I'm working on a primal hunter build specifically as an extractionist. She's a moderate to high level and sells herself as being able to get someone out of a tight spot then make a clean get away. A lot of her build does work in an antimagic field but it's crazy outside of one.
Other things are clone, minions, teleport, contingency, most are all going to be some kind of magic.
I recently had a caster who was invisible, flying, at full health, and had Call the Void activated, who cast Haste on a group of undead and then tried to do nothing but escape, and he STILL ended up beaten down and captured by a group of E6 PCs.
I recently had a caster who was invisible, flying, at full health, and had Call the Void activated, who cast Haste on a group of undead and then tried to do nothing but escape, and he STILL ended up beaten down and captured by a group of E6 PCs.
This. Like above to actually be able to do it is hard but not impossible.
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Monks get Abundant Steps and run very quickly. For Barbarians I would also get him to run quickly, perhaps with some combination Flesh Wound, Ground Breaker, Greater Ground Breaker, No Escape can ironically be used to retreat with an opponent, Raging Flier, Renewed Vigor, The Spirit Totem line, or the most obvious one to me Swift Foot+Sprint.
Outside of class abilities there are numerous magic items you don't need to know magic to use, if that's what you wish.
Withdraw action is a thing.
Also, if they serve a stronger villain, you can have that boss summon them back.
Well the key to a recurring npc that you want to stay alive is to remember npc's don't have to be 100% rules perfect.
That is to say if you want one that is hard to kill - make him CR 5+ whatever the party is - give him something that lets him get away - and then use him.
Now - the typical rule of thought is that a typical recurring bad guy should get beaten (even if not caught) 3-4 times for every time he 'gets one up' on the PC's - this gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride at frustrating them without feeling hopeless.
Secondly - it's always a good idea to have the bad guy really 'beatable' within around 4 levels of PC growth (just based on my own experience here) - after the beatdown giving the characters a level or two without seeing them if they come back another way (raise dead, resurrection, reincarnation, etc.) - or keep them down and show the bigger nasty behind them...
Things that work well for getting away...
Word of Recall
Shadowstepwalk
dimension door
cloud spells (fog and up) enlarged (anyone inside can't see more than 5 feet) and any number of mundane hiding tricks.
Improved invisibility + run action + withdraw action
ring of free action + any of the above
teleport
overland flight
fly and or combined with above
mundane running away + Illusion of demon/dragon/pit/etc.
gaseous form
magic mouth
programmed image
project image
mirror image
displacement
ethereal jaunt
limited wish
wish
miracle
grease
ring of spider climbing
flying mount
earth glide
shape change (varies - something to get away or something very small to hide)
spells\magic items of nondetection
spells\magic items to hide magic auras
spells\magic items to hide alignment
From a GM perspective - if I want my bad guy to taunt *only* (such as they see him and he give a brief story monolog and then runs off) I do not feel like it's a cheat *if* he doesn't actually fight - sometimes I make the call that as GM story and or description scenes can happen as long as it doesn't 1) do anything to the characters or 2) cause anything to happen that takes away the players ability to act. If I want a bad guy to enter combat I do so with the full knowledge that the players could kill the guy no matter what I do unless I cheat - I won't do that - I'd rather re-work a plot and give the players a big reward if that happens. At the same time - I don't send vastly overpowered NPCs directly at the PC's unless they have a specific goal and an escape plan in place, i.e. grab 'item', burn 'item', deliver 'message', give 'warning', etc. then leave. That kind of encounter can setup a much more interesting and satisfying victory when the PC's manage to corner and take down the bad guy :)
The easy answer is they're all working for a great wizard who will use this version of contingency with teleport or whatever to bring the defeated character back to a safe location and revive them or whatever is necessary.
Alternatively a wizard with clones of all these other "henchmen" characters works too. The henchmen die, but are instantly brought back to life in safety. Without the knowledge of the PCs.
There are also less "magic" ways of doing this.
Terrain can keep groups apart. Rough terrain, mud, brush can limit the PCs but allow an NPC who knows the area to escape.
Bridges can be rigged to collapse. Pits and traps can delay the party. Even a good old fashioned "two halls to take" can befuddle PCs and allow an NPC to escape.
You can definitely do this with some planing.
Simulacrum, anyone?