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An adversary fleeing combat as a tactical move to bear word to a distant leader is a fair target, even a priority one. Even if the LM is taking a hard line -- beyond what Robin Smallburrow was saying -- and ruling that killing those guys is a Misdeed of some level, the Player-heroes should probably do it and pay the price, unless they have the morals of a saint.
I'd say if they roleplay reluctance, you could spare them the Shadow point -- or at least not hit them with Shadow for every repeat instance of the same deed. If they do it with bloodthirsty glee, then penalise away until their level of Shadow and Flaws matches their roleplayed attitude.

In a narrative-oriented game, other fleeing adversaries are beaten. They are not going to change their mind the minute they get behind the nearest tree and start risking their lives for the chance to inflict one more small piece of attrition on a Company that has thoroughly bested them. They are going to throw down their weapons (being aware on some level that being unarmed makes killing them a worse misdeed than otherwise? ) and head for the hills, not look back, and not influence the ongoing progress of the plot in any way that will disadvantage the Player-heroes.

The habit of leaving no foe alive is probably deep-rooted in many gamers (like BobusX's group) , raised on a diet of needing the kill to achieve the XP, and perhaps from a history of playing under competitive GMs who made them suffer any time they've adopted a heroic attitude and not tracked down and slain every survivor.

In the best adventures, the Player-heroes should be under other pressures that mean they cannot afford the time and possibly the splitting up required to run down multiple escapers. Pursuing their goal should be more urgent and more important than pursuing the survivors.

Cheers,
--Os.

@Robin Smallburrow - What do you use for a TN for an adversary to escape combat? The TN for a player-hero to escape combat is 10 plus the highest Attribute level among the adversaries he is facing. I have interpreted that last part to mean 10 plus the highest Attribute level among the adversaries he is specifically engaged with in close combat.

Since player-heroes do not have an Attribute level, how are you calculating the TN? Do you use the highest Body score of the hero he was engaged with, since Athletics seems to be the "opposed" skill in play? Or, do you just assign a TN using your own judgment, such as a default TN 14?

This happened only once in our games during the last session when someone didn't want the enemy to escape. I think I allowed the player-hero to make a Battle or Athletics roll to keep the enemy from escaping, using 10 plus the enemy's Attribute level as the TN. But, I kind of like using the enemy's Movement skill for this too. I just didn't think of it.

jamesrbrown wrote:@Robin Smallburrow - What do you use for a TN for an adversary to escape combat? The TN for a player-hero to escape combat is 10 plus the highest Attribute level among the adversaries he is facing. I have interpreted that last part to mean 10 plus the highest Attribute level among the adversaries he is specifically engaged with in close combat.

Since player-heroes do not have an Attribute level, how are you calculating the TN? Do you use the highest Body score of the hero he was engaged with, since Athletics seems to be the "opposed" skill in play? Or, do you just assign a TN using your own judgment, such as a default TN 14?

This happened only once in our games during the last session when someone didn't want the enemy to escape. I think I allowed the player-hero to make a Battle or Athletics roll to keep the enemy from escaping, using 10 plus the enemy's Attribute level as the TN. But, I kind of like using the enemy's Movement skill for this too. I just didn't think of it.

My first instinct was to use the adversary's Movement. Looking at the other posts, I would say that that was correct.

You could go 10 + the target Heroes Wits

I use the default of TN 14 for adversaries to escape combat, modified by such things as terrain, how many are opposing, traits a PC might have such as Nimble etc. I have only had to use this a few times of course - PC's seem to be pretty good at dealing blows that leave foes unconscious!

Robin S.

A further thought on this about orcs in general - IMV orcs don't have many advantages in combat, but they do have a good survival instinct, and often know when to cut their losses to 'fight another day' - this is how I interpret the RAW.

Robin S.

Robin Smallburrow wrote:A further thought on this about orcs in general - IMV orcs don't have many advantages in combat, but they do have a good survival instinct,

Indeed - orcs are the cockroaches of Middle-earth.