So, this is partly asking advice, partly giving advice, and part general discussion: When designing and running encounters, does anyone take the sense of self-preservation into account? Second, does the idea of persistent, reoccuring threats come into play during your campaigns for monsters that eacape? I'm trying to broaden my scope of ideas on this subject and I've come up with a few scenarios already:
-Ambush parties of generally weak enemies (goblins, lizardfolk, troglodytes, ettercaps, etc.) Skirmish with the party but scatter when they enter prolonged melee. This causes the party to stay alert to threats outside of the typical "I search for traps *rolls Perception*". The instinct of these lesser critter to stay alive and in large groups could mean several encounters with the same ambush party and successively larger numbers.
-A single powerful creature or a small group of slightly weaker creatures ambushes, yields, and escapes. The difference from the above example is that a single/concentrated threat presents a different atmosphere of danger. Instead of trying to stay under the radar from a large hostile force, the roles are reversed. Now there is a hidden stalker that torments the party at opportune times. The party can likely beat the enemy without risk of death(s), but the enemy's cunning prevents formal combat.
The above examples are similar to comparing a zombie movie (hordes of mindless fodder) to a slasher (singular, massively powerful, and elusive threat). I'm wondering if anyone else has used otger scenarios or concepts to deviate from the "Suicidal Fodder" encounters.
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
I like to take this into account, especially for animals and intelligent monsters. Prey animals are unlikely to attack and will usually run first. IF they don't/can't run or they will fight to the death because that's what they do. Their life is Predator/Prey... they either fight to the death or are already dead. It's one of the reasons the American Bison is such a deadly animal. It's 1,400 lbs of animal that is highly unstable. If it think it's under threat it will fight and doesn't usually stop until at least someone is dead.
Pack Predators: Individuals are not going to fight to the death, but they will fight to grievous injury. They know their packmates will aid them while they heal.
Solitary Predators: Generally won't attack unless desperate or has the advantage, and generally won't risk serious injury. They can't afford to heal a broken bone and starve to death in the mean time. This is the reason that while Tigers are death-ninjas forest workers in the jungle wear backwards masks. The Tiger can't tell which way the worker is facing and so isn't confident it can sneak up and attack the worker. This simple trick greatly reduces deaths.
The Mother Rule: Few things are as dangerous as even looking like a possible threat to the children of a wild animal that cares for it's young. This includes not knowing you are near the hidden nest/den/borrow.
Sapient creatures are another story completely. They can do things like die for a cause, object, person, or being so egotistical to think you can't be defeated. They can also be mean it's so paranoid as to flee at minor difficulty.
A lot to me depends on if you want the Sapient creature to become a reoccurring NPC. One one side if EVERY baddie run away, your players are going to feel like they never "defeat" anyone. On the otherside. It's been 15 years since college and I still remember that I never got to defeat Tongue-eater from the Shackled City module.
that sent, when someone get a lucky crit and defeats an enemy they ARE going to feel it that much more. Also ranged weapons and modes of travel really change things. I had a DM once ask why our party didn't flee the dragon (we almost TPKed), and I reminded him the Young Adult Red Dragon can fly and we were on a mountain top. We had no choice but to fight and die or surrender and die. The same can be said for an NPC the players are fighting. Is there a monk they can't outrun? Can they outrun the Ranger's longbow? Any sapient creature can do the math and say "I either die trying or die running.... running means I die tired."
Finally D&D is a game where everyone is 100% effective or unconscious... aside from Conditions. The same is true of the players. The monster *could* have the players on the ropes and be on the ropes themselves. Neither side as a big reason to budge.
That said, one of my favorite encounters. We were in exactly this position. There was 1 Big Bad, the entire party was down except 2 people... everyone had <5 HP (including the baddie). The Bad Guy asked for a cease-fire... we accepted. He left, we looted the room and the heck out of there.
So, this is partly asking advice, partly giving advice, and part general discussion: When designing and running encounters, does anyone take the sense of self-preservation into account? Second, does the idea of persistent, reoccuring threats come into play during your campaigns for monsters that eacape? I'm trying to broaden my scope of ideas on this subject and I've come up with a few scenarios already:
-Ambush parties of generally weak enemies (goblins, lizardfolk, troglodytes, ettercaps, etc.) Skirmish with the party but scatter when they enter prolonged melee. This causes the party to stay alert to threats outside of the typical "I search for traps *rolls Perception*". The instinct of these lesser critter to stay alive and in large groups could mean several encounters with the same ambush party and successively larger numbers.
-A single powerful creature or a small group of slightly weaker creatures ambushes, yields, and escapes. The difference from the above example is that a single/concentrated threat presents a different atmosphere of danger. Instead of trying to stay under the radar from a large hostile force, the roles are reversed. Now there is a hidden stalker that torments the party at opportune times. The party can likely beat the enemy without risk of death(s), but the enemy's cunning prevents formal combat.
The above examples are similar to comparing a zombie movie (hordes of mindless fodder) to a slasher (singular, massively powerful, and elusive threat). I'm wondering if anyone else has used otger scenarios or concepts to deviate from the "Suicidal Fodder" encounters.
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
I like to take this into account, especially for animals and intelligent monsters.
Prey animals are unlikely to attack and will usually run first. IF they don't/can't run or they will fight to the death because that's what they do. Their life is Predator/Prey... they either fight to the death or are already dead.
It's one of the reasons the American Bison is such a deadly animal. It's 1,400 lbs of animal that is highly unstable. If it think it's under threat it will fight and doesn't usually stop until at least someone is dead.
Pack Predators: Individuals are not going to fight to the death, but they will fight to grievous injury. They know their packmates will aid them while they heal.
Solitary Predators: Generally won't attack unless desperate or has the advantage, and generally won't risk serious injury. They can't afford to heal a broken bone and starve to death in the mean time. This is the reason that while Tigers are death-ninjas forest workers in the jungle wear backwards masks. The Tiger can't tell which way the worker is facing and so isn't confident it can sneak up and attack the worker. This simple trick greatly reduces deaths.
The Mother Rule: Few things are as dangerous as even looking like a possible threat to the children of a wild animal that cares for it's young. This includes not knowing you are near the hidden nest/den/borrow.
Sapient creatures are another story completely. They can do things like die for a cause, object, person, or being so egotistical to think you can't be defeated. They can also be mean it's so paranoid as to flee at minor difficulty.
A lot to me depends on if you want the Sapient creature to become a reoccurring NPC.
One one side if EVERY baddie run away, your players are going to feel like they never "defeat" anyone. On the otherside. It's been 15 years since college and I still remember that I never got to defeat Tongue-eater from the Shackled City module.
that sent, when someone get a lucky crit and defeats an enemy they ARE going to feel it that much more.
Also ranged weapons and modes of travel really change things.
I had a DM once ask why our party didn't flee the dragon (we almost TPKed), and I reminded him the Young Adult Red Dragon can fly and we were on a mountain top. We had no choice but to fight and die or surrender and die. The same can be said for an NPC the players are fighting. Is there a monk they can't outrun? Can they outrun the Ranger's longbow?
Any sapient creature can do the math and say "I either die trying or die running.... running means I die tired."
Finally D&D is a game where everyone is 100% effective or unconscious... aside from Conditions. The same is true of the players. The monster *could* have the players on the ropes and be on the ropes themselves. Neither side as a big reason to budge.
That said, one of my favorite encounters. We were in exactly this position. There was 1 Big Bad, the entire party was down except 2 people... everyone had <5 HP (including the baddie). The Bad Guy asked for a cease-fire... we accepted. He left, we looted the room and the heck out of there.