D&D 5E How would you handle this prone + grappled + grappled by another

[auburn2]

Ok so here is the situation, my party is strategizing how to take down a medusa without getting stoned. We quit the last session in the middle of conversation with the Medusa. Her face is covered with two henchmen holding a tapestry while we talk to her about the tapestry. She is also hexed with disadvantage on dex checks by the rogue (she does not know this) and the rogue, fighter and henchmen are all under a bless spell. We will get to initiate combat and here is our plan:

1. Fighter will initiate combat and knocks Medusa prone, using AS if necessary. She attacks Medusa with AS if she gets her prone on the first try. Anyone ahead of her in initiative uses ready action.
2. Cleric casts command-grovel to get Medusa prone if the fighter fails twice.
3. Rogue takes the sword from Medusa's scabbard. I assume I will need a dex check of some sort here. If he wins initiative he will do this via ready action triggering when she is prone
4. Bigby's grasping hand to grapple her, again if the mage wins initiative he will do it by ready action once she is prone

5. That is all pretty straightforward, but here is what I am wondering about - We are going to have one of the the henchmen take the tapestry they are currently showing her, jump on top of her head and hold the tapestry over her head with her in a headlock (headlock on the outside of the tapestry). Second henchman holding tapestry "helps" the first. So what would this be a second grapple check with advantage because of help?

After all that is done (hopefully in the first round) the fighter and rogue are going to pound her to bits with bludgening weapons to avoid cutting the tapestry while bigbys hand continues to grapple and the henchmen continue to hold her in a headlock with the tapestry covering her head. Cleric uses actions to heal the henchmen who will probably get bit by snakes repeatedly.

Does this sound like a viable plan? How would you adjudicate #5 above?

 

[Tonguez]

I’d allow it, especially as you’ve put in the effort to come up with a team play.

usually I’d consider the headlock to be grapple at disadvantage but since she’s already prone and pre-grappled that balances out and the help gives advantage

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Ok, so you worked this plan out while in the middle of a conversation with the Medusa? And she didn't mind that you were discussing how to take her down?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Scrum!

 

[Coroc]

Ok, so you worked this plan out while in the middle of a conversation with the Medusa? And she didn't mind that you were discussing how to take her down?

Yea and the henchmen were willingly agreeing to serve as bait ?

ROFL

 

[Oofta]

A lot of this is up to your DM, but the problems I see:

• You cannot ready an action outside of combat.
• I would rule that taking someone's sword is a disarm attempt, which is an optional combat option in the DMG (page 271 under Dungeon Master's Workshop/Combat Options).
• Not sure I following the whole tapestry thing. They have to tear down the tapestry and then wrap it round her head? And then hold it? That seems like it would take at least a couple of actions and ... I dunno. How do you wrap a tapestry around just the head with someone that's fighting you? How big is the tapestry?
• In general, unless the spell states otherwise (such as some of the scrying spells) a target of a spell knows they've been targeted.

So it's completely up to your DM and their style of play. By a strict reading of the rules I don't see how it would work for the reasons stated above, but I'm not your DM. You know your DM better than I do though, it's up to them so you may want to clarify how some things will work.

Best way to avoid being stoned by a medusa in my games is to simply avoid their gaze and not look at them. Doesn't stop any of the grapples, which could still be useful.

 

[Umbran]

A lot of this is up to your DM, but the problems I see:

• You cannot ready an action outside of combat.

You don't need to. You have a plan between characters for what they will do when initiative is rolled - "Joe, so you know, I'm going to wait and be ready to attack after you've grappled her."

There's a great question as to whether the PCs have had a chance to communicate this plan. The players can talk, the characters, maybe not?

[*]I would rule that taking someone's sword is a disarm attempt, which is an optional combat option in the DMG (page 271 under Dungeon Master's Workshop/Combat Options).

If the medusa beats them all in initiative, and draws the sword, yes. Removing it from her scabbard if she hasn't drawn it? That's more like a slight-of-hand in combat, I think - not much different from grabbing something from a pocket or pouch.

[*]Not sure I following the whole tapestry thing. They have to tear down the tapestry and then wrap it round her head? And then hold it? That seems like it would take at least a couple of actions and ... I dunno. How do you wrap a tapestry around just the head with someone that's fighting you? How big is the tapestry?

It sounds like the henchman already have it in hand, as a way to have what starts as a civil conversation with someone you can't look at. The fight should probably actually start with the henchmen grappling to get the tapestry over the medusa's head, followed by the fighter's grapple, followed by the rest of the party.

[*]In general, unless the spell states otherwise (such as some of the scrying spells) a target of a spell knows they've been targeted.

Not strictly true in 5e: "Unless a spell has a perceptible effect, a creature might not know it was targeted by a spell at all. An effect like crackling lightning is obvious, but a more subtle effect, such as an attempt to read a creature’s thoughts, typically goes unnoticed, unless a spell says otherwise."

 

[Tonguez]

Not sure I following the whole tapestry thing. They have to tear down the tapestry and then wrap it round her head? And then hold it? That seems like it would take at least a couple of actions and ... I dunno. How do you wrap a tapestry around just the head with someone that's fighting you? How big is the tapestry?.

OP: Her face is covered with two henchmen holding a tapestry

So it looks like the henchmen are holding the edges of a peice of cloth between them, so assume thick cloth but of a size and weight that a person can carry easily (I’d assume its essentially a blanket(?)).

I also assume that once the Medusa is prone one henchmen while still holding the tapestry will essentially dive on top of the medusa, thus dropping the tapestry on her head/shoulders and the grapple attempt will be to try and hold the tapestry in place so her face remains covered.

 

[Oofta]

OP: Her face is covered with two henchmen holding a tapestry

So it looks like the henchmen are holding the edges of a peice of cloth between them, so assume thick cloth but of a size and weight that a person can carry easily (I’d assume its essentially a blanket(?)).

I also assume that once the Medusa is prone one henchmen while still holding the tapestry will essentially dive on top of the medusa, thus dropping the tapestry on her head/shoulders and the grapple attempt will be to try and hold the tapestry in place so her face remains covered.

Just to be clear - I'm not saying the plan can't work. But it's a lot of improvised actions and different DMs are going to handle that kind of thing differently.

 

[Aldarc]

Ok so here is the situation, my party is strategizing how to take down a medusa without getting stoned.

Don't inhale?