D&D 5E hypothetical - a giant capturing downed pc's while rest of party fights on? rule for this

[Greenstone.Walker]

If that was the case the unconscious condition would not say attack rolls against the creature have advantage

Attacks still require a roll because the hit might not be effective through the unconscious creature's armour.

As to the original question, in my games, hungry undead (ghouls, ghasts, etc) will drag downed PCs off somewhere quiet to eat them. The first time I did this in-game, a couple of players looked at me with a shocked expression and said "you what?!". It was great. In one round, they went from "we got this" to "oh crap we could lose someone for real here!".

It led to a character death a little later where the party decided to split up across multiple levels of a mine when faced with more hungry undead. If I hadn't got the rules for bardic cutting words wrong then it would have been two character deaths. Hey, I warned them, "splitting the party is bad."

 

[BookBarbarian]

For exemple when people ask if you can attack or cast spell while grappled, you can since it doesn't specifically say you can't. What you say equal to saying they couldn't because the condition doesn't say so.

And here is the crux of the disagreement. Instead of asking "What can I do?" the players should be Describing what they do. Then the DM decides if the outcome is certain (a failure or success) or uncertain. If the outcome is uncertain the DM uses the rules to resolve the uncertainty.

Can the DM use the grappling rules for this circumstance? Sure.

Must the DM use the grappling rules for this circumstance? No, the DM is not bound to use them. This is the essence of rulings before rules.

 

[Plaguescarred]

So you'd give an unconscious person a standard roll in an arm wrestling contest? I mean, there's no penalty noted, right?

No i wouldn't even if the unconscious condition doesn't have any impact on ability checks

Can the DM use the grappling rules for this circumstance? Sure.

Must the DM use the grappling rules for this circumstance? No, the DM is not bound to use them. This is the essence of rulings before rules.

Indeed. I didn't say a DM had to do it neither i even said the opposite multiple times now!

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

No i wouldn't even if the unconscious condition doesn't have any impact on ability checks

But why not? It's an opposed athletics roll. If a coma patient can't win an arm wrestling contest after their pals prop up their arm, how are they possibly resisting being picked up by a giant?

 

[Plaguescarred]

But why not? It's an opposed athletics roll. If a coma patient can't win an arm wrestling contest after their pals prop up their arm, how are they possibly resisting being picked up by a giant?

Because it does't make sense to me

But since you ask, if i was to allow one and not the other i'd probably justify it by the fact that an arm wrestling is a contest made between two creatures consenting to oppose each other, while a grapple is usually a contest that one doesn't willingly choose to participate in.

 

[The_Hanged_Man]

I agree with the majority that picking up an inanimate object (which I consider unconscious PCs) does not require a roll. However, you still need to make attack rolls (see DMG 246-7) against inanimate objects as they have could have armor or some amount of hardness that prevents automatic damage.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Because it does't make sense to me

But since you ask, if i was to allow one and not the other i'd probably justify it by the fact that an arm wrestling is a contest made between two creatures consenting to oppose each other, while a grapple is usually a contest that one doesn't willingly choose to participate in.

What about a guy polymorphed into a sandwich? Do I need to roll to pick up the sandwich?

Also since an unconscious person can't give consent, I'd assume you'd force a grapple check if a PC wanted to move his dying ally, right?

 

[UnknownDyson]

Do your pcs have to roll grapple checks to pick up rocks?

 

[Plaguescarred]

What about a guy polymorphed into a sandwich? Do I need to roll to pick up the sandwich?

Polymorph let you transform into a beast, not sandwich, but it otherwise doesn't affect ability checks doesn't it?

Also since an unconscious person can't give consent, I'd assume you'd force a grapple check if a PC wanted to move his dying ally, right?

No i don't force PC to make grapple check to move a dying ally.

Do your pcs have to roll grapple checks to pick up rocks?

Since rocks are inanimate objects, not creature with ability scores, you don't need make grapple checks. No i don't force my PC to make grapple checks to pick ammunition from quiver to shoot them with their crossbow!


The unconscious condition doesn't say it affect ability checks or even your Dexterity modifier to AC for that matter some rule makes no sense just rule as you want!

 

[UnknownDyson]

It's rules as written vs rules as intended imo. I can see what you're saying, but an unconscious character can't make use of his/her ability scores. The only thing they can do is roll saving throws, and many of them automatically fail, fireball for instance. Mechanically the only thing that distinguishes the rock from the unconscious pc is that the pc is probably wearing armor. Plate armor will still protect you if the hill giant is trying to bludgeon you to death, but...... a grapple isn't an attack that results in damage. You can make an attack roll against a rock with your hammer, but no dm is going to tell you to make a grapple to pick it up.