Does attacking in a grapple require a grapple check?

[Agamon]

When attacking an opponent that you are grappling with a light weapon, do you first need to succeed in a grapple check? I thought no, my new DM says yes, and the SRD doesn't say one way or another:

Attack Your Opponent: You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling. You take a –4 penalty on such attacks. You can’t attack with two weapons while grappling, even if both are light weapons.

Other options say, "You don’t have to make a successful grapple check to..." or "You can...by winning an opposed grapple check."

Is there a consensus?

 

[shilsen]

Your DM is incorrect. The options during grapples which need grapple checks to carry out are specifically noted as such. This one has no such requirement listed, so it needs no grapple check.

 

[Pielorinho]

Not only is this correct, this is vital. Grappling rules are already a gamekiller IMO: medium-sized PCs who get grappled by huge or larger opponents have virtually no chance of doing anything useful unless they have one of a very small set of options (light weapon, dimension door, or a wand already in their hands). If you require a grapple check for someone holding a light weapon, you make fighter-types completely useless once they're grappled, which means that a large number of monsters should forego their attacks in favor of attempting to grapple, which makes them, IMO, less interesting opponents.

Daniel

 

[Agamon]

Exatcly what I thought, and how I've DMed it myself for years. Just wish they'd have added, "You don’t have to make a successful grapple check" to it, because it's not as obvious as I had thought.

 

[shilsen]

Exatcly what I thought, and how I've DMed it myself for years. Just wish they'd have added, "You don’t have to make a successful grapple check" to it, because it's not as obvious as I had thought.

Well, since they add "You need a grapple check" to the ones that do, it should be fairly clear. Apparently not to your new DM, however

 

[Legildur]

Being grappled by something outrageously large is probably my fighter's largest fear. Consequently, whenever the party faces up against something like that he'll often draw a dagger in his off-hand just so that he has a light weapon available, rather than relying on having to make a grapple check in order to draw it. Usual fighting style is longsword and buckler and the free hand often comes in useful.

And I concur that you can attack (at a -4 penalty) with a light/natural weapon or unarmed strike whilst grappled without needing to win a grapple check to do so.

 

[Sejs]

Consequently, whenever the party faces up against something like that he'll often draw a dagger in his off-hand just so that he has a light weapon available, rather than relying on having to make a grapple check in order to draw it.

Kukri or hand axe. *nod*

Also useful if you ever get swallowed.

Now that they're martial instead of exotic, kukri are a very good In Case of Emergency, Break Glass type weapon. Keen kukri doubly so.

 

[Legildur]

Now that they're martial instead of exotic, kukri are a very good In Case of Emergency, Break Glass type weapon. Keen kukri doubly so.

<grin> Probably so, but my character carries two +3 daggers he found (but never uses) and has a 22 Strength, so he'll just have to make do with one of those....