Grappling question

[Amazing Mumford]

Okay, our group does pretty well with Grapple rules, the Rules Compendium helps out well and for the most part streamlines the process. Here's my question, not covered in the Rules Compendium (or PHB, from what we could find...)-- what happens when a monster with Improved Grab chooses to let go of a grappled PC? Say, for example, an owlbear has a ranger PC in a grapple, but then other PC's come up to the owlbear to take a few swings at it, now denied it's Dex. The owlbear now wants to let go of the ranger PC in order to attack the other PC's now around it-- which it can't do while grappling the ranger PC I believe. What happens? Does the ranger PC remain in the owlbear's space until his turn comes up? Or does the ranger PC get "shunted" to the space he was in before the grapple started, or just a random space around the owlbear? What kind of action is it to "let go of a grapple"?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Vegepygmy]

It's an "Escape from Grapple." Note that any creature with Improved Grab can also choose to take a -20 penalty on its grapple checks and be treated as if it is not grappling (which may be a quicker and more effective tactic than actually escaping from the grapple).

 

[Amazing Mumford]

So, Vegepygmy, if I read this correctly, Escape From A Grapple says:

If you escape, you finish the action by moving into any space adjacent to your opponent(s).

Now, Escape From A Grapple really refers to the grapplee, not the grappler-- but if you use it to apply to the grappler, does that mean that the grappler (in this case the owlbear letting go of the ranger) would have to move to an adjacent square of the ranger? Or would the ranger be "pushed" out of the owlbear's space into an adjacent space-- and if so, who chooses the space??

 

[Dross]

Now, Escape From A Grapple really refers to the grapplee, not the grappler-- but if you use it to apply to the grappler, does that mean that the grappler (in this case the owlbear letting go of the ranger) would have to move to an adjacent square of the ranger? Or would the ranger be "pushed" out of the owlbear's space into an adjacent space-- and if so, who chooses the space??

If it was me I'd say that the owlbear decides which square to drop the ranger in while it stayed in the same square. I doubt that it could drop the ranger in the same square as another PC.

As an aside, I'd also have the ranger make a balance check to stay on it's feet, although it would only be like DC10. Not by the rules AFAIK but fits with my sensibilities of being dropped and off balance.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Now, Escape From A Grapple really refers to the grapplee, not the grappler...

There is no such grappler/grapplee distinction. Regardless of whether you started the grapple or had it forced upon you, whether you are the superior grappler or a giant squid's dinner, you're just "in a grapple."

...but if you use it to apply to the grappler, does that mean that the grappler (in this case the owlbear letting go of the ranger) would have to move to an adjacent square of the ranger?

Yep. If the owlbear wants to move the ranger, it can use the Move (Grapple) action.

The description of Improved Grab in the Monster Manual indicates that a creature with Improved Grab "can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent)," which some have interpreted as meaning the creature need not make an opposed grapple check to do so, though it doesn't actually say that. The description of Improved Grab in the Rules Compendium does not include that wording, however.

 

[Wellby]

It seems clear to me that the Owlbear would a)escape from the grapple, and if successful, would be placed adj to the ranger. b) the owlbear would then use any remaining attacks against the newly arrived pcs.

Yes? The owlbear cannot 'choose' to end the grapple, but the Ranger PC may freely choose to 'fail' the opposed grapple check, thus automatically allowing the Owlbear to 'win' the escape from grapple.

Clear?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

We rule it that if both parties wish to let go, it takes no action to end a grapple. We also rule dropping a weapon / taking a hand off it is a free action, so the grapple ruling is basically just an extension of that. Even if you think it should take an action, it certainly shouldn't require a grapple check to escape if the other person doesn't want to keep you locked in the grapple, that's just silly.

Like someone else pointed out, the Owlbear can already take -20 to threaten other people and remain grappled for no real action cost. Why would it be HARDER to just let go?

I have no rules reference. This ruling comes more from common sense and wanting to keep the game simple.

 

[Vegepygmy]

We rule it that if both parties wish to let go, it takes no action to end a grapple.

For the record, I agree with this; it's just common sense. My previous answers assumed that the ranger wants to keep the owlbear in the grapple (probably for the same reasons the owlbear wants out).