[Basic] Skill of the week: Escape

johndallman · 04-11-2015, 09:58 AM

Escape is the DX/H skill of slipping out of rope bonds, handcuffs, and similar restraints. The default is DX-6, and the quality of the restraints gives penalties: -5 for modern police handcuffs, making an escape from those impractical for untrained normal humans. Escape can have Techniques for commonly used restraints, and the example is Slip Handcuffs, B233. Escape also covers dislocating limbs to make getting out of restraints easier, although this is risky; improving it as a Technique is worthwhile if you plan to use it. Modifiers are +3 for Flexibility or +5 for Double-Jointed, and +1 per level of Slippery. Escape can also be used to get out of Binding attacks, and from rope bonds, on a Quick Contest of skill with Knot-Tying.

A first attempt at Escape takes a minute, and subsequent attempts each take 10 minutes: this looks like an excellent use for Extra Time on B346. Caravan to Ein Arris gives daily Escape rolls if the characters get caught by brigands and held for ransom. If we assume that's 30x as long for +5, that gives the characters DX-1 each, so somebody should manage it the first day. Of course, escaping from bonds has so much narrative convention entangled with it that it's hard to know what's realistic.

Escape shows up in templates for infiltrators and similar archetypes. Action has several modern kinds of restraints with their Escape penalties, plus use of Escape for getting through narrow spaces, and past razor wire. High-Tech, Low-Tech and Ultra-Tech all have details on restraints for their TLs. Horror has a stage magician template, and Magic has the Freedom spell, which aids Escape. Technical Grappling uses Escape to generate Control Points for attempts to get free from bonds and entangling weapons. Power-Ups volumes 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 all have examples for Escape. Chinese Elemental Powers has Taking the Narrow Passage for superhuman Escaping.

As a DX/Hard skill that often needs to be able to win contests or absorb substantial penalties, Escape seems to be a skill that only high-DX characters routinely buy, but Extra Time can make it worthwhile for the more average character.

I don't think I've ever used Escape in a game; I've always tried to avoid getting captured, since so many games are in settings where killing prisoners makes sense for the villains. The narrative conventions where getting captured is a good idea have always seemed like a fragile shield to me.

What Escapes have you managed?

Note: I skipped Erotic Art, since I have little to say about it.

04-11-2015, 09:58 AM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: Escape Escape is the DX/H skill of slipping out of rope bonds, handcuffs, and similar restraints. The default is DX-6, and the quality of the restraints gives penalties: -5 for modern police handcuffs, making an escape from those impractical for untrained normal humans. Escape can have Techniques for commonly used restraints, and the example is Slip Handcuffs, B233. Escape also covers dislocating limbs to make getting out of restraints easier, although this is risky; improving it as a Technique is worthwhile if you plan to use it. Modifiers are +3 for Flexibility or +5 for Double-Jointed, and +1 per level of Slippery. Escape can also be used to get out of Binding attacks, and from rope bonds, on a Quick Contest of skill with Knot-Tying. A first attempt at Escape takes a minute, and subsequent attempts each take 10 minutes: this looks like an excellent use for Extra Time on B346. *Caravan to Ein Arris* gives daily Escape rolls if the characters get caught by brigands and held for ransom. If we assume that's 30x as long for +5, that gives the characters DX-1 each, so somebody should manage it the first day. Of course, escaping from bonds has so much narrative convention entangled with it that it's hard to know what's realistic. Escape shows up in templates for infiltrators and similar archetypes. *Action* has several modern kinds of restraints with their Escape penalties, plus use of Escape for getting through narrow spaces, and past razor wire. *High-Tech, Low-Tech* and *Ultra-Tech* all have details on restraints for their TLs. *Horror* has a stage magician template, and *Magic* has the Freedom spell, which aids Escape. *Technical Grappling* uses Escape to generate Control Points for attempts to get free from bonds and entangling weapons. *Power-Ups* volumes 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 all have examples for Escape. *Chinese Elemental Powers* has Taking the Narrow Passage for superhuman Escaping. As a DX/Hard skill that often needs to be able to win contests or absorb substantial penalties, Escape seems to be a skill that only high-DX characters routinely buy, but Extra Time can make it worthwhile for the more average character. I don't think I've ever used Escape in a game; I've always tried to avoid getting captured, since so many games are in settings where killing prisoners makes sense for the villains. The narrative conventions where getting captured is a good idea have always seemed like a fragile shield to me. What Escapes have you managed? Note: I skipped Erotic Art, since I have little to say about it.