Rules on a prison break

[Godskook]

Ok, so I got this Voidmind Lycanthrope that the party captured and then left in a prison, and I'm wondering what relevant rules I should be aware of for getting my useful NPC out of there.

[holywhippet]

What kind of prison? Mundane prison? Magical? High security? Are they prepared for prisoners with special abilities. What kind of lycanthropy is it (ie. what can they change into). Do the guards know what they are guarding and what they are capable of? Does the NPC have allies who might to free them?

[Seerow]

Are the PCs actively guarding this guy? Cause if not, you don't need to mechanically figure out how he got out, just handwaive that it happened, and if they get back to the town and ask questions, nobody's quite sure exactly how it happened, those who would have known are dead, by the lycanthrope's hands.

[Asheram]

Does he have any friends that can be counted on in order to break him out of there?

[Godskook]

Its a prison built and maintained by a goblin tribe only accustomed to throwing their own into it(although the PCs made stay there once), who are usually non-magical.

The VML has no local allies, and those allies he does have are...let's just say that it'd break versimilitude to have them help, k?

The VML is a wolf/m-eagle dual, and has a significant Str score, as well as multiple forms, flight, and the ability to switch forms as a move action(Each 'strain' requires separate actions to switch).

I don't want to houserule it cause of this mentality (http://agc.deskslave.org/comic_viewer.html?goNumber=519), not that my players are that way, but *I* am. I want the game to be hard cause it really is hard, not because I'm just as capable of waving my hand as anyone else. If they throw a guy into prison and he can't get out mechanically, he *stays* in the prison until his allies can get there to rescue him.

[holywhippet]

Describe the prison - since the NPC has wolf and eagle (?) forms are there opportunities to either dig out or fly out? Maybe either of them after using that strength stat to break out or sneak out to somewhere?

[Godskook]

The prison is essentially a side-tunnel to the goblin's living cave, which the latter was repurposed from the outer areas of a dragon's nest. If the guy can get out of his cell and past 3-5 guards, he should be able to fly to freedom via one of the dragon's old 'openings'.

[holywhippet]

What is the cell he's in like? Is he chained up or merely loose in the cell. Is the floor hard rock or something that can't be tunneled through. What about the walls? The ceiling?

Is the cell door made of something that he might be able to force open with brute strength?

[Godskook]

His cell is a 'standard' bars cell like you'd expect in an old-west movie, with straw on the floor. He's currently tied up with a DC 26 knot, iirc(I wrote it down somewhere...). The walls/floor/ceiling that aren't barred are cavern wall, whatever that is, but without a burrow speed, I'm reasonably certain that digging isn't a viable direct escape route, although if he can't break the bars(he probably could if I found DCs for them), he can probably dig them out of their joints.

[KillianHawkeye]

If his strength is as high as you say, he can probably break anything goblins are capable of making in a cave (WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS), given enough time.

EDIT: Bending iron bars has a Strength check DC of 24. Bursting rope bonds has a DC of 23. (see here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm#breakingItems))

Also, if he can shift into a larger form, he gets a bonus on the check (+4 for Large size), so he can definitely do it within a couple of tries. You might even rule that going into hybrid form might automatically bust the ropes, depending on how they're tied.

Don't forget the cell is designed to hold goblins. It doesn't even have to be well constructed to do that.

[holywhippet]

What is the knot tied to? Entire body? Can he shapeshift to slip free withouth breaking the bonds?

Given the damage reduction of a werewolf means smacking into things won't really hurt - he could probably bull rush the bars in wolf form until one gets dislodged.

[Godskook]

Alright, so now all I need to do is wait for a time when the PCs aren't close and he's got decent HP to break him out.

[Big Fau]

He has a Cone of Slime that deals acid damage. Even if it's once/day, depending on the damage that's all he would need.

[Flame of Anor]

He has a Cone of Slime that deals acid damage. Even if it's once/day, depending on the damage that's all he would need.

Get it on the bars and on his ropes, too.