Caster tactics to escape grappling

[Maximillian]

Try playing a gnome wizard... these guys have a sign on their back that says "Grapple me, Ogre... and while you're at it, you've got six levels of fighter, so go ahead and take that -20 penalty and just hold on to me with one arm, then start swinging at everyone else."

10th level Gnome wizard with a 9 Strength has a grappple bonus of +0. His escape artist may be better, but that ogre mentioned above has around a +18.

 

[Soldarin]

The Assassin's Handbook has Fast Escape, a 1st level Assassin spell that grants you a +30 to Escape Artist checks. Verbal component only (still need the DC 21 Concentration check, though). The Shadow Mage PrC (same book) grants your wizard access to the assassin spell list.

 

[Dash Dannigan]

Silent Spell those verbal-only dimension door and teleport spells so you don't have to make that concentration check in the grapple. Just cast it and goodbye grapple.

 

[Bauglir]

Unfortunately, and someone be sure to correct me if I am wrong, as long as the weight limit for dimension door or teleport are not exceeded, it applies to any willing person touched. So as I understand these spells, the hostile grappler may have the option of traveling with the caster, and continue to maintain the grapple.

No - the teleporter decides who to bring. Someone grappling him doesn't automatically get a free ride.

 

[Dash Dannigan]

Though if the grappler IS a foolishly willing target, heh, won't the grappler be surprised when they appear several hundred feet above the ground falling, only to watch the caster wink and disappear...

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Silent Spell those verbal-only dimension door and teleport spells so you don't have to make that concentration check in the grapple. Just cast it and goodbye grapple.

You actually need to make 2 Concentration checks: one to avoid provoking an AoO by casting Defensively (DC = 15 + spell lvl) and one to get a spell off during a grapple (DC = 15 + spell lvl).

A spell with no verbal, somatic, material, or focus component still has one component: concentration. It is the intense mental focus for spellcasting which requires Concentration skill checks under duress, not the magical mutterings and have wavings.

In fact, somewhere in the core rules it flat out states that the concentration required to cast a spell is recognizable to all observers as spell casting -- even to nonspellcasters.

 

[AuraSeer]

Ridley's Cohort is right about spells with no components.

I'm not sure about casting defensively, though. I think it won't usually be necessary, because a grappling combatant doesn't threaten an area. (That is, you're not considered threatened by the dragon who snatched you. As long as there's no other baddie within reach, you needn't worry about AoO.)

Or have I missed something?

 

[reapersaurus]

Try playing a gnome wizard... these guys have a sign on their back that says "Grapple me, Ogre... and while you're at it, you've got six levels of fighter, so go ahead and take that -20 penalty and just hold on to me with one arm, then start swinging at everyone else."

Be glad they didn't start swinging YOU at everyone else....

There's a monstrous feat somewhere that does that.
The "Halfling Club" or something...

 

[Pooka]

Be glad they didn't start swinging YOU at everyone else....

There's a monstrous feat somewhere that does that.
The "Halfling Club" or something...

Oh no ! Thats rude !!!!