vault of Larin Karr attack a large Orc tribe in their lair, and are defeated after a long fight. Most of the PCs die, but the Rogue grabs an incapacitated fellow PC and hides outside until she can sneak away. It's bright daylight outside so the Orc search beyond the lair is perfunctory. 4e Same PCs encounter a young red dragon under a town, fight a lengthy but losing battle. 2 PCs killed, survivors retreat outside where a bunch of town guard (4e Human Guard) ready at the exit to the dungeon with a forest of halberds. The young dragon is badly bloodied and gives up the chase, returning to its lair with the dead PCs and their gear. (This would have gone differently in a prior edition - in 1e-3e the dragon could have taken out a cellarfull of guards with 1 breath attack). [/QUOTE]

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