GM Advice - Unwinnable Encounters


Advice

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Unfortunately its very difficult to create an organic encounter the players should run from and then have them actually be able to run. Running away with the structure of pathfinder is exceedingly difficult. Unless you give them some kind of 'gut check' at the start of the encounter and tell them they should run, there really isnt a way to make it clear before one or more players are likely down for the count.

The game just isnt set up for that sort of thing. Things that are way out of your league kill you, quickly. If the encounter starts with them not simply knowing they should run, someone is very likely to die.


Otherwhere wrote:
ShroudedInLight wrote:

Another suggestion is what I call the "Balrog effect"

Have the party come across a high level wizard fighting a ferocious monster, as the party approaches have the Wizard warn them away "Fly you fools" while casting something in the spell level 7-9 range.

Have the wizard then get shrecked and either die or be forced to run, and the beast turn its attention to the party.

This can be a good tactic to use. You let someone/something else get torn up by "the Threat" as a demonstration/warning.

Ah yes, the good ol' Worf Effect


I like how Scions of the Sky Key Part 2 did it in PFS. Big roar, earthshaking footsteps, and shredded Aspis agents before the T-Rex busts onto the scene in a L1-5 scenario. Even the most foolhardy party generally looks up and reacts, "Nope. Nopenopenope!" and starts a retreat, possibly involving illusion spells, tanglefoot bags, expeditious retreat, etc.


It's very possible to run from something that either doesn't want to chase you or just outright can't. If the mountain pass is being defending by three lines of fully-manned heavy ballista, they'll be able to engage the party from outside of their effective range, but have no reason to attack a clearly fleeing foe (they're there to keep people from getting close. People getting further away are manifestly not getting closer) and no ability to pursue even if they wanted to.

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