Withdrawing from combat.

Lord Ben

First Post
What's the best way to withdraw from combat? Any way that gets you the heck out of dodge asap also seems to provoke AO's. With spells it's fairly obvious, 5ft step and teleport or Word of Recall. But with movements it's harder since PC's are fast with boots of Striding and Springing.
 

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use the tumble skill to completely avoid AoO - fairly easy DC if need be. Make the check - no AoO

also - switch to "the total defense action"
or use Expertise PHB
or Greater/Improved Expertise from OA (don't recall exact name)
 

A double move does not provoke an AoO when leaving the first square. Take a double move and avoid threatened areas after the first square. Then run like hell. :D
 

Well, first I'm the DM so the retreating things are NPC's. And since the NPC's don't have things like Boots of Striding and Springing when I take a double move I end up 60ft away and the fgt/bbn in medium armor with boots of SS has a regular 60ft movement so he just takes a normal move and hacks me. Rounding a corner works well, so does putting an ominous looking doorway on the escape route because they never want to follow that way. But in open fields they really don't have a way of escaping from someone faster - but I guess that's life eh?
 


Caltrops

Tumble away, drawing the bag as you go. ( As long as it is not in a backpack or something )
and then spread them around...
 

Depends is this for a specific NPC you have in mind or are you asking for ideas on enemies that can escape the party if needed.

Without magic, make a barbarian/rogue with dodge, mobility and the dash feat (+5ft MV from S&S). Also give him good ranks in tumble and light - medium armor. He is going to have a movement of 45ft and a +5 dodge bonus to AC against the PC he is fleeing from (if he fails his tumble checks), and with a full move he won't (usually) provoke AoO and will move 90ft, meaning the PC with have to make a full move to keep up. Give him a spiked chain as a weapon and then he will be the one getting to make the AoO against the PCs that follow after him.

Or if he runs he will move 180ft only provoking AoO if he fails tumble checks and then still has the +5 dodge bonus to his AC.
But in general, your NPCs will be screwed, movement makes a huge impact on battles I have found, and unless the environment and terrain can provide an advantage to the canny, then the faster person will always win an escape race.

CullAfulMoshuN...
 

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