Choke Hold?

[0-hr]

The choke hold feat (from Oriental Adventures) says " If you pin your opponent while grappling and maintain the pin for 1 full round, at the end of the round, your opponent must make a Fortitude saving throw or fall unconsious for 1d3 rounds."

My question is about that "1 full round". Does that mean that the victim never gets a chance to break the hold?

For example, say a monk grapples and pins his opponent (an orc) on his turn. By my understanding, "1 full round" would mean that the monk had to keep the orc pinned until just before the monk's turn next round (like when you cast a summoning spell, the monster shows up right before your next turn starts). But, coincidentaly, that is also how long a pin lasts. Since the orc is pinned, he cannot do anything. So the only chance of the pin being broken is through some outside intervention.

Is that correct? Balance-wise, that seems fine to me since the knockout only last 1-3 rounds and this feat requires Improved Grapple as a pre-req. But I wanted to make sure since my understanding of grapples is tenative at best.

 

[jonrog1]

The Orc is pinned, but the only thing he can do with his attacks on his turn is attempt to escape the pin - reverting his status to just grappling. That's why Choke Hold makes you maintain the pin, not just the hold.

 

[Brekki]

The victim does get a chance to escape the pin, because he has actions between the monk's Pin and the monk's initiative in the next round.

 

[durath]

choke hold

The above posters are correct.

Lets say the monk in your example had won initiative. If on his turn in the round he pins the orc that means that the orc will go next. On the orcs turn his only option in the grapple would be to try and escape the pin. If he does the monk has not maintained the pin and the orc is not subject to the choke hold.

If the orc does not break the pin then he has to make that fortitude save the next round. It may sound like it is easy to maintian a pin on someone but when characters start getting iterative attacks it gets a lot more difficult.

Also, don't discount the seriousness of choke hold rendering someone unconscious. When you choke someone out they are helpless, which means you could perform a coup de grace on them.

 

[Stalker0]

Curious, what's the DC for that fort save?

For a monk who bulds around grappling, that's a damn powerful feat if the fort save is high.

 

[Brekki]

The Fort DC for choke hold : 10 + 1/2 level + Wis mod. Since most using characters are monks with high Wis scores, this is a high DC, especially when uses vs enemy casters.

 

[Stalker0]

The Fort DC for choke hold : 10 + 1/2 level + Wis mod. Since most using characters are monks with high Wis scores, this is a high DC, especially when uses vs enemy casters.

That could get ugly for a lot of characters really fast.

Your out.

Next round, your dead.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Considering the fact that it's strangling someone to unconsciousness (nay, CHOKING someone to unconsciousness) in 6 seconds, I'd really feel justified in banning it and simply use the rule regarding chokes from d20 modern.

 

[hong]

That could get ugly for a lot of characters really fast.

Your out.

Next round, your dead.

However, the monk is likely not to have a very great grapple check (BAB + Str mod), and any smart spellcaster is going to want to stay out of grapples anyway.

 

[Stalker0]

However, the monk is likely not to have a very great grapple check (BAB + Str mod), and any smart spellcaster is going to want to stay out of grapples anyway.

I believe OA gives a lot of powerful ways to increase grappling (it may not, been awhiel since I used that book), and with a monk's speed, it could be hard for a spellcaster to avoid the grapple.