D&D General Run Away!

[iserith]

Way back when I pointed out in another thread that a prime use for Action Surge was extra movement, notably running away, and this was pooh-poohed by those insisting that Action Surge had to be used for fighting. So yes, I think you're right.

I love seeing Action Surge being used in novel ways. It comes up a fair bit in our games and it's always fun to see.

 

[CleverNickName]

Calling back to the original post:

If the player is given a choice between (A) using an Action Surge to exit an obviously deadly encounter, or (B) using an Action Surge for literally anything else, players always choose (B). Theories abound as to why this is the case, and whether or not the player should ever be in such a situation, but the OP's post still rings true.

Players can run away. Sometimes players should run away. Every now and then, players must run away. But never will they run away, rules and odds and risks and consequences all be damned.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

That's fine if it works for you, but if we aren't talking about a run down a 100m dash track, speed isn't the only thing that matters.

Speed in D&D is contextual, though. The environment can affect it, as you point out. Difficult terrain, climbing, swimming, and so on.

 

[Reynard]

Speed in D&D is contextual, though. The environment can affect it, as you point out. Difficult terrain, climbing, swimming, and so on.

Right, so the "skill challenge" approach is the best way to incorporate all that without having to map an entire 2 mile stretch through the swamp.

 

[jasper]

Running away suffers from the lack of effective escape mechanic.

Dm looks at the numbers and the fresh food (aka rations or mostly dead pc) on the floor. The monsters watch you run away. And nibble on brave Sir Robin.

Well, the way I see it? The party of 1st level characters can run from the wyvern, the same wyvern they saw fly overhead a half-hour ago headed in this direction, also the same wyvern the townsfolk warned them about, and was obviously placed here to push them toward Yonder Convenient Dungeon Entrance clearly visible and only 30 feet away, so that we can all begin tonight's adventure...

...or they can plink at it with their dinky swords and cantrips, getting annihilated one by one, and glaring at me the whole time like I had broken the law or something.

Guess which one the players chose?

Wyvern Wurst It what for breakfast. Or is Adventurer Adent tay

 

[jasper]

In all my various games. I did not need a rule to let the party run away.
DM. Dudes you are totally out gun. You do know you can run away.
Players. We toss down rations, a magic item, and coin and flee. And flip off the monster.
DM. The monster flips you off back and eats the rations.
I am totally in favor of TPK if the DM pauses the game and out of game tells them they are totally out matched. You can always run away to Ravenloft where it is safer.

 

[GMMichael]

Running away suffers from the lack of effective escape mechanic.

You mean this guy?

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qi7j3mPp9s0/maxresdefault.jpg

Players can run away. Sometimes players should run away. Every now and then, players must run away. But never will they run away, rules and odds and risks and consequences all be damned.

Some players. I'm happy to run away. Maybe because I started role-playing in the right era. Maybe because I really dislike D&D character creation.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

You mean this guy?

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qi7j3mPp9s0/maxresdefault.jpg

Don't get it, don't know who that is.

 

[Mannahnin]

On Saturday night our OD&D party got split on the second level of the Castle Greyhawk dungeons. Three of us got teleported to an unknown section- a 4th/2nd level elf F/M-U, a 3rd level elf M-U, and a 1st level human M-U. Better believe that when we encountered a room full of orcs we retreated. Eventually we were able to find an exit from the dungeon and rendezvous with the bigger portion of the party.

 

[iserith]

On Saturday night our OD&D party got split on the second level of the Castle Greyhawk dungeons. Three of us got teleported to an unknown section- a 4th/2nd level elf F/M-U, a 3rd level elf M-U, and a 1st level human M-U. Better believe that when we encountered a room full of orcs we retreated. Eventually we were able to find an exit from the dungeon and rendezvous with the bigger portion of the party.

Weird. I thought the move was to throw yourselves on the orcs' swords and then complain that the DM didn't balance the encounter properly.