DM's often complain that P.C. never run when they should. Part of the problem is that most things that can beat the party could also catch the party. Also many times by the time you know it's time to run there is already a party member down slowing you down.
So I would like to brain storm tricks for parties of P.C. to run away.
There are 5 criteria.
1 How many people the trick helps to get away.
2 How long it takes to set up or execute
3 How much preparation it needs before hand.
4 What is the lowest level it can be done
5 And How vulnerable if the trick to disruption from the enemy
An example would be using Teleport.
1. yourself + 1 per 3 caster levels
2.As long as it take for everyone to join hands with you and you to use a standard action
3.Having the spell prepared that day.
4. 9
5. An enemy counter spelling can stop it also some places are dimensionally locked.
Any one else care to add?
Invisibility Sphere -turn party invisible and get far enough away from the enemy to break contact
1. Everyone you can jam into a 10ft radius sphere
2. However long it takes to get everone in a 10ft radius
3. Having the spell prepared that day
4. 5
5. An enemy that can see or otherwise easily detect invisible creatures counters this.
Haste - Double everyones speed so they can run for it
1. 1 person per level
2. 1 action plus how long it takes to run away
3. Having the spell prepared that day.
4. 5
5. Pretty easily, the enemy just needs to be faster or more mobile. 60ft per round is not unheard of in creatures. But haste certainly helps.
Wall of x spell - Throw up a wall between the party and the enemy, run like heck.
1. Everyone on the right side of the wall
2. 1 action
3. Having the spell prepared that day
4. depends on the spell.
5. Anyone who can get over or around your wall easily, but if you are in a confined space likea dungeon or building it can work really well, however its also highly dependant on positioning of the enenmy and the party.
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I am generally the tactician in my parties. I've played with the same group for years and they are mostly comfortable with me in that role.
One of the things that I try to do is have a retreat plan that we can execute. I don't play a lot of games where "teleport" is the way to do it, it's usually more "obscuring mist" and "run like heck."
A fairly typical retreat plan looks like this:
A PC (usually mine) is given the authority to call "retreat."
Given a chance to retreat orderly, different party members have different roles to play.
The retreat is called:
A melee character might have a bag of caltrops on his belt that he readies to throw.
The wizard or sorcerer will have "obscuring mist" or "stinking cloud" or "entangle" prepared and readied. (Perhaps even from a wand.)
A PC with high UMD might have a scroll with "summon monster" on it that they ready.
Then, based on a signal from the retreat caller, these things all trigger as close to simultaneously as possible, providing the most cover and the most terrain difficulty possible for the pursuers and then the party retreats, looking for ways to further obstruct the pursuit.
Just "running away" is not a retreat. That's a rout. There's really no rules for a "rout" because that's pretty much by definition just panicking and running. That's a good way to get caught.
Easy, the PCs just have to tell their dads that they're going to go catch a movie, then sneak around back to get their stuff.
Conjuration school has a level 8 ability called dimensional steps
1 As many as you are within touch range of.
2 Standard action but each party member must be touching or touchable
3 Available at whim to the limits of its distance
4 8
5 Same problems as teleport I suppose...
CALTROPS (Ultimate Equipment)
Price 1 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
A caltrop is a four-pronged metal spike crafted so that one prong always faces up no matter how the caltrop comes to rest. You scatter caltrops on the ground in the hope that your enemies step on them or are at least forced to slow down to avoid them. One 2-pound bag of caltrops covers an area 5 feet square.
Each time a creature moves into an area covered by caltrops (or spends a round fighting while standing in such an area), it runs the risk of stepping on one. Make an attack roll for the caltrops (base attack bonus +0) against the creature. For this attack, the creature's shield, armor, and deflection bonuses do not count. If the creature is wearing shoes or other footwear, it gets a +2 armor bonus to AC. If the attack succeeds, the creature has stepped on a caltrop. The caltrop deals 1 point of damage, and the creature's speed is reduced by half because its foot is wounded. This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical healing. A charging or running creature must immediately stop if it steps on a caltrop. Any creature moving at half speed or slower can pick its way through a bed of caltrops with no trouble.
Caltrops may not work against unusual opponents.
MARBLES (Ultimate Equipment)
Price 1 sp; Weight 2 lbs.
Marbles can be used to slow opponents. One 2-pound bag of marbles covers an area 5 feet square. A creature entering a square with marbles scattered on it must succeed at a DC 10 Reflex save or fall prone (the creature's stability bonus to trip applies to this save). Any creature moving at half speed or slower can pick its way through a square of marbles with no trouble.
Grease and web also are good for slowing/preventing pursuit. At higher levels, the various wall spells, combined with dimensional anchor can also work.
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Bag of flour+spark=explosion. One trick another player taught me is to have a bag of flour to pound open, then have a mage cast spark and QUICKLY close door (A.K.A. have mage ready action to cast spark as door closes), explosions help with running away. Also, if you don't have much magic, then perform the "S#!+ your pants and run the F*(( away" action and hope they are slow. Also for if you have an alchemist, bombs help. Also, for if you have a monk/unarmed fighter/irori cleric, scorpion style from the CRB lets you reduce base land speed to 5ft if you only use a standard action to punch. Thats my 2cp anyway.