silent mugging

[HandofMystra]

I notice that there is no way to silence an opponent during a grapple unless you pin them. Since you cannot pin until the second round of a grapple, there is no way to mug a straggler in a party without them shouting out.
To make this a possibility, I was thinking of modifying the grapple rules:
under Starting a Grapple, I want to change #3 from:

If you succeed, you and your target are now grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.

to If you succeed, you and your target are now grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike or you may choose to muffle your opponent, if it has (only one) mouth. If you muffle your opponent, they cannot shout out.
This begs the question of what is the DC of a listen check to hear a grapple initiation?

 

[Scribble]

Hrmm are you dead set on it being that way?

I think I would make it a feat or at least make it if you win by so many ranks...

To take into account people who are better at mugging then others...

 

[Notmousse]

Actually there's an Ambush feat that does something similar. Trade in some sneak attack and you silence your enemy for something like 3 rounds. Since you may damage on a grapple it's completely possible to 'mug' someone as you suggest.

 

[Quartz]

there is no way to mug a straggler in a party without them shouting out.

Sure you can: you do a normal attack, doing lethal or non-lethal damage as desired, and if they go below 0 HP, you got them. A Rogue's Sneak Attack, a Monk's Stunning Fist, and an Assassin's Death Attack all come in use here.

 

[HandofMystra]

The ambush feats don't really do it. The only silence you get is in exchange for 5d6 sneak attack. I don't think it is a very high level thing to silently mug someone if you have surprise. I am talking about during a surprise round stepping 5' out of hiding to grapple or charging to grapple. You give up unarmed damage on grapple initiation. Think how many times you have seen movies with weak parties taking out one straggler at a time.
I am not purposing a general silent attack, it is a silent capture. This could also be done to PCs. In fact, it opens the possibility of covertly kidnapping PCs which expands plot options.
I don't want to add a some kind of skill check because grapple is unwieldy enough without adding something else.

 

[DiceGolem]

If you're stepping 5' anyways, just make it a full attack. The first attack to start a grapple, the second to pin.

 

[Notmousse]

I was assuming you weren't happy with any of the options that Quartz mentioned, which are all valid and very well known options for oing just that. DiceGolem also mentioned another way to do such.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

The alternate way of getting there is using chloroform.

 

[Notmousse]

Or any poison what has damage of unconsciousness.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Surprise Round: grapple succesfully
Round 1: Win initiative and pin

Unfortunatley this is going to take some luck winning initiative so you can take them down before they can speak.