Troll trying to eat monk

[Aramis Simara]

Hello all,

I'm calling on the impressive knowledge of these boards to answer some questions on a scenario that happened in my game last night.

The party is in an underground cave that has a deep pool of water. The party monk goes up to the pool to see if there is anything in the water. There is a scrag troll hiding with a readied action to attack anyone who gets close enough. What I, as the DM, wanted to do was have the troll charge out of the water grapple with the monk and take the monk under water. here is what happened.

surprise round - troll charges monk and hits with both claws. I chose not to rend and instead had the troll start a grapple. The monk missed on the AoO on the troll from the grapple and failed his grapple check becoming grappled.

1st round - Monk tries to use escape artist to get out of the grapple but fails.
The troll starts to move back into the pool but since it's grappling the monk and moving the troll and the monk make new grapple checks. The monk beats the trolls grapple roll and escapes from the grapple.

Did we play this out as per the rules? If not where did we go wrong? While the monk was being grappled was there a chance that other party members trying to hit the troll with missile and melee attacks would have had a chance to hit the monk?

It seems like this kind on maneuver for the troll would be easy for it to accomplish but when played out it looked like the troll was at a disadvantage.

 

[Infiniti2000]

surprise round - troll charges monk and hits with both claws. I chose not to rend and instead had the troll start a grapple. The monk missed on the AoO on the troll from the grapple and failed his grapple check becoming grappled.

You cannot take a full attack as part of a charge. The troll would get only a single claw attack. And you cannot just choose to start a grapple instead of Rend. Rend is a special ability that you cannot willy nilly substitute with special attacks or anything else.

(If the troll had Dire Charge, he could make a full attack.)

1st round - Monk tries to use escape artist to get out of the grapple but fails.
The troll starts to move back into the pool but since it's grappling the monk and moving the troll and the monk make new grapple checks. The monk beats the trolls grapple roll and escapes from the grapple.

If the monk beat the troll's grapple, the troll would simply fail to move the grapple. The monk certainly doesn't escape.

Did we play this out as per the rules? If not where did we go wrong? While the monk was being grappled was there a chance that other party members trying to hit the troll with missile and melee attacks would have had a chance to hit the monk?

With ranged attacks, yes. With melee attacks, no. The chance of hitting the monk or troll with ranged attacks is determined randomly (left to the DM to decide how, but if not even chances, then a common choice is a weighted distribution based on size).

 

[glass]

There is a scrag troll hiding with a readied action to attack anyone who gets close enough.

You can't ready an action outside of combat.


glass.

 

[Plane Sailing]

There is a scrag troll hiding with a readied action to attack anyone who gets close enough.

Not exactly what you are asking, but you went wrong here... you can't ready actions until you are in combat!

I'm guessing that you had the scrag troll hiding and attempting an ambush, so what I'd have done is this:

Assuming monk didn't spot the scrag

Surprise round - there is a spray of water as the scrags arm shoots out of the water and attempts to grapple the surprised monk. Assuming the monk doesn't have combat reflexes, he loses his Dex and doesn't get an AoO. Probably loses the opposed grapple check.

First round of combat. Monk apparently wins initiative. Attempts escape artist check and fails. Troll attempts grapple check to pull the monk back into the water. Fails the opposed grapple check so he still has hold of the monk but hasn't managed to move him.

etc.

 

[Thanee]

Here are a few things you probably did wrong...

There is a scrag troll hiding with a readied action to attack anyone who gets close enough.

That's not possible, you cannot ready an action unless you are in combat already.

surprise round - troll charges monk and hits with both claws.

It's a surprise round, the troll can only perform a standard action (or a move action). No full attack!

I chose not to rend and instead had the troll start a grapple.

You couldn't rend, anways, since it was only one claw attack (see above), but also you cannot choose to start a grapple instead of rend. If the troll wants to start a grapple, and does not have the Improved Grab special ability (like the Annis Hag, for example), then the troll has to use the Grapple special attack instead of the normal claw attack to begin with (so no damage from the claw, but only an attempt to start a grapple, which can then result in some damage, of course, if it is successful).

The monk missed on the AoO on the troll from the grapple.

Did the monk already have an action during the combat, or was s/he surprised?
Does s/he have Combat Reflexes?

If not, s/he would not even get an AoO in that situation.

While the monk was being grappled was there a chance that other party members trying to hit the troll with missile and melee attacks would have had a chance to hit the monk?

With missile weapons, you determine randomly whom you hit. Melee weapons work fine.

Bye
Thanee

 

[starwed]

If the troll was aware of the party before they are aware of him, he can effectively ready an action.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

If the troll was aware of the party before they are aware of him, he can effectively ready an action.

Source?

 

[the Jester]

If the troll was aware of the party before they are aware of him, he can effectively ready an action.

Not by the RAW. However, he can conceivably get a surprise round (which is what it sounds like happened anyway).

 

[werk]

Source?

Ready is what kind of action?

What kinds of actions can you perform on a surprise round?

Ergo...you can ready during surprise, so long as you are not the one that is surprised.

Source would be the PHB.

 

[frankthedm]

Ready is what kind of action?

What kinds of actions can you perform on a surprise round?

Ergo...you can ready during surprise, so long as you are not the one that is surprised.

Source would be the PHB.

Good Catch! One more of those little 3.0 hold overs that some of us did not notice 3.5 changed

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialInitiativeActions.htm#ready