When should a monster retreat?

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

So, any advice?

I've found that my brute monsters tend to retreat one round too late (eg if they had retreated one round earlier, they would have lived).

Just to make things worse, there are lots of high offense, low defense monsters in the MM, and retreating usually draws an AoO.

 

[fba827]

it depends on the intelligence and motivation for the creature.

fighting for the last scrap of food or basic surival or children i would imagine it fights until it dies. if it's fighting 'cause it doesn't like the PCs and is inteligent enough to realize it is losing, I'd wager it leaves around 50-75% hp loss.

other factors that would probably affect it -- being hit constsitently for a round and not hitting/hurting the opponent more than a little...

hmm..
probably more possibilities but in general i'd have to say depends on the situation. beyond that, i use the above as a guideline (50-75% of hp loss or consistant damage in take over a round with little damage dealt in that same round).. with considerations for movitation and intelligence above all else.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

Generally if reduced to 50% health or less. Losing 1/2 hps in one round is panic time.

Animals even less, say 25% Unless defending which may be to the death ditto if starving.

Intelligent foes may retreat if the odds are worse than 50/50, before even fighting such a risky battle. More likely to not engage until having an advantage.

Generally once the prospect of an easy victory is lost lesser foes should hoof it. Fanatical or bloodthirsty foes may not retreat at all.

Elite types would retreat with some order, they have after all survived fights before. Parlaying and ransom, say 1/2 magical wealth, could be a retreat option but only with honourable foes or those who have little opportunity to be treacherous.

I recently ran an encounter that saw the dark cleric on 2/5 hp and he 'obscured' his area, 'feared' his pursuer and 'smote' the foolish weakened druid who tried to block his exit. Point is, that all but the most unwise would never neglect the retreat. This dark cleric saw his defeat coming when his ally was in trouble and spent 3 rounds fighting to escape successfully. I just played him like a pc due his story importance and bad luck was with the pcs.

 

[shilsen]

I recently ran an encounter that saw the dark cleric on 2/5 hp and he 'obscured' his area, 'feared' his pursuer and 'smote' the foolish weakened druid who tried to block his exit. Point is, that all but the most unwise would never neglect the retreat. This dark cleric saw his defeat coming when his ally was in trouble and spent 3 rounds fighting to escape successfully. I just played him like a pc due his story importance and bad luck was with the pcs.

If I played my NPCs like the PCs, they'd never retreat, never use strategy, and would always charge in mindlessly at the first opponent they saw

I don't use any hard and fast rule for opponents retreating, but eyeball it based on a combination of damage taken, opposition, intelligence and type of the NPC. Unless NPCs fall in the "mindless brute" category, or have a very compelling reason not to flee, they're considering it as an option as soon as it looks like a battle is unwinnable.

 

[Golandrinel]

Not many creatures and monsters would actually fight to the death, evil character types are usually self preservation oriented and would do anything to stay alive. I'd say that if 1 particular enemy is on 25% hp or below and below 20% of it's henchmen/cohorts survive then it'd be time to run...

[edited out: have been slain]

 

[Celebrim]

Generally, if you run a monster realistically (ei it doesn't want to die and panics if severely hurt) instead of cinematically (ei it fights until the heroes deliver the killing blow), the PC's will gain a huge advantage.

Tactically speaking, a monster should flee if a) it can do so without taking serious damage, and b) if its advantage is detiriorating with time. In general, things that can teleport away should flee as soon as they get one good lick in, especially if they also can regenerate or fast heal. Anything that can regenerate can gain an advantage by creating delays. Spell casters should flee early rather than latter, taking time to use scrolls and potions or simply waiting a day to get thier best spells back. Slow moving creatures should never bother fleeing. Mounted creatures probably always should flee as soon as they take a good hit. Creatures in melee _probably_ should never bother fleeing. Creatures unable to escape los in a single round should _probably_ never bother fleeing.

Intelligent foes should have a strategy for flight - bar the door, flee down a corridor containing a trap that can be avoided if you know where it is, release a monster behind them, hook up with allies, etc. Otherwise it is just not going to work that well.