Grappling tweak

[redkobold]

Looking for thoughts and input concerning Grappling for 5e.

I want it to work better for monks or at least a monk or any other character that takes the Grappler Feat.

There are a couple of ways I could do this and am looking for input.

Option 1
For the monk Martial Arts change to the following

When you use the Attack action with an unarmed
strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make
one unarmed strike or grapple as a bonus action. For example, if
you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff,
you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus
action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus
action this turn.

Option 2
If a monk grapples, that still qualifies for any of their features that are allowed with an Attack Action. So then with Martial Arts and Flurry of Blows a monk could grapple and then strike an opponent.

Option 3
Modify the Grappler feat to allow the character's grapple action to still qualify for any class feature that is allowed with an Attack Action.

Thoughts? Unforseen problems?

 

[locke411]

Grappling can be powerful in 5e. Is this necessary?

 

[Xeviat]

I thought grapple was already traded for an attack? The monk can grapple with their main and extra or flurry with their bonus.

 

[redkobold]

For rules as written, grapple can be done instead of an Attack but it is not an Attack action so cannot be followed up with the bonus action attack or Flurry of Blows. That is the tweak I want to make.

 

[ExploderWizard]

For rules as written, grapple can be done instead of an Attack but it is not an Attack action so cannot be followed up with the bonus action attack or Flurry of Blows. That is the tweak I want to make.

The grappling rules on p195 of the PHB says that a grapple uses the attack action to make a special melee attack. Further it says that if you are capable of making multiple attacks, a grapple replaces one of them.

The martial arts ability of the monk is more specific about what can be done. A bonus unarmed strike is granted when you use the attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn.

thus monks can grapple like anyone else but unless its really important to prevent movement, it will be a sub-optimal choice because the bonus action unarmed strike will be given up.

EDIT: a monk of level 5 or higher can strike once, which triggers the bonus martial arts attack and then grapple with attack # 2.

 

[redkobold]

Thanks. I am still mulling the rules. They do not seem as clear to me as I would like them to be. I know how I will rule when I am DM but I want to feel confident about how to discuss when I am a player.

What do you think about the following...?

I want my low level monk to be able to grapple an opponent as his primary attack with the Martial Arts ability and then be able to do his bonus unarmed strike.

I am not sure the rules allow this. I will be adding a post-it note in my PHB saying:

A bonus unarmed strike is granted when you use the attack action with an unarmed strike, grapple, or a monk weapon on your turn.

 

[77IM]

That sounds fine, as does your option #2 in the first post. I've played a monk in a game where that was the ruling (it was ruled that grappling is an attack with an unarmed strike, just not a damaging one) and it wasn't overpowered at all. In fact, usually I'd fail to grapple (since Str was not my high stat) and then say "damn, I should have just punched." On the rare occasion when it worked, my grand strategy was... drag the victim at half-speed over to where the fighter and rogue were murderizing everyone.