Helping with a Grapple

[frankthedm]

Courana's friend, Elrond, str 14, dashes up and wants to help free Courana. Now, a straight reading of the grapple rules tells me he could attempt an opposed grapple check, where, if successful, he would free Courana. But, with +4 grapple vs an Owlbear (Large, +14 grapple), this seems ill-advised.

No. You cannot pull someone else out of grapple. Nothing in the grapple rules allows for that. {other than that really good 'aid another' suggestion]

At best you'd be using your friend like a tug of war rope, causing more damage. Yanking an friend of a sharp set of claws is not going to be safe.

I'd allow this to pull an ally out of grapple. I use the same rules when 2 improved grabbers fight over a victim.

1. Touch willing ally who is in grapple.

2. Oppose grapple checks with monster

3. Loser causes unarmed strike / improved grab appendage's damage to the ally as both sides grab and pull victim. {If you are not pulling hard enough to harm your ally, you are not pulling hard enough to pull him out of the grapple. If you do pull your ally out of the grapple, you've just torn them off a set of very sharp claws.]

4. Winner now has victim.

 

[frankthedm]

From a strict interpretation of the rules, the owlbear's turn is over once he succeeds with the grab. He should not get the extra two attacks. He could have chosen to attack twice for damage, then attempt the improved grab with his last claw attack to maximize his potential. Whether an owlbear has the intelligence to do that is another can of worms.

[imagel]http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1272/grabbingyourattentiondy2.th.gif[/imagel]Not over at all!, If it loses a claw attack and its bite attack, that means it has it's move action left and can move away from the pack of its prey to avoid reprisal.