Cheese it!

RPGPundit · December 23, 2010, 10:19:57 AM

How often do your PCs actually run away from a conflict?

In my games, it hardly ever happens. I can recall a few occasions; most often, however, they will fight even when it is very foolish to do so.

RPGPundit

Ian Warner · December 23, 2010, 10:48:22 AM

I don't think I've ever had players run away. Even when they were a bunch of kids faced with a dragon.

Tipsy · December 23, 2010, 10:59:00 AM

My current MRQII group is not above legging it, especially if the odds are against them and they have a bit of treasure in their mitts.

They've done it twice so far in the campaign and the consequences of their fleeing the scene with their loot, rather than dealing with the problems they've encountered (or in one case caused) will come back to haunt them.

Imperator · December 23, 2010, 11:30:24 AM

Every time they see the odds hugely stacked against them.

Ian Warner · December 23, 2010, 11:32:55 AM

That's the thing my players never see the odds stacked against them. Even when they are.

hanszurcher · December 23, 2010, 11:38:22 AM

We play *Cthulhu pretty heavily...so PC shoe leather gets pretty thin.

-Hans

Drohem · December 23, 2010, 11:44:58 AM

In typical fantasy games, hardly never; it's unlikely they'll run. In modern or future type games where there's guns and heavy weapons, then they will consider retreat as a viable option.

Seanchai · December 23, 2010, 11:49:46 AM

Not very often at all.

Seanchai

kryyst · December 23, 2010, 12:15:43 PM

In my WFRP games the regulars have learned to pick and choose their fights. The newbs want to stand and fight, they usually figure it out by the time they've made it onto their second characters.

While I've never out right said 'time to run' if present a situation and make is a point of reference that it looks like bad odds then they generally accept that the odds are bad for them and they'll try another way around.

Machinegun Blue · December 23, 2010, 12:23:12 PM

Well, the PCs in our previous Space 1889 session did surrender to a space pirate boarding action when they realized they couldn't win. Too bad for everybody that my character was busy destroying the pirateship's controls after forcing his way in via space walk. Ended up sending both ships crashing into Mars. One PC death, all others heavily injured, most NPCs dead and my character unscathed due to some miracle die rolls. Of course, we're using Savage Worlds rules.

Then there was my Warhammer Fantasy campaign that saw the PCs frequently run from demons and funny looking goblins. Not to mention CoC and Gurps Horror games.

Cole · December 23, 2010, 12:54:23 PM

Reasonably often - it depends on the game. Many RPGs, especially ones with intricate tactical rules, seem to me to make retreat practically suicidal. Of course historically routs have been dangerous.

Reckall · December 23, 2010, 01:28:57 PM

My players went through the usual "We are 1st level so it is not a dragon but an illusion" delusional phase. Now they are good at avoiding conflict and at trying to evaluate the odds before engaging, but almost never run away once the conflict is engaged.

Benoist · December 23, 2010, 02:34:58 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;428101How often do your PCs actually run away from a conflict?

In my games, it hardly ever happens. I can recall a few occasions; most often, however, they will fight even when it is very foolish to do so.

RPGPundit

That'll depend heavily on the paradigm of the game being played, won't it?

Running away in AD&D and CoC is kind of a given, if you want to survive to fight another day. Not that it happens all the time, but if you constantly face threats head on in melee combat, sooner or later, your character is going to bite the bullet and die.

Not so in Amber, or Toon, or even Supers games, I would think.

So it depends on the campaign and game we're talking about, specifically.

Mythmere · December 23, 2010, 03:40:56 PM

Not very often unless it's a matter of being outnumbered. Being outclassed doesn't usually do it unless the monster is *clearly* something that's not for right now.

Realizing that you're outnumbered is easier to do, compared to figuring out that a particular bad-ass creature will have enough spells or hit dice or whatever to outlast you.

dindenver · December 23, 2010, 03:53:50 PM

I've only seen it in games where the players can actually escape. Dresden was a good example, our Wizard had a World-Walking Stunt and we escaped to the Nevernever more than once. But in D&D4e, I never saw a group retreat, because it was almost always tactically impossible (assuming the BBEGs would pursue).
Of course in games like PTA, there is almost never a retreat, because the stakes aren't usually that high.