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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ambrus" data-source="post: 2757379" data-attributes="member: 17691">I try to always play NPCs with an escape plan, even if it's simply a run and hide plan. At best very smart NPCs will have several escape plans such as a dimensional door spell, teleport scroll, potion of gaseous form, invisibility spell, haste spell or an expedious retreat spell. It's hardly guaranteed that their plans will work however; I still give PCs a fair chance to twart the escape attempt with their own counter plans or actions. Sometimes the NPCs get away, sometimes the PCs manage to spot/catch the fleeing NPC or successfully dispel the teleport in the nick of time. As long as you're being fair I see no problem with it.The most elaborate escape plan I ever devised for an NPC was that of lich and his three vampire cohorts. They had an invisible zombie wyvern with three spare coffins strapped to its belly waiting in a nearby courtyard with a juju zombie rider ready to lift off and fly away if the vampires were reduced to their gaseous forms during a confrontation with the PCs. The lich, a cleric, also had a succor spell ready (this was 2ed) to whisk him away to safety instantly if it were necessary. He also had a doll golem ready at his belt to help delay the PCs if they were physically chasing him as well as a bone bat in his backpack ready to fly to send word for help to nearby reinforcements.In short, the PCs dispersed the three vampires, beat the doll golem, caught up to the lich fleeing on foot, distracted him while he tried to cast his succor spell and an ally of theirs finally cast Imprisonment on him. The PCs then followed the fleeing gaseous vampires and, thanks to blindsense, discovered the wyvern, gave chase to it and caused it to crash into a lake thus destroying it and its rider. They found two of the coffins floating in the water, slew the occupants, tracked the third vampire to the shore and killed it in a barn it had hidden an extra coffin in. They then shot at and destroyed the bone bat that he'd dispatched before it got too far away. The PCs' victory was hard earned and so complete that the NPCs' nearby reinforcements couldn't even figure out what had happened to their missing buddies for months afterwards. My favorite game ever.</blockquote>

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