Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 6637280" data-attributes="member: 6669384">Normally if a creature grapples a PC, it uses all of its arms,whatever.&nbsp; Both opponents are considered &quot;Grappled&quot;, and occupy the same square.Being &quot;grappled&quot; by someone comes with a lot of baggage, in terms of dex bonus, spell casting, and what if any weapons you can use.&nbsp; If a creature, such as the four-tentacled thing suggested above, decides to hold the opponent at arm's length then it takes a -20 to its check, but is not considered &quot;grappled&quot; by the creature it's grappling.&nbsp; That means it can draw and use weapons or magic items, can prepare spell components and cast spells without the Concentration check normally required (base DC 20 + spell level + damage taken from the Grapple is the standard, per RAW.)&nbsp; It retains full DEX bonus to AC and keeps its full threat range.Consider the king of grapples, the Kraken (MM pp162).&nbsp;&nbsp; It has a Grapple check of +44, due to size, strength and feats.If it decides to put its full attention onto one opponent, pull it in close and hold on with everything it's got, that +44 is nigh irresistible.&nbsp; That, however, leaves it fully occupied and vulnerable to the attacks of the rest of the party.So it decides to hold on with just one Gargantuan tentacle.&nbsp; The Grapple drops by 20 to a more sane +24, but it's now free to swim away, fight other opponents or use its spell-like abilities.A +24 is still pretty awesome, but a PC of appropriate level could still escape, on a good roll.Be aware, of course, of the difference between Improved Grab and Improved Grapple.Improved Grab lets creatures who hit normally initiate a Grapple as part of the attack.Improved Grapple allows creatures to initiate a Grapple as a Touch Attack, without provoking AoO, and gain a +4 bonus on the Grapple check.One is a &quot;Special Ability&quot; of some creatures, the other is a Feat available to PCs.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 6637280, member: 6669384"] Normally if a creature grapples a PC, it uses all of its arms,whatever. Both opponents are considered "Grappled", and occupy the same square. Being "grappled" by someone comes with a lot of baggage, in terms of dex bonus, spell casting, and what if any weapons you can use. If a creature, such as the four-tentacled thing suggested above, decides to hold the opponent at arm's length then it takes a -20 to its check, but is not considered "grappled" by the creature it's grappling. That means it can draw and use weapons or magic items, can prepare spell components and cast spells without the Concentration check normally required (base DC 20 + spell level + damage taken from the Grapple is the standard, per RAW.) It retains full DEX bonus to AC and keeps its full threat range. Consider the king of grapples, the Kraken (MM pp162). It has a Grapple check of +44, due to size, strength and feats. If it decides to put its full attention onto one opponent, pull it in close and hold on with everything it's got, that +44 is nigh irresistible. That, however, leaves it fully occupied and vulnerable to the attacks of the rest of the party. So it decides to hold on with just one Gargantuan tentacle. The Grapple drops by 20 to a more sane +24, but it's now free to swim away, fight other opponents or use its spell-like abilities. A +24 is still pretty awesome, but a PC of appropriate level could still escape, on a good roll. Be aware, of course, of the difference between Improved Grab and Improved Grapple. Improved Grab lets creatures who hit normally initiate a Grapple as part of the attack. Improved Grapple allows creatures to initiate a Grapple as a Touch Attack, without provoking AoO, and gain a +4 bonus on the Grapple check. One is a "Special Ability" of some creatures, the other is a Feat available to PCs. [/QUOTE]

Verification