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Any heroes caught in an engagement with a wight, wraith, ghost, or spectre without an enchanted weapon would most likely find the Escape combat task very useful!

Of course this would be useful. The question was what were the chances to succeed at such a feat? And how good are the chances for a whole group to succeed at retreating from a group of wights with the rules as written?

Some people gave examples that seem to indicate that it is a not-too-frequently used option with a reasonable chance of success. We will start playing in less than two weeks and then I will see if it ever comes up.

I just found it hard to belive that it is a valid option for a group that notices/believes it is going to lose against superior foes, is probably no longer at full health/at least partially weary (such can happen even in the first round) and has only average ranks in Athletics. Especially if they can't act in the subsequent round after failing the Escape Combat check.

What I learned (or did not take into account when I opened the threat): Possibility of preliminary dice and that there is always hope.

Of course it will depend on their foes too. Not all enemies would necessarily want to pursue a fleeing company.

Also, it bears repeating, a hero who spent his last round in Rearward can Escape Combat without a roll. This allows the fellowship to put zero Athletics/Weary/Wounded people there, so they can get away.

Frankly, I find it's too easy to flee from combat, once you got skill 3 or more.

Tar-Palantir, you find it too difficult? I think it stems from a misconception: you take skill 2 as a "normal" skill.
It's not. It's a mediocre skill. With skill 2 you are bound to fail most rolls: a normal skill roll got tn:14, so your chances are... 1/3? I don't have the numbers with me, but it should be between 30 and 40%.
Till you got skill 3, you can assume you'll fail the roll, unless you spend some Hope.
Hope is the saving grace of novice adventurers.
Veteran adventurers got skills in the 3-4 range, if not more.

BTW, in your example you got 3 Heroes to test. It's a badly planned escape*: with that situation, and one more round, you can have 2 PCs fleeing automatically, and just two taking the roll.
These two PCs have to roll, and it's risky: but it's fitting, because they are covering their friends retreat. It's a dangerous thing to do, and heroic.

*Most escapes are badly planned, 'cause often they happens when all the good options are gone.
It's not a retreat, it's a rout, the sort of situation where the characters of a movie say "where is Sam?" "He was right behind me, then... They got him"

Wbweather wrote:Of course it will depend on their foes too. Not all enemies would necessarily want to pursue a fleeing company.

I did not say anyone pursues the fleeing heroes. When the heroes try to flee, it will be against an opposition that has the upper hand. Which Orc or Troll would not take the free attack? Once the group has successfully escaped combat, they might let them go. That has nothing to do with my question.

Is it usually the top priority to get Athletics to three ranks? Maybe so, but after the first couple of adventures there are lot of skills one wants to improve. Honestly, I don't know what is the typical course of action concerning the division of advancement points.

I felt being generous in my example in the opening post. Superior opposition could also have an ability rating of 6 and at least one hero could have only 1 rank in Athletics. With body 4 even hope will not help you much then.

I am sorry I think I have to study the rules again: did not understand it was possible to have 50% of the group in rearward stance.

Thanks for all your answers!

Edit: Just wanted to repeat: I am concerned about the whole group escaping combat against tough adversaries and the related probabilities of success. Individual escape does not concern me. And I understand you can handwave such a situation; I am interested in rules as written and your opinion on them in this special case. Apologies if I come across as rude or dumb.

Hi Tar-Palantir,
I think you are referring to my post, so I'll break a bit your post to try and answr some of your points

Tar-Palantir wrote:Is it usually the top priority to get Athletics to three ranks? Maybe so, but after the first couple of adventures there are lot of skills one wants to improve. Honestly, I don't know what is the typical course of action concerning the division of advancement points.

Yeah, there are a lot of things to improve. My point is that, with a skill of 2, you cannot expect much. Skill 2 is medium-low, at best.
I was not talking of priorities, but since we are at it... I got two fellowships: one is very strong in Athletic, Stealth and such, but awful at social skills. They performed admirably in the woods, but failed a lot at social/diplomatic adventures. Yes, they failed. Badly. They botched whole adventures, and woe fell on them (Beorn don't want to see them anymore, for example).
Yet, when needed, they run very fast

Tar-Palantir wrote: I felt being generous in my example in the opening post. Superior opposition could also have an ability rating of 6 and at least one hero could have only 1 rank in Athletics. With body 4 even hope will not help you much then.

Yeah, an Hero with Athletics 1 and Body 4 isn't running anywhere. Better give him the Rearward stance so he got an head start...

Tar-Palantir wrote: I am sorry I think I have to study the rules again: did not understand it was possible to have 50% of the group in rearward stance.

No, it's not 50% in Rearward stance in the same round, but if you take two rounds it can be done.
Example:
round 1: 3 Heroes in Defensive, 1 in Rearward. One PC flee
round 2: 2 Heroes in Defensive, 1 in Rearward. Another PC flee
round 3: 2 Heroes in Defensive, they have to take their chances with Athletics

Tar-Palantir wrote: Edit: Just wanted to repeat: I am concerned about the whole group escaping combat against tough adversaries and the related probabilities of success. Individual escape does not concern me. And I understand you can handwave such a situation; I am interested in rules as written and your opinion on them in this special case. Apologies if I come across as rude or dumb.

I hope I don't come out as rude to you: my previous post was written from mobile with my kid gnawing at my leg...

You can have 1/3 of your PCs in Rearward at any given time. The virtue Hound of Mirkwood can be upgraded to change this ratio. Clever planning can get half the group gone in two rounds without a roll.
(Round 1 of the escape, 1/3 of the people flee without a roll. Round 2, 1/3 of the remainder go).

The main idea, in my opinion, is having players who can and will make the decision before they are a half step from doom. Waiting until half the group is weary, and most of the preliminary dice have been spent will make it hard, particularly against fearsome foes (with high attribute scores).

And of course, party makeup plays a role as well. Half of the cultures start with 2 or more athletics. The rules don't make it automatic for your group to be good at it, but it isn't an insurmountable obstacle, either.

Scrollreader wrote:Also, it bears repeating, a hero who spent his last round in Rearward can Escape Combat without a roll. This allows the fellowship to put zero Athletics/Weary/Wounded people there, so they can get away.

Yep. And you can pretty much have less capable and wounded allies flee first over a few rounds. This always made it a tense and thematic process when I have seen it, and the one who stays back has a chance of being captured, injured or killed.