Grapple- with a grappling hook!

[Quidam]

We were fighting a large skeleton last night and at one point one of the players had got his rope & grappling hook to effect an escape. His turn came up again and, rather than setting the line for climbing, he decided he wanted to throw it at the skeleton and try to pull him down.

Our immediate response was 'uh.. no- the game mechanics don't really support that' which evolved into ruling it a trip attack with an improvised weapon. The penalties associated with that were enough to deter his idea.

We all felt it was a creative idea, though, and felt bad for quashing it. How would you rule it?

 

[darthkilmor]

We were fighting a large skeleton last night and at one point one of the players had got his rope & grappling hook to effect an escape. His turn came up again and, rather than setting the line for climbing, he decided he wanted to throw it at the skeleton and try to pull him down.

Our immediate response was 'uh.. no- the game mechanics don't really support that' which evolved into ruling it a trip attack with an improvised weapon. The penalties associated with that were enough to deter his idea.

We all felt it was a creative idea, though, and felt bad for quashing it. How would you rule it?

Improvised weapon ranged attack vs touch AC and if hit an opposed strength check to pull down ?

 

[azhrei_fje]

Skeletons move really slow, right? Have your buddy hold one end of the rope and you hold the other. Then run around the skeleton until it's been looped around the ankles by the rope. Now pull really hard to tighten the rope. It should fall over pretty quickly.

I think darthkilmor's solution is fine.

 

[Aestolia]

Skeletons move really slow, right?

You may be thinking of Zombies... Skeletons move at the same speed as the base creature, and automatically get improved initiative.

 

[mvincent]

We were fighting a large skeleton last night and at one point one of the players had got his rope & grappling hook to effect an escape. His turn came up again and, rather than setting the line for climbing, he decided he wanted to throw it at the skeleton and try to pull him down.

Our immediate response was 'uh.. no- the game mechanics don't really support that' which evolved into ruling it a trip attack with an improvised weapon. The penalties associated with that were enough to deter his idea.

We all felt it was a creative idea, though, and felt bad for quashing it. How would you rule it?

Trip with an Improvised whip or spiked chain. Even with the improvised penalty, a large skeleton shouldn't have a very high touch AC (and there would be no penalty on the opposed strength roll). Plus, I typically give a +2 circumstance bonus to any manuever that seems cool.

 

[Gaiden]

I have no basis for this ruling, it just comes from common sense and experience:

roll ranged touch attack with improvised weapon that has a +2 circumstances bonus to the attack (come on - grappling hook into a skeleton, that has to be the easiest latching onto I've ever heard of with that rib cage exposed like that).

Roll opposed str checks (in this case, it is your str vs. the skeletons, no other abilities are applicable). If you win the opposed check you have two options: you can treat the attack as a reversed bullrush pulling the skeleton towards you 5' +5' for every 5 you beat the roll. Alternatively, you can have the skeleton roll a dex check, DC = to your 1st str check or be tripped.

Now this ignores called shots. I would allow a called shot to the legs for a ranged trip attempt (called shot would be above ranged touch attack at -4 to hit).

 

[Thurbane]

It works in Empire!