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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 7162603" data-attributes="member: 6787650">Ways for the party to survive:Cleric could Sanctuary them all and they split up and all sprint as hard as they can across the field.Battlemaster could use Menacing Strike if he has it, to keep the Roc at bay while they cross.Monk could try to scare off the roc using his Fear feature while dodging with Patient Defense.If there is cover they could sneak across the field, e.g. dashing from tree to tree and hoping the roc doesn't see them.They could wait until dark and sneak across the field then when the roc can't see them and/or isn't there any longer.Depending on terrain, they could try to lure the Roc into an area too small for it (where it gets disadvantage on all its attacks and they have advantage to hit it, per Squeezing Into Smaller Spaces around page 164ish of the PHB) and kill it there, or at least damage it enough to drive it away.Monk could stun it with Stunning Strike long enough to get away.The cleric can also use Warding Bond, Bless or Shield of Faith, Death Ward, upcast Spiritual Hammer, etc. to help with any of these strategies.My gut feeling tells me that the fight will be extremely tough for the PCs, but also fun and memorable. I would do it--but I would also play the Roc realistically (it's out for a meal) and have it bail out and flee at 50% HP or whenever it gets a meal (which could be a PC or a pack animal like a horse) instead of fighting to the death. That gives the players plenty of ways to win, either through brute force or guile; and it also gives you a potentially-useful recurring nemesis in the form of the Roc, if it survives, which you can use to terrify the players in the future if you want to e.g. keep up the time pressure and prevent resting. ("We can't camp here--the roc might see us! We can't fight that thing. We barely managed to drive it off last time and it wasn't close to being dead!")</blockquote>

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