In order to flee from a monster, you must pass an Evade check. If you succeed, the combat ends. However, you are still in the same space as the monster. In order to leave that space without fighting the monster, you must pass a second Evade check on your next turn. So, in order to escape from a monster without killing it, you must pass two Evade checks in a row. Is that correct? If so, it seems like fleeing is rarely a sensible strategy unless you truly have no chance of beating the monster in combat.

Also, if you flee from a monster, but fail the second Evade check on your next turn, do you need to make a second Horror check against the monster?

(sorry about the double post. I guess you can't copy and paste when posting.)

Pretty much.

Of course, if you successfully evade the monster the first time during your movement you might be able to move an extra space. And if your team mates kill or call the monster for you, you won't need to evade it again the next turn. But in general, you'll need to evade it twice if you start a fight and then decide to run off.

-Frank

I'm not sure if I understand the question correctly.

If you start in a location with a monster or enter a location with a monster or a monster appears in your location during the encounter phase, you get a chance to evade the monster without initiating combat. I.e. you make a single evade check. If it is successful you may ignore the monster for the rest of your turn; if the monster appeared because of an encounter it is returned to the monster cup.

If you fail this first evade check combat is initiated. You first have to make a horror check (and lose the appropriate amount of sanity) and then automatically take the health damage indicated for losing a combat check.

If you're still sane and conscious after that you can try to flee by making another evade check or try to kill the monster by making a combat check. For every following round you have the same choice (flee or fight) until you successfully evade or kill the monster or become unconscious.

Note, that once your first evade check fails, your movement ends.

avec said:

No second Horror check is rolled.

Frank said:

Thanks. That's what I figured. It seems like that would often make it easier to kill monsters than to run away from them, which seems kind of at odds with the horror theme. But I haven't crunched the numbers so maybe fleeing is easier than I think it is.

Dam said:

That makes intuitive sense, but the rules say "an investigator only needs to make one Horror check each time he does battle with a monster" and that if you flee from a monster, then "the battle immediately ends" (pp. 14-15). Since the battle ended the previous round, if you fail an Evade check this round, I think it would technically be a separate battle, requiring a separate Horror check. I was just wondering if there were any special exceptions for investigators that flee from combat, but remain on the same space as the monster.

No exceptions like that. I'm still not sure what you are talking about though. A monster moves into your area and you first want to evade for a round in order to stay put, then move away on the next round?

If that is the case, then yes, they are separate fights (if you fail) that require separate horror checks.

Kobu said:

I'm talking about situations where I am in a fight with a monster (for whatever reason) and I decide to flee. I make an Evade check and succeed, ending the battle (i.e., I flee). Ideally, I'd like to move away from the monster the same turn that I flee from it. But the rules don't let me do that, so I'm forced to remain in the same location as the monster. Next turn comes around and, assuming that I still want to avoid fighting the monster, I have to make a second Evade check to move off of the space. If I fail that check, then I'm stuck in battle with the monster all over again, even though I'm trying to move away from it.

Maybe there should be a house rule for Fleeing. For example, maybe an investigator can automatically evade a monster that he fled from the previous round, as long as he uses his movement to move away from the monster (as opposed to staying on the same space as the monster).

Ah, I see. I was being dense. It just doesn't come up that often.

I don't see a need for an exception though. You get owned by a monster, that's what happens. You're cowering behind crates in an ally, then trying to escape its notice once again when you run to the next area.

No worries! Thanks for the input.

On those occasions when i get in over my head and need to evade from a fight, I find that the second check isn't too much to ask. During upkeep I adjust my Fight/Sneak slider so that I can just slink away into an adjacent location (preferably two spaces away, but in a pinch one space will do).