Kerrick
First Post
So, after noticing many many people listing the grapple system as one of the worst rules in d20, I decided to try to fix it. It wasn't all that hard, really; it took less than an hour, because all it needed, really, was some streamlining.
Basically, I revised the initial mechanic - it's not steps - and fixed the order of things - you have to actually make an attack before the defender gets an AoO. The size modifier was just silly - by the RAW, a dragon could grapple a fairy more easily than two fairies could grapple each other - and I added a section where something really small could grapple something really big but not do any real harm without a weapon - a human clinging to a dragon's back, for instance. The only other major change was attacking and dealing damage while in a grapple - those two are the same thing, since you automatically deal unarmed damage while grappling, so I combined them.
Note: I don't know how to do the Spoiler/hide thing, so I couldn't hide the parts that didn't get changed.
Grapple Checks: A grapple check is like a melee attack roll. Your attack bonus on a grapple check is: Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + size difference modifier. The size difference modifier for a grapple check is determined by comparing the sizes of the attacker and the target. For each size category in difference, the attacker suffers a -4 penalty. For example, a halfling (Small) trying to grapple an ogre (Large) would suffer a -8 penalty to his check. This modifier is used in place of the size modifiers for the attack roll.
Starting a Grapple: To start a grapple, you need to grab and hold your target. Starting a grapple requires a successful melee attack roll. If you get multiple attacks, you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times (at successively lower base attack bonuses).
Conducting a Grapple: In order to start a grapple, you must make a melee touch attack to grab the target. The target gets an attack of opportunity (certain monsters do not provoke attacks of opportunity when they attempt to grapple, nor do characters with the Improved Grapple feat); if it succeeds and deals damage, the grapple attempt fails. If the attack of opportunity misses or fails to deal damage, you are considered to be holding the target.
Once you have hold of the target, you can move into the target's space and make an opposed grapple check as a standard action on the next round. If you win, you and the target are grappling, and you deal damage damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike, unless the target is three or more size categories larger (in which case you are still grappling, but can't effectively deal damage with unarmed attacks). If the check fails, you still have hold of the target, but are not grappling it. In case of a tie, the combatant with the higher Strength modifier wins.
Moving into the target's space is considered to be a 5-foot step and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Grappling Consequences: While you’re grappling, your ability to attack others and defend yourself is limited, as follows:
You don’t threaten any squares while grappling.
You lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if you have one) against opponents you aren’t grappling. (You can still use it against opponents you are grappling.)
You can’t move normally while grappling unless you are three or more sizes larger than your opponent. You may, however, make an opposed grapple check (see below) to move while grappling.
Grappling Actions: When you are grappling (regardless of who started the grapple), you can perform any of the following actions. Some of these actions take the place of an attack (rather than being a standard action or a move action). If your base attack bonus allows you multiple attacks, you can attempt one of these actions in place of each of your attacks, but at successively lower base attack bonuses.
Attack Your Opponent: While grappling, you deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike (1d3 for Medium attackers, 1d2 for Small, plus Strength modifiers). In order to attack with a natural weapon or light weapon against a creature you are grappling, you must make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If the check succeeds, you deal damage normally. You can make only one such attack per round, regardless of the number of attacks you get normally. You take a –4 penalty on such attacks. You can’t attack with two weapons while grappling, even if both are light weapons.
Exception: Monks deal more damage on an unarmed strike than other characters, and the damage is lethal. However, they can choose to deal their damage as nonlethal damage when grappling without taking the usual –4 penalty for changing lethal damage to nonlethal damage.
Activate a Magic Item: You can activate a magic item, as long as the item doesn’t require a spell completion trigger. You don’t need to make a grapple check to activate the item.
Cast a Spell: You can attempt to cast a spell while grappling or even while pinned (see below), provided its casting time is no more than 1 standard action, it has no somatic component, and you have in hand any material components or focuses you might need. Any spell that requires precise and careful action is impossible to cast while grappling or being pinned. If the spell is one that you can cast while grappling, you must make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or lose the spell. You don’t have to make a successful grapple check to cast the spell.
Draw a Light Weapon: You can draw a light weapon as a move action with a successful grapple check.
Escape from Grapple: You can escape a grapple by winning an opposed grapple check in place of making an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you so desire, but this requires a standard action. If more than one opponent is grappling you, your grapple check result has to beat all their individual check results to escape. (Opponents don’t have to try to hold you if they don’t want to.) If you escape, you finish the action by moving into any space adjacent to your opponent(s).
Move: You can move half your speed (bringing all others engaged in the grapple with you) by winning an opposed grapple check. This requires a standard action, and you must beat all the other individual check results to move the grapple. If you are three or more sizes larger than your opponent, you can move up to your full speed (assuming you aren't encumbered by the extra weight), but you can't run.
Note: You get a +4 bonus on your grapple check to move a pinned opponent, but only if no one else is involved in the grapple.
Retrieve a Spell Component: You can produce a spell component from your pouch while grappling by using a full-round action. Doing so does not require a successful grapple check.
