Run Away

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During every combat adventure you have the option to run away. If successful, you will escape the fight. The penalty, however, is that you do not receive any of the stats, loot or Meat you would have received at the end of that adventure, though you do get to keep items gained before then, such as from Pickpocket. Running away typically takes an adventure, but not always; see the chance of free runaways, below.

When running away, any Meat gained during the battle (such as from a meat vortex or Cocoabo activation) is forfeited, with the message:

In your hurry to get away, you drop all the Meat you gained during the fight!

You lose some Meat.

Failing to escape will give the enemy a free chance to attack, and you will not be able to perform any other actions that round. Furthermore, familiars will not be able to attack or otherwise act.

The percentage chance of running away is

( 100 + Player Initiative Modifiers - Monster Initiative )

• Successful attempt to run away:

You run away, like a little coward.

• Failed attempt to run away:

You attempt to run away like a little coward, but you don't quite make it.

• Running away from a possessed silverware drawer will also result in the following once per ascension:

As you run out the door of the Haunted Kitchen, a butcherknife flies out of the drawer and sticks in the doorjamb next to you. You grab it as you flee.

You acquire an item: shiny butcherknife

• Running away when on The Sea Floor with antique greaves equipped will also result in the following:

As you're trying to get away, you sink in the silty muck on the sea floor. You manage to get yourself unmired, but your greaves seem to have gotten instantly rusty in the process...

You acquire an item: rusty metal greaves

Escape modifiers

Several items and factors in the game aid in escaping.

Note: The "Free Runaway" chance is the chance that, on a successful use, you do not lose an adventure. This mostly applies to equipment and familiars which have a limited number/chance of free runaways, but which will still guarantee a runaway.

Some combat items can be used to guarantee a free runaway and give turns of the unremovable Everything Looks Green effect; these items won't successfully be used if Everything Looks Green is on cooldown.

Source	Type	Free runaway?	Turns banned	Notes
Baleful Howl	Skill	100%	Until rollover	Only available while under the Dark Gyffte challenge path. Limit of 10 casts per day.
ball	Combat item
bargain flash powder	Combat item	No
buckyball	Combat item
cocktail napkin	Combat item	100%	20	Works against clingy pirates only.
Curse of Vacation	Skill		Until rollover	Only available while Actually Ed the Undying.
Creepy Grin	Skill	100%	10	Can be cast once per day while wearing a V for Vivala mask
crystal skull	Combat item		20
divine champagne popper	Combat item	100%	5
Ensorcel	Skill	100%		Only available while under the Dark Gyffte challenge path. Limit of 3 casts per day. Does not work against group monsters or bosses.
Entangling Noodles	Skill			100% chance to flee while opponent is entangled.
fancy dress ball	Combat item
Feel Hatred	Skill	100%	50	Can be used 3 times per day
fish-oil smoke bomb	Combat item	100%		Can only be obtained/used by Accordion Thieves
French slippers	Accessory			100% chance to flee while worn.
Frumious Bandersnatch	Familiar	100% (limited per day)		Only when starting combat with Ode to Booze. Can only be used if the number of Bandersnatch runaways for that day is less than or equal to 1/5th of the Bandersnatch's weight that round (turn?). Uses the same counter as the Pair of Stomping Boots.
giant eraser	Combat item	100%		Only available while under the KOLHS challenge path.
glob of Blank-Out	Combat item	100%		Consumed after five uses.
golden plastic oyster egg	Combat item	???		Either a free runaway or ???
GOTO	Combat item	100%		Gives 50 turns of Everything Looks Green when successful.
Greatest American Pants	Pants	100/80/50/20%		Fleeing always succeeds. Chance of free runaway decreases every three free runaways a day, stacking with navel ring and peppermint parasol.
green smoke bomb	Combat item	100%		Gives 25 turns of Everything Looks Green when successful.
Give Your Opponent the Stinkeye	Skill	100%	10	Can be cast once per day while wearing a stinky cheese eye
Harold's bell	Combat item		20
Louder Than Bomb	Combat Item	100%	20	A successful use of this item is always a free runaway.
Tennis ball	Combat Item	100%	30
Mer-kin pinkslip	Combat item	100%		Works against Mer-kin enemies only.
navel ring of navel gazing	Accessory	100/80/50/20%		Fleeing always succeeds. Chance of free runaway decreases every three free runaways a day, stacking with Greatest American Pants and peppermint parasol.
Pair of Stomping Boots	Familiar	100% (limited per day)		Can only be used if the number of Boots runaways for that day is less than or equal to 1/5th of the Boots' weight that round (turn?). Uses the same counter as the Frumious Bandersnatch.
peppermint parasol	Combat item	100/80/50/20%		Fleeing always succeeds. Chance of free runaway decreases every three free runaways a day, stacking with Greatest American Pants and navel ring of navel gazing. Consumed upon its 10th use (regardless of how many days)
short writ of habeas corpus	Combat item	100%		Works against Hidden City pygmy enemies only. Gives 20 turns of Everything Looks Green when successful.
Snokebomb	Skill	100%	30	Can be cast 3 times per day.
Summon Mayfly Swarm	Skill	100%		Limit of 30 uses per day. Must have mayfly bait necklace equipped Works against Hole in the Sky monsters, giving a star or line Works against certain 8-Bit monsters, giving a pixel Works against the BASIC Elemental, bugged bugbear, swarm of killer bees, and whiny pirate
Superhero Reboots	Accessory			100% chance to flee while worn (apparently)
T.U.R.D.S. Key	Combat item	100%		Gives 20 turns of Everything Looks Green when used against Ghosts, or 60 turns when successful otherwise.
tattered scrap of paper	Combat item	100%		100% chance of success when used. Gives 40 turns of Everything Looks Green when successful.
test case	Accessory			All Attributes +100% Maximum HP/MP +10,000 +10,000% Item Drops from Monsters +10 Monster Level Grants 10 Adventures of Aykrophobia at Rollover A custom item for Jick
Throw Latte on Opponent	Skill	100%	30	Must have the latte lovers member's mug equipped Can be used 4 times per day
windicle	Combat item	100%		Works in PirateRealm only, once per island Decreases the number of fights on the current island by 3
Winifred's whistle	Combat item	100%	?	Also banishes for ? turns.
wumpus-hair bolo	Combat item	100%		50% chance of success when used.

Notes

• Running away from a monster that initiates multiple combats (e.g., the Naughty Sorceress or Ed the Undying) will force you to start again at the first form.
• Running away from a monster with 0 initiative is always successful.
• Running away 100 times qualifies you for the Brave Sir Robin trophy. Running away with the navel ring or French slippers equipped does not count toward this trophy. Items which end combat do not count towards this trophy either.
• Free runaways do not decrease banish timers.
• Free runaways always fail in BIG!, with the message:

Unfortunately, you're too Big to get away particularly quickly. It's less "running" away than "lumbering" away.

• If you are Jick you can flee with a 100% success rate. The game will display:

Nothing can stop you from running away, you own the place!

• Sometimes, if you have trouble defeating a monster, there might be a method of insta-kill available as an alternative to running away.

History

• Before January 7, 2014, running away did not forfeit Meat gained during the battle.
• Before January 2nd, 2024, using Standard-legal combat items did not give turns of Everything Looks Green.

See Also

• Combat Initiative