D&D 5E Grapple action resolution

[cthulhu42]

I'm currently running a module wherein one of the encounters is with a pair of giants in a torture chamber. There's an iron maiden and a well in the chamber. The entry for the encounter states that the giants will attempt to grapple their enemies and either chuck them into the iron maiden, slamming the door shut and locking them in, doing x amount of damage. OR, they will grapple and attempt to throw enemies into the 90' deep well.

How does this work in practice?

Can a giant grapple, move, and toss a foe into the maiden or well on a single turn, or would it be split up, like, Turn 1: grapple and move to the iron maiden or well, and then, Turn 2: toss the enemy in.

Would there be any other attack rolls involved other than the grapple?

 

[jaelis]

I would make it take two turns.

 

[5ekyu]

Barring specific rules in giants statblock or encounter note for iron maiden.

Grapple is an attack.
Move while grappling is difficult iirc so half speed but that may also be tied to encumbrance drag etc.

"Throw" into iron maiden likely is more "shove" into iron maiden would seem to need to be contested rolls athletic vs athletics or acrobatics as a shove.

So depending on distance, numbers of attacks, decision of "stuff" as "shove" it could easily be two or more turns.

Sent from my [device_name] using EN World mobile app

 

[jasper]

I know the encounter. I would handle two ways.
1. If the giant is within 10 feet. First swing is grapple. Second swing is tossing them into the maiden. Shutting is free.
2. More than 10 feet. Grapple and move to iron maiden. Second round if the evil granny killing murdering druid still grappled toss him in.

 

[iserith]

Basic Rules, page 74, covers both situations. Here's the pit-drop:

"When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a grapple. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them."

"Moving a Grappled Creature. When you move, you can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved, unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you."

"The condition specifies the things that end it, and you can release the target whenever you like (no action required)."

And here's the iron maiden push:

"Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee attack to shove a creature, either to knock it prone or push it away from you. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them."

When setting up the scene, I recommend having the giant(s) say something about desiring to throw the PCs into the pit or into the iron maiden. Perhaps in Giant as a nod to those PCs which took that language. That will give them a heads up for what is likely coming, giving them a chance to thwart the giant's goals outside of the opposed ability check when it comes up.

 

[jaelis]

Just to say, I'd argue that pushing a creature into a well (or an iron maiden) is different from moving or pushing them to the area occupied by the well (or maiden). IMO if you are trying to do something that specific, you need to take an action to do it.

That said, if it is a giant-sized well with an opening that's like 5 ft across, I'd probably be OK with a move or shove to push you in. I suppose I might say the same if it is a giant-sized maiden, but in that case I'm not sure the maiden would actually hurt you.

 

[Hriston]

Monsters don't always follow the same grapple rules as PCs. I'd be curious to know if there's a rider in one of the actions in the giants' stat block that says the target is grappled on a hit. If not, the normal grapple rules should be used. The giants use their action to make a STR (Athletics) check contested by either a STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) check from the target. Once grappled, and assuming the giants are huge and the target is medium or small, the target can be moved either into position over the well or into the iron maiden without any penalty to the giant's speed. The giant can then release the target at will, either causing the target to plummet into the well, or closing and locking the door of the iron maiden with its free object interaction. In any case, this can all be completed in the giant's turn as long as it has enough movement.

 

[cthulhu42]

Cool. Thanks for the replies. Dunno how I missed that grapple rule in the book. Thanks for pointing it out.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using EN World mobile app

 

[Satyrn]

When setting up the scene, I recommend having the giant(s) say something about desiring to throw the PCs into the pit or into the iron maiden. Perhaps in Giant as a nod to those PCs which took that language. That will give them a heads up for what is likely coming, giving them a chance to thwart the giant's goals outside of the opposed ability check when it comes up.

I'd like to think that if I was running this, after Giant1 grappled the PC I'd have him at a loss as to what to do, so he just holds him and punches him for a round. Then at the end of that round, Giant2 suggests "hey, just toss him into the pit."

 

[iserith]

Monsters don't always follow the same grapple rules as PCs. I'd be curious to know if there's a rider in one of the actions in the giants' stat block that says the target is grappled on a hit. If not, the normal grapple rules should be used. The giants use their action to make a STR (Athletics) check contested by either a STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) check from the target. Once grappled, and assuming the giants are huge and the target is medium or small, the target can be moved either into position over the well or into the iron maiden without any penalty to the giant's speed. The giant can then release the target at will, either causing the target to plummet into the well, or closing and locking the door of the iron maiden with its free object interaction. In any case, this can all be completed in the giant's turn as long as it has enough movement.

The DM could always modify that stat block to have a melee attack start a grapple on a hit like a lot of monsters do, then set an escape DC. Give it a big golden buckle on a wide leather belt plus a luchador mask to telegraph its abilities.