Pin Your Opponent: You can hold your opponent immobile for 1 round by winning an opposed grapple check (made in place of an attack). Once you have an opponent pinned, you have a few options available to you (see below).
Break Another’s Pin: If you are grappling an opponent who has another character pinned, you can make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If you win, you break the hold that the opponent has over the other character. The character is still grappling, but is no longer pinned.
Use Opponent’s Weapon: If your opponent is holding a light weapon, you can use it to attack him. Make an opposed grapple check (in place of an attack). If you win, make an attack roll with the weapon with a –4 penalty (doing this doesn’t require another action).
You don’t gain possession of the weapon by performing this action.
Pinning an Opponent: If you're pinning an opponent, you can attempt to damage your opponent with an opposed grapple check, you can attempt to use your opponent’s weapon against him, or you can attempt to move the grapple (all described above). At your option, you can prevent a pinned opponent from speaking.
You can use a disarm action to remove or grab away a well secured object worn by a pinned opponent, but he gets a +4 bonus on his roll to resist your attempt (see Disarm).
You may voluntarily release a pinned character as a free action; if you do so, you are no longer considered to be grappling that character (and vice versa), but the target gets an attack of opportunity when you move out of its space.
You can’t draw or use a weapon (against the pinned character or any other character), escape another’s grapple, retrieve a spell component, pin another character, or break another’s pin while you are pinning an opponent.
If You’re Pinned by an Opponent: When an opponent has pinned you, you are held immobile (but not helpless) for 1 round. While you’re pinned, you take a –4 penalty to your AC against opponents other than the one pinning you. At your opponent’s option, you may also be unable to speak. On your turn, you can try to escape the pin by making an opposed grapple check (or an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check) as a standard action, in place of your attack. If you win, you escape the pin, but you’re still grappling.
Joining a Grapple: If your target is already grappling someone else, you can use an attack to start a grapple, as above, except that the target doesn’t get an attack of opportunity against you, and your grab automatically succeeds. You still have to make a successful opposed grapple check to become part of the grapple.
If there are multiple opponents involved in the grapple, you pick one to make the opposed grapple check against.
Multiple Grapplers: Up to four combatants can grapple a single opponent in a given round. Creatures that are one or more size categories smaller than you count for half, creatures that are one size category larger than you count double, and creatures two or more size categories larger count quadruple.
When you are grappling with multiple opponents, you choose one opponent to make an opposed check against. The exception is an attempt to escape from the grapple; to successfully escape, your grapple check must beat the check results of each opponent.
Basically, I revised the initial mechanic - it's not steps - and fixed the order of things - you have to actually make an attack before the defender gets an AoO. The size modifier was just silly - by the RAW, a dragon could grapple a fairy more easily than two fairies could grapple each other - and I added a section where something really small could grapple something really big but not do any real harm without a weapon - a human clinging to a dragon's back, for instance. The only other major change was attacking and dealing damage while in a grapple - those two are the same thing, since you automatically deal unarmed damage while grappling, so I combined them.
Note: I don't know how to do the Spoiler/hide thing, so I couldn't hide the parts that didn't get changed.
Grapple Checks: A grapple check is like a melee attack roll. Your attack bonus on a grapple check is: Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + size difference modifier. The size difference modifier for a grapple check is determined by comparing the sizes of the attacker and the target. For each size category in difference, the attacker suffers a -4 penalty. For example, a halfling (Small) trying to grapple an ogre (Large) would suffer a -8 penalty to his check. This modifier is used in place of the size modifiers for the attack roll.
Starting a Grapple: To start a grapple, you need to grab and hold your target. Starting a grapple requires a successful melee attack roll. If you get multiple attacks, you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times (at successively lower base attack bonuses).
Conducting a Grapple: In order to start a grapple, you must make a melee touch attack to grab the target. The target gets an attack of opportunity (certain monsters do not provoke attacks of opportunity when they attempt to grapple, nor do characters with the Improved Grapple feat); if it succeeds and deals damage, the grapple attempt fails. If the attack of opportunity misses or fails to deal damage, you are considered to be holding the target.
Once you have hold of the target, you can move into the target's space and make an opposed grapple check as a standard action on the next round. If you win, you and the target are grappling, and you deal damage damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike, unless the target is three or more size categories larger (in which case you are still grappling, but can't effectively deal damage with unarmed attacks). If the check fails, you still have hold of the target, but are not grappling it. In case of a tie, the combatant with the higher Strength modifier wins.
Moving into the target's space is considered to be a 5-foot step and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Grappling Consequences: While you’re grappling, your ability to attack others and defend yourself is limited, as follows:
You don’t threaten any squares while grappling.
You lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if you have one) against opponents you aren’t grappling. (You can still use it against opponents you are grappling.)
You can’t move normally while grappling unless you are three or more sizes larger than your opponent. You may, however, make an opposed grapple check (see below) to move while grappling.
