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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ChristopherA" data-source="post: 5043648" data-attributes="member: 80302">I would agree with ValhallaGH that running away is quite difficult in most role-playing games. It is extremely difficult to run away if you don't realize the situation is bad until you've already started fighting, since there is a good chance at least one of the party members is surrounded, immobilized or dead, or can't get out of the thick of the fight before being killed, or will be knocked out by ranged attacks because he is the slowest member while running away. It is just very difficult to escape unless you have some some of power that guarantees a party escape. Often some of the party members can escape, but having some of the party die and get eaten by the monsters generally isn't a very appealing prospect. It is not always easy for the party members to know that they are supposed to run away before the combat starts unless they are given excellent monster knowledge. After all, the premise of fantasy adventures is that the characters are brave enough to fight horrible monsters no one else will face. They can't just chicken out every time they see a scary looking monster. They need to know that the monsters they see are clearly too strong for them. Even still, running away is not that easy. One of the players will probably have heavy armor and a speed of 5. That means he can run away at speed 14. If all the monsters have speed 6 (not uncommon), they can run at speed 16 to catch up, then perform the run/charge maneuver at speed 14, getting an endless number of free attacks on the player that cannot be responded to. And realize that even without charging, if they merely end their turn next to the player, he suffers an opportunity attack when he moves away. Even if some of the monsters are speed 5, they can keep up with the chase so they aren't afraid of being left behind. You'd have to have a speed 4 monster, or a special fast party, for running away to really be effective. Of course, the GM can always arrange for story reasons why the monsters don't want to chase the PC's, or why circumstances such as special terrain allow the PC's to escape. But the players had better understand those reasons, otherwise they will look at the game mechanics and be very afraid of even trying to run away. I think the skill challenge idea is excellent. That is what I would do if I wanted to simulate a chase and give the players a fair chance to escape.</blockquote>

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