New Combat Action: Cling (Updated, v 1.1)

[cmbarona]

Forked from: Brutal Fencer (A Fighter Build)

How would you like to ride the Tarrasque?

While discussing a grab & stab fighting style, I remembered a delightful comic from DM of the Rings. Link here: Twenty Sided » Blog Archive » DM of the Rings CXXII:Xtreme Moves

What if there were some way to duplicate what Legolas does in the Return of the King movie to kill that rampaging Oliphaunt? What about those deliciously epic battles in Shadow of the Colossus?

How about a halfling who wants to take down an ogre in similar fashion?

So, I'd like to make a houserule to offer such an action to anyone. Here are some of the basics I'm working with (the text is largely adapted from the "Grab" action text). If it seems powerful, well, it’s meant to be. I want people to use this every now and then. Please give me plenty of feedback!


Cling
You grab hold of a creature bodily and hang on for dear life. The creature you cling to can attempt to shake you off or grab you on its turn.

CLING: STANDARD ACTION

• Target: You can attempt to cling onto a creature that is at least two size categories larger than you. The creature must be within melee reach (don't count extra reach from a weapon). Special: at DM discretion, targets may also include creatures of smaller sizes, e.g., a wild horse being broken in.
• Attack: Make an Athletics check vs. Reflex. Do not add any weapon modifiers. You must have at least one hand free to make a cling attempt.
• Hit: The enemy grants you combat advantage. You do not flank the enemy. The enemy can only attack you with melee powers if you are in an adjacent square. If the enemy moves, you automatically shift to the same position relative to the enemy. The enemy can attempt to shake you off or grab you on its turn.
• Sustaining a Cling: You sustain a cling as a minor action. You may end the cling as a free action.
• Ending a Cling: Whenever the cling ends, you may treat it as a fall; whether or not it is treated as a fall, and if so the exact height, is at the DM's discretion. If you end the cling in the same square as the enemy, you are prone.
• Effects that End a Cling: If you are affected by a condition that prevents you from taking opportunity actions (such as dazed, stunned, surprised, or unconscious), the cling ends. If a pull, a push, or a slide moves you out of reach of the enemy, or would move you through another square through which you cannot move, the cling ends and you end in the last legal square.

CLIMB: MOVE ACTION
You may climb on the enemy as per the rules under the Athletics skill, with the following exceptions:

• Empty-handed: You may only climb while empty-handed. You may still make unarmed attacks.
• DC: Enemy’s Reflex, modified appropriately by the situation.
• Combat Advantage: You do not grant combat advantage to the clung enemy.
• Move Through Enemy’s Space: You may move through the enemy's space. You may end your turn in the enemy's space.
• Shift: You may shift instead of move with the climb action.
• Reach: You may not move out of your own melee reach (don't count extra reach from a weapon) before ending the cling.

Opportunity Attacks: You do not provoke opportunity attacks from the enemy to which you are clinging. If the enemy moves, you do not provoke opportunity attacks from adjacent enemies as it shifts you. However, if you move out of a square adjacent to a different enemy, that enemy can make an opportunity attack against you.

 

[cmbarona]

Grab: If you are within one square of being adjacent (creatures with Threatening Reach may increase this distance accordingly), the enemy may attempt to grab you as a standard action. If this is successful, the enemy may move you to an adjacent square of its choice. From here, the enemy may also end the grab (which also ends the cling) and throw (push) you a number of squares equal to its strength modifier. If the enemy chooses to maintain the grab, you may attempt to escape from the grab without ending the cling. If you attack and hit while still grabbed, both the grab and the cling end.

Shake them off: The enemy may attempt to shake you off. The enemy makes an Escape check. If successful, the enemy may shift you one square. They may shift you up to two squares away from them; if they do so, the cling ends.

 

[cmbarona]

One last bump for any feedback.

 

[Kisanji Arael]

There's definitely a precedent within the genre for something like this. But I would say that, rather than setting this up as a Strength check, have it based on the climb skill. It's easy; you're not even climbing!

....Although, you do have to deal with all that green fur and your climb bar going down anyway.

 

[cmbarona]

Hmm... maybe I should put in a few white lizard tails as consumable items?

 

[dammitbiscuit]

Great stuff. Planning to use it.

 

[iwatt]

Very nice. if it's cool, I think I'll use it for my True20/Pathfinder hybrid

 

[Garthanos]

There's definitely a precedent within the genre for something like this. But I would say that, rather than setting this up as a Strength check, have it based on the climb skill. It's easy; you're not even climbing!

....Although, you do have to deal with all that green fur and your climb bar going down anyway.

I like this thinking, though riding also comes to mind... riding as breaking a wild beast type riding.

 

[cmbarona]

Updated some of the rules. In particular:

• The attack is now a climb check, not a Strength attack. I'm curious to see how that plays out.
• You only do not grant combat advantage to the clung enemy, period. No armed/unarmed distinction.
• Enemy's grab reach is reduced.
• Shaking off only shifts 1 square. I figured between the shake (move) and grab (standard), all enemies can try to spend a full turn to get rid of you, unless they're 5x5 or bigger.

I think that was it. It took me a while to realize I should have posted a list of changes, so I hope I remembered them all.

Any thoughts on enemy teleportation? I can see some complicated stuff coming from it if I'm not careful, especially if the enemy teleports to a square and the clinger is still in its space. Perhaps that should make the clinger prone as per normal cling-ending rules?

 

[Sadrik]

SHould be Athletics skill not climb.