Elder-Basilisk said:
Grapple a caster who is prepared for a grapple? -1+ rounds (1+ because said caster cannot take actions after dimension dooring out (the usual escape mechanism) thus precluding the use of a quickened spell that round.
Grapple a psion who is prepared for a grapple? -0 rounds. The psion just manifests brain lock or energy ball as if he weren't grappled with the concentration check. Then he manifests a swift action power and his other half manifests another power through schism (or whatever it's called).
So the psion has up a bunch of powers and is going to be blasted by his own energy ball? How is this a valid comparison again?
The wizard can have an appropriate rod in hand ahead of time and not worry much about it. Maybe he will have up a contingency that works whenever he is in certain situations, or says a certain word. Perhaps he has an item that will help with this situation (ring of freedom of movement, cape of the mountebak, or any of a hundred others).
Both will be grappled, both will have to make the concentration check. The psion will be able to manifest his powers without having to worry about a somatic component, the wizard should have something preped ahead of time for just this sort of situation.
I really dont see a huge bonus here. One still has to worry but with enough ranks in concentration he'll be able to be almost as effective before. Strangely the wizard is in almost the same boat. Enough ranks in concentration and some minor planning ahead of time.
Easy enough. Once again, it is just like a fighter type who completely ignores a mode of combat.
Anyway, lets look at how grapple works.
1st: Aoo provoked. If this deals any damage at all then the grapple attempt fails. This can be gotten around by spending a feat.
2nd: Melee touch attack. There are many spells and protective items to make this sort of thing more difficult. Fighter types will generally be able to make this pretty easily, but it is still an important step (worried about grapples? be displaced, blinking, blured, mirror imaged, phased, whatever.. have a high touch attack AC through whatever means, generally a good idea for a caster type anyway, these are general defenses to help out their poor hp, so none of this is out of order)
3rd: Hold. Opposed grapple checks as a free action. It is even possible for the caster to win at this (athough highly unlikely). Or with a few spells/items they can be incredibly resistant, or even immune (if you are 2 or more size categories above the grappler then you automatically succeed vs them).
4th: maintain. This requires more grapple checks later on, but initially you have to move into your opponents space. In other words, if the caster is mounted then likely you cannot enter a grapple with them. If they are flying and the grappler is not then it is probably a dm call. If they are some sort of form that the grappler cannot get all the way up against (in the same square) then the grapple fails.
Now, at this point it can still be foiled by a simple ring of freedom of movement or a few other items/spells.
Then, we get down to actually doing the grappling (assuming everything went well for the grappler). This is likely a much slower way to kill the opponent, although it does potentially take one member out of combat (they are still able to do things however, even then). It also takes the grappler out as well.
So, even once all of this has occured, all it does vs the mage is make him unable to use some spells. Say that this particular mage is dumb and has no plan for this sort of thing (as is evident from failing everything above as well and he rolls poorly). Effectively he will take some damage, but the rest of his party gets to do bad things to the grappler, so this means that less spells are used by the wizard potentially, less damage is caused to him overall, and in the end it was actually a worse option than just beating him up with the sword a good portion of the time (not always).
This is why I dont see it as being a very big bonus. It isnt a great strategy most of the time to begin with, there are a dozen easy ways to become resistant/immune (and several more difficult to do the same), and, in the end, all it does is save some of the casters spells so that he can actually do more in later battles that day.
Woo.
So, for a fairly lackluster option, psions are slightly better off because they still have most of their options open even if pinned. Of course there are so many other things that are going on here that most of the time it just isnt a good option to grapple someone to begin with. Also, for those few times when it does happen if the caster does not have a thought in mind then he, again, deserves to die. Just like the fighter type who completely ignores a mode of combat (what do you mean I cant charge the guy 20' up and 200' away? how come he keeps on hitting me every round?).
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