Grappling with a Spiked Chain

[Omegaxicor]

I know you can't use a spiked chain IN a grapple, but if you can trip an opponent by wrapping the chain around their leg can you grapple them by wrapping the chain around either the neck or the body or whatever, obviously this would be harder to do with enemies larger than the character (and only high-strength characters would even try)

I think maybe the player has seen God of War too much but his idea seems like it might work, thoughts? (other than "Ban the guy cos he wants to be Kratos" which I will ignore)

 

[Sekhmet]

RAW: No.
Fun: Yeah, sure. Makes the Spiked Chain even better (which isn't necessary at all), but if the rest of the group is fine with it, that sounds like a lot of fun.
He's right, if it can trip a person by wrapping around their legs, it can grapple them by wrapping around their torso.

 

[Dandu]

I'd be perfectly fine with someone fluffing their grapple attempt as including the spiked chain.

 

[Omegaxicor]

[MENTION=85158]Dandu[/MENTION] it isn't really fluff, it's a mechanical benefit of range

 

[Wyvernhand]

Scorpion Grasp is a feat from Sandstorm which KINDA does what you want. It only works with light weapons though. Despite it's finesseable nature, a Spiked Chain is not light. It WOULD work with a Kusiri-Gama, however. Scorpion's Grasp functioned exactly identical to Improved Grab, pulling your foe into your square, which gives you a very Scorpionesque feel if you've ever played or heard of Mortal Combat.

 

[Marcolino]

RAW, as you point out, doesn't allow it in a grapple, and they don't allow it to start a grapple, either, as far as I know.

If you wanted to allow it, I'd suggest treating it as a rope, perhaps, or maybe a touch attack with penalties for trying to "hit" such a specific location.

 

[Empirate]

The Dragon Chain is a really obscure weapon from the Red Hand of Doom campaign. It not only can be used in a grapple, it allows you to constrict the victim! Quite handy in a grappling build.

 

[Omegaxicor]

The Dragon Chain is a really obscure weapon from the Red Hand of Doom campaign. It not only can be used in a grapple, it allows you to constrict the victim! Quite handy in a grappling build.

More info? (stats, location, limitations)

Scorpion Grasp is a feat from Sandstorm which KINDA does what you want. It only works with light weapons though. Despite it's finesseable nature, a Spiked Chain is not light. It WOULD work with a Kusiri-Gama, however. Scorpion's Grasp functioned exactly identical to Improved Grab, pulling your foe into your square, which gives you a very Scorpionesque feel if you've ever played or heard of Mortal Combat.

not quite, the one I found says you have to grapple with a melee weapon (hence you can't grapple from 10" away)

 

[Empirate]

Dragon Chain (Red Hand of Doom, p. 126)

Exotic, two-handed, 1d6, 19-20/x2, bludgeoning, 10 lb., 50 gp.

Can be used to trip or disarm (but no bonus on the latter, so strange they mentioned it). Normal grapple checks can be made using the weapon, no free hand is needed (I would assume normal grapple damage to be equal to weapon damage then?). The weapon deals Constrict damage of 1d8 + 1.5 Str bonus, and provides a +2 bonus on grapple checks made to damage the opponent.

 

[Omegaxicor]

I like the sound of that one, even if it falls a bit short of what I was after...

Still a good weapon

I think though I have found something that I can edit in the rules. The Improved Grab ability seems like it has the answer "The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents" becomes "The wielder has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or use the weapon to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it can take a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but can grapple from 10" away" (is 10" a one tile gap in between the target and the wielder?)

thoughts?