Grappling

[Azul]

Grappling has started becoming a popular tactic IMC recently and I've realized that I'm a big fuzzy on what exactly one can do when grappled, so I thought I'd turn to this forum for answers.

What are the exact consequences of succeeding a grapple check?

What are the options of someone who has been successfully grappled? Can they act at a penalty or are they stuck trying to break the grapple?

I've looked over the PHB rules and frankly, I feel a touch unclear. Is the pin an automatic result of a grapple or does that require a second round of grappling?

 

[Ranger REG]

First off, you need to initiate a grapple first. That includes making a successful touch attack followed by winning an opposed grapple check. This assume the opponent could not make a successful AoO. All that occurs on the first grapple attack.

Once you're in grappling mode, then you can attempt to pin your opponent. This is also an attack, but instead of making an attack roll, you simply make an opposed grapple check. If you succeed, your opponent is pinned and he cannot do anything on his turn except to escape the pin. Any remaining attacks in that round and your following turns can go toward inflicting damage.

 

[AuraSeer]

What are the options of someone who has been successfully grappled? Can they act at a penalty or are they stuck trying to break the grapple?

He's pretty much stuck. A grappled character is busy wrestling his opponent and can't do much else; he cannot move, fire missiles, or attempt complicated actions. Things he can do are:

• Make one or more grapple checks, either to get free, or to pin/damage the opponent
• Make an escape artist check to get free
• Attack with a light weapon in hand (including a natural weapon)
• Cast a spell (but only if it has no somatic component, and any material components are already in hand, and he succeeds in a Concentration check)

A grappled character also does not threaten an area, so he cannot make attacks of opportunity.

A pinned character is held immobile, and cannot act at all. IMC he can still cast spells with only a V component (with a Concentration check), but I'm not sure that's quite allowed under the rules.

 

[Azul]

Thanks for the clarifications, guys!