Earth's Embrace drives me insane

[GlassJaw]

I find the Earth's Embrace feat (from Complete Warrior) to be one of the most poorly worded feats ever. I fully understand the grappling rules and I'm planning to make a grappler character for an upcoming campaign bit I have never been able to comprehend what the intention is for Earth's Embrace.

Earth's Embrace essentially gives you an extra 1d12 damage while you maintain a pin.

Now I've always interpreted that to mean that if you pin your opponent and maintain that pin for a full round (i.e. your opponent doesn't break the pin before the start of your next turn), then you do an extra 1d12 damage ON TOP OF whatever other damage you may inflict from normal grapple checks. This makes EE a marginal feat at best as 1d12 extra damage gets increasingly less useful as your go up in level.

However, I've also heard interpretations of EE that you do an extra 1d12 damage EVERY TIME you successfully damage your opponent while they are pinned. This makes EE substantially more powerful.

I've heard other versions as well that I can't even remember. Can anyone shed some light on Earth's Embrace?!

 

[Aaron2]

However, I've also heard interpretations of EE that you do an extra 1d12 damage EVERY TIME you successfully damage your opponent while they are pinned. This makes EE substantially more powerful.

I can't see how anyone would be able to arrive at this interpretation. However, I do think "Earth's Embrace" is probably the stupidest name they could have come up with. It would be better as "Choke Hold" and combined with other minor bonuses into one Tactical feat.


Aaron

 

[GlassJaw]

Well that's all well and good but it doesn't really help me figure out the feat. :\

I just realized I posted this in House Rules instead of D&D Rules though. Oops.

 

[Aaron2]

Well that's all well and good but it doesn't really help me figure out the feat.

Your first interpretation was correct. The text of the feat specifically says "1d12 point of damage each round" not per attack. So, its an extra 1d12 point of damage in addition to whatever damage you cause through the normal course of grappling.

You were also correct in that it is pretty weak


Aaron

 

[GlassJaw]

Thanks. You'd be surprised how many times and in how many boards I've asked about EE and never got a clear explanation.

It's funny because I'm working on a grappler character and other than Improved Grapple, there just aren't that many good grappling feats: Earth's Embrace, Clever Wrestling, Close Quarters Fighting. I don't think I'll be taking any of them. CW and CQF both deal with trying to escape from a grapple. I don't want to escape from a grapple! Shame really.

 

[Aaron2]

It's funny because I'm working on a grappler character and other than Improved Grapple, there just aren't that many good grappling feats: Earth's Embrace, Clever Wrestling, Close Quarters Fighting. I don't think I'll be taking any of them. CW and CQF both deal with trying to escape from a grapple. I don't want to escape from a grapple! Shame really.

To make a good grapple character, you really need something like Improved Grab that lets you start a grapple without AoOs. I don't know of any offhand.


Aaron

 

[Corlon]

hmm, I never used EE from complete warrior, I always used it in Rokugan. It seems to be a better feat (dealing critical damage every round you keep the pin).

And choke hold is another feat in there that allows you to knock out people by keeping them pinned and having them make fortitude saves.


There are a lot of good monkish grappling feats in Rokugan (oriental adventures).

 

[GlassJaw]

There are a lot of good monkish grappling feats in Rokugan (oriental adventures).

Yeah, and a lot of them got nerfed in Complete Warrior.

 

[Corlon]

Yeah, and a lot of them got nerfed in Complete Warrior.

I guess it pays to stay behind the most current books

But seriously, if you think some of the grappling feats are too weak, then you can always buff them up a bit or make up new ones requiring those "weak" feats that does better things.

As long as the DM thinks it's balanced (or if you're the DM, your choice) then use it.