: Re: Plot devices for the climax of an adventure story Setting aside the specifics of my particular plot for a moment, I have need of plot inspiration: how do I set up an escape from a death

@Miguel976

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Not knowing the mechanics of the trap itself, I would suggest looking at some real-life daring escapes and escapades, especially some of the head-scratchers. Look at some of the turn-of-the-century magicians (like Houdini) and some of their feats. Prison breaks (from actual prisons or war camps), jail breaks, cop car escapes... there are many in real life that had nothing to do with the ineptness of one side, instead luck and determination being the pros of the escapee. The McGuyver suggestion is a decent start, making something out of something else unrelated, but there are other ways. You can use a Con (Hero escapes by intellectually defeating a guard), a feint (play dead and overpower), a distraction (set something on fire, if plausible), or the Deus Ex Machina route (something extraordinary happens, and the Hero takes advantage of it.

Some ideas.

John Dillinger once escaped jail with soap crafted to resemble a gun, taking a guard hostage until he had access to a real gun.

James Earl Ray (MLK's killer) had outside help to help him scale the wall of his prison.

Edmon Dantes (Count of Monte Cristo) tunneled his way out of Castile d'If, which took him 5 years.

Sir Walter Reileigh made several escape attempts from the infamous Tower of London, including dressing himself up as a woman.

'Mexican Rally Runs' is a term for when Mexicans try to cross the border into America by stampeding it in the hundreds, guarenteeing that most will succeed.

Odysseus escaped an island with his crew by blinding the Cyclops that was threatening to eat them, taunting him all the while.

Patricia Hurst, kidnapped by an extremist group in the 70's, was forced to rob a bank. She avoided prosecution by saying that, despite being seen aiding the robbers, she was forced under duress to rob the bank, and was told that her gun was unloaded (which, in fact, it was loaded).

Harry Houdini regularly escaped straight-jackets and chains because he could dislocate his shoulders, and break out of 'inescapable' boxes by keeping a set of lockpicks secreted upon himself.

The Great Escape is actually based off a real WWII prisoner-of-war camp escape.

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