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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 2743675" data-attributes="member: 2011">The DMG states that Pinned is "Held immobile (but not helpless) in a grapple."You are in a grapple (i.e. you are wrestling or whatever), but you are not able to do the grapple actions if you are immobile."On your turn, you can try to escape the pin by making an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you want, but this requires a standard action. If you win, you escape the pin, but you’re still grappling."A pinning character can do that. A pinned character cannot.There is no condition in the DMG called Pinning. However, we must look at the sentences:"Once you've pinned an opponent, he's at your mercy. However, you don't have the freedom of action that you did while grappling."Since a pinned character is still grappling (according to the DMG) and the pinning character is still wrestling, this sentence must refer to the "grappling list of actions" and not whether the pinning character is grappling or not.Lowering spell resistance is a standard action, but only for harmless spells (PHB 177). Hence, it can only be done on your turn.This means that you cannot do a Cure Light Wounds on an unconscious Drow without first making the spell resistance roll.This also means that you cannot Teleport a conscious Drow, even if he attempts to lower his Spell Resistance, without first making the spell resistance roll.Entering a Rage "takes no time at all". It is a choice to do something (or not).Hence, it is a "not an action" action since free actions consume a small amount of time and "not an action" actions do not.It is still an action though.This is interesting.She can accidentally gaze you. But, she cannot intentionally gaze you while grappling or pinned.Seems like a dichotomy.She also cannot "veil her eyes" (MM page 310) to prevent herself from accidentally gazing you (unless you are stating that this is a "not an action" action as opposed to a free action or unless you are stating that free actions are allowed).Many of these are "not an action" actions. They are still actions. The "not an action" action is still listed under the section Action Types.You have just made an entire list of actions that you say are allowed while grappling, but are not on the list:1) All "Not an action" actions that can occur due to other actions occurring while grappling. For example, making a saving throw if an opponent casts a spell at you.Let's look at free actions. Are there some free actions that you can do while pinned? I suspect you might say no because they are not on the "grappling list".For example:1) Drop a weapon or item.2) Drop prone.3) Cease Concentration on a spell (even though Table 8-2 states that it is a free action and page 176 states that it is a not an action, I assume the text takes precendence?).4) Speak (if your opponent does not stop you with his pin).According to the "not on the grappling list" theory, none of these would be allowed with the possible exception of the (third one in the text and) the last one which is implied by the sentence: "At your option, you can prevent a pinned opponent from speaking." In other words, if you do not take the option, he can perform the free action of speaking while pinned.According to this, all grappling is also done while standing unless one opponent or the other somehow trips the other opponent, presumably before the grapple starts.According to you, Special Attacks are not on the list (just like Gaze Attacks are not on the list), hence, Tripping is not allowed (unless it is a "not an action" action as part of another attack like in the case of a Wolf). And since Free Actions are also not allowed, no going prone to pull down your opponent.Or, are Free Actions allowed after all?No Turning. No Two Weapon Fighting (unless you are claiming that this is just another type of light weapon attack). No Mounted Combat (assuming your opponent gets up and grapples you on your horse).No Breath Weapon by a Dragon (assuming you are large enough to grapple the Dragon).No Blinking by a Blink Dog.Grappling appears to be very powerful if it can stop all of this.Now, here is where it gets tricky. Pinning only lasts for a round.The moment your turn comes up again, you are no longer pinning your opponent.So, you have to have a BAB of 6 or higher in order to do any of the "If You're Pinning an Opponent" actions (with the exception of the voluntary release which can be done even at BAB 0). First, you have to re-pin the opponent. Second, you can do one of those other actions.All in all, I think the pinning only lasts one round rule is a bad rule, regardless of how you rule other actions while grappling or pinned. If one character is pinned and has about the same skill, he gets two times as many actions to break out as his opponent gets to keep him in (i.e. he gets to attempt an escape on his turn and auto-escapes the pin after one round where his opponent must use up an action to put him back in the pin).</blockquote>

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