Grappling Actions: When you are grappling (regardless of who started the grapple), you can perform any of the following actions. Some of these actions take the place of an attack (rather than being a standard action or a move action). If your base attack bonus allows you multiple attacks, you can attempt one of these actions in place of each of your attacks, but at successively lower base attack bonuses.
Attack Your Opponent: While grappling, you deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike (1d3 for Medium attackers, 1d2 for Small, plus Strength modifiers). In order to attack with a natural weapon or light weapon against a creature you are grappling, you must make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If the check succeeds, you deal damage normally. You can make only one such attack per round, regardless of the number of attacks you get normally. You take a –4 penalty on such attacks. You can’t attack with two weapons while grappling, even if both are light weapons.
Exception: Monks deal more damage on an unarmed strike than other characters, and the damage is lethal. However, they can choose to deal their damage as nonlethal damage when grappling without taking the usual –4 penalty for changing lethal damage to nonlethal damage.
Activate a Magic Item: You can activate a magic item, as long as the item doesn’t require a spell completion trigger. You don’t need to make a grapple check to activate the item.
Cast a Spell: You can attempt to cast a spell while grappling or even while pinned (see below), provided its casting time is no more than 1 standard action, it has no somatic component, and you have in hand any material components or focuses you might need. Any spell that requires precise and careful action is impossible to cast while grappling or being pinned. If the spell is one that you can cast while grappling, you must make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or lose the spell. You don’t have to make a successful grapple check to cast the spell.
Draw a Light Weapon: You can draw a light weapon as a move action with a successful grapple check.
Escape from Grapple: You can escape a grapple by winning an opposed grapple check in place of making an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you so desire, but this requires a standard action. If more than one opponent is grappling you, your grapple check result has to beat all their individual check results to escape. (Opponents don’t have to try to hold you if they don’t want to.) If you escape, you finish the action by moving into any space adjacent to your opponent(s).
Move: You can move half your speed (bringing all others engaged in the grapple with you) by winning an opposed grapple check. This requires a standard action, and you must beat all the other individual check results to move the grapple. If you are three or more sizes larger than your opponent, you can move up to your full speed (assuming you aren't encumbered by the extra weight), but you can't run.
Note: You get a +4 bonus on your grapple check to move a pinned opponent, but only if no one else is involved in the grapple.
Retrieve a Spell Component: You can produce a spell component from your pouch while grappling by using a full-round action. Doing so does not require a successful grapple check.
Pin Your Opponent: You can hold your opponent immobile for 1 round by winning an opposed grapple check (made in place of an attack). Once you have an opponent pinned, you have a few options available to you (see below).
Break Another’s Pin: If you are grappling an opponent who has another character pinned, you can make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If you win, you break the hold that the opponent has over the other character. The character is still grappling, but is no longer pinned.
Use Opponent’s Weapon: If your opponent is holding a light weapon, you can use it to attack him. Make an opposed grapple check (in place of an attack). If you win, make an attack roll with the weapon with a –4 penalty (doing this doesn’t require another action).
You don’t gain possession of the weapon by performing this action.
Pinning an Opponent: If you're pinning an opponent, you can attempt to damage your opponent with an opposed grapple check, you can attempt to use your opponent’s weapon against him, or you can attempt to move the grapple (all described above). At your option, you can prevent a pinned opponent from speaking.
You can use a disarm action to remove or grab away a well secured object worn by a pinned opponent, but he gets a +4 bonus on his roll to resist your attempt (see Disarm).
You may voluntarily release a pinned character as a free action; if you do so, you are no longer considered to be grappling that character (and vice versa), but the target gets an attack of opportunity when you move out of its space.
You can’t draw or use a weapon (against the pinned character or any other character), escape another’s grapple, retrieve a spell component, pin another character, or break another’s pin while you are pinning an opponent.
If You’re Pinned by an Opponent: When an opponent has pinned you, you are held immobile (but not helpless) for 1 round. While you’re pinned, you take a –4 penalty to your AC against opponents other than the one pinning you. At your opponent’s option, you may also be unable to speak. On your turn, you can try to escape the pin by making an opposed grapple check (or an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check) as a standard action, in place of your attack. If you win, you escape the pin, but you’re still grappling.
Joining a Grapple: If your target is already grappling someone else, you can use an attack to start a grapple, as above, except that the target doesn’t get an attack of opportunity against you, and your grab automatically succeeds. You still have to make a successful opposed grapple check to become part of the grapple.
If there are multiple opponents involved in the grapple, you pick one to make the opposed grapple check against.
Multiple Grapplers: Up to four combatants can grapple a single opponent in a given round. Creatures that are one or more size categories smaller than you count for half, creatures that are one size category larger than you count double, and creatures two or more size categories larger count quadruple.
When you are grappling with multiple opponents, you choose one opponent to make an opposed check against. The exception is an attempt to escape from the grapple; to successfully escape, your grapple check must beat the check results of each opponent.
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Methinks you might have overlooked a few points.
Um. Yeah. I'll fix that.
