Help with escaping

[Primehunter74]

Hi, just another person on another forum with another problem.

I'm writing a campaign for a game club that I plan on DMing in within the next year. I've gotten most of it worked out, things planned, created, ect. and I have come to a problem: I have a reacurring villain, and I can't think of how to let him escape!

He is a 4th level half-dragon human cleric of Tiamat. Not going too in depth of what he's supposed to do but at this point he's supposed to steal an ancient battleaxe that was used to defeat some great evil that the PC's wont find out about for a bit yet and return it to his employers. The people whom he works for wish to destroy it and bring back this great evil and use it to become powerful (which, as we all know, never works.)

The first time the PC's fight him is in burial chamber of the dwarven hero who weilded the axe, and I can't seem to find a way for him to get out. I can't just do a secret door in the wall that conveniently takes him to the surface or anything like that, it's just a tomb. Also, being low level, he doesn't get any "poof, I'm gone" spells, and dimension door is out of the picure because he's a cleric.

I could maybe give him a higher level item that would allow him to escape, as the people who hired him are much higher level and the cost fo such an item would be nothing compared to what the would gain.

Any suggestions?

Edit: Sorry if what I say makes no sense or is confusing, I'm not very good at explaining things like this.

[Aroka]

Two entrances/exits in the room, minions to cover a retreat.

Otherwise, put the encounter outside the tomb.

[Sir_Elderberry]

He works for higher powers? They teleport him out, via custom ritual.

[Aroka]

Oh, also, don't make it a combat encounter at all. If your campaign can't endure the NPC being killed or captured at this point, you need to avoid a fight entirely - otherwise you'll end up having to railroad the players.

Basically, any time you put the PCs in a fight against someone or something, you have to assume the PCs will find some way to win, because players can be damnably clever.

[Primehunter74]

I'm trying to have him be discovered inside the tomb, going outside complicates things. And having two entrances/exits doesn' make sense. Would you put two entrances into your tomb? Would you want it to be easy for omeone to get out after they raided your tomb and stole presious belongings fo yours?

Edit: I guess I could have him custom-tele out. It would irritate the PC's to no end, which would help with a few things, and makes it easier to take them to the next part of the adventure.

[Aroka]

You're insisting on creating a scenario in which the obvious and most likely outcome is the PCs defeating the NPC. The only way out is, by definition, going to be railroading/deus ex machina.

So just roll with it. He has a scroll or wand or wondrous item with teleport, dimension door, or word of recall in it. I'd suggest invisibility, too, but that's too easy to thwart. Maybe gaseous form? That one's low-level.

[Primehunter74]

Is gaseous form a cleric spell? Just wondering, and I only ask cuz I'm too lazy to check.

[SilentDragoon]

Maybe mundane means? Tanglefoot Bags plus his preexisting knowledge of any traps from his entry? Some form of smoke bombs or spray acid/fire (can't remember item names)? I actually don't see the problem unless the tomb is a simple linear dead end, having the layout shaped like a p or something with the burial mound/casket/what have you located at the very top would mean 2 entrances/exits to the room but still only one to the tomb.

[Primehunter74]

The only problem with gaseous form is, he's a cleric so he wont be able to use it (unless I'm forgetting some rule.)

[Math_Mage]

He jumps onto a particular square near the rear of the room and...appears to sink into the floor! Make a Will save and a Listen check.
*Makes*
You realize that the floor there is actually an illusion covering a hole. Looking in, you see it disappear into inky depths. You hear a great deal of inarticulate roaring and hissing, and realize that there must be a great many beasts down there...a long way down there.

Add a Ring of Feather Fall for maximum verisimilitude.

[Aroka]

The only problem with gaseous form is, he's a cleric so he wont be able to use it (unless I'm forgetting some rule.)

That's why you put it in a wondrous item, possibly one-use.

[Optimystik]

Give him a scroll of Word of Recall, and fudge the CL check to activate it successfully. (He's likely to succeed anyway.)

[Primehunter74]

He jumps onto a particular square near the rear of the room and...appears to sink into the floor! Make a Will save and a Listen check.
*Makes*
You realize that the floor there is actually an illusion covering a hole. Looking in, you see it disappear into inky depths. You hear a great deal of inarticulate roaring and hissing, and realize that there must be a great many beasts down there...a long way down there.

Add a Ring of Feather Fall for maximum verisimilitude.

That would work, if there weren't already another part of the tomb down there that the PC's (and the villain)aren't supposed to discover til later.

Word of recall might work.

[Magdela]

How about this, the PCs enter the room and make a spot check to see the villain.

Fail, move on to listen checks.

Fail, villain escapes in the most cowardly way possible and the PCs are all saying WTF that a cleric just made successful hide and move silently checks. Then ran out the tomb.

That's one far-flung option.
or

Another is that he casts. sanctuary on himself and walks out. (if I recall it stops people from attacking you, but you can't attack back, but it still lets you move) Once he's out, minions. Pack a few healing potions, cause he can get hit once by each of the PCs.

or

The half dragon cleric suddenly gains 2 levels. Casts stone shape, traps the PCs with only 1 way out, the long way. While the cleric takes the second door. (I'm using the P layout mentioned earlier)

And you are the DM, so who says he HAS to be 4th level?

[Primehunter74]

I dont know why he's fourth level. My original plan was to have him fight the PC's and teleport out just before death. Also, I don't think the PC's will fail seeing him when there's blood on the floor, he's waving a dwarven head around, and there's nothing to hide behind.

[Magdela]

I dont know why he's fourth level. My original plan was to have him fight the PC's and teleport out just before death. Also, I don't think the PC's will fail seeing him when there's blood on the floor, he's waving a dwarven head around, and there's nothing to hide behind.

...it's really really dark in the tomb?

Still, how about the Sanctuary idea?

[Primehunter74]

Sanctuary sounds good. I also just remembered that, because a half dragon has darkvision 60ft., I can have the burial chamber of the tomb be dark! Also, most of his minions are in other parts of the tomb, most will be killed on the way through the tomb, just wanted to point that out.

Well alright guys, thanks for the help, I think I have an idea of what to do now.

[Aroka]

I dont know why he's fourth level. My original plan was to have him fight the PC's and teleport out just before death. Also, I don't think the PC's will fail seeing him when there's blood on the floor, he's waving a dwarven head around, and there's nothing to hide behind.

This sort of plan is very bad. Unless you've got teleport on contingency or something, you can't ever be sure the villain would get an action between "okay" and "way dead". This is why you need to assume the PCs will do whatever would be most inconvenient, in order to design a big plot that still works. (Also why sandboxes or open environments work better than a rigidly scripted series of events.)

Edit: Sanctuary has a Will save. Unless you plan on cheating, you've got to assume the PCs will make it (and some probably will).

[Lev]

Mod it so they have a fair chance, either that or don't complain about railroading if you're trying to do that anyway.

If they get the item have a cult chase them, good times.

[Math_Mage]

Mod it so they have a fair chance, either that or don't complain about railroading if you're trying to do that anyway.

If they get the item have a cult chase them, good times.

Agreed. It's never bad for your cleric to have planned an escape route or last-gasp "OH SH-" measure, but there's no guarantee of its 100% effectiveness. If the party beats the cleric, give them a little time trying to figure out what's up with the weapon. Go through some of the same plot exposition motions you were probably planning to go through already. Then, have the late cleric's employers send someone else to claim the weapon.