fighter seeking help surviving grapples


Advice


Hey guys! I'm having fun playing my first melee character, a polearm master fighter/hellknight that is mostly relatively effective. However I'm hurting for dealing with being grappled. I've been effectively negated in two fights via that Black Tentacles spell, since I couldn't escape, and am writing this now waiting for a combat to end where I got eaten by a purple worm. I'm used to spellcasters dimension dooring or being a clever rogue bastard.

I'm level 14 (polearm master 9, hellknight 5) right now, mainly rely on a ranseur, armor spikes, and potions in combat. I will admit I'm a little short on gold compared to where I should be at this level and my build's not exactly optimal. My CMD's a 33 right now.

The party is huge. Bard, barbarian, gunslinger, druid, monk, paladin are the other characters.

Anyone have advice, general or specific?


When you get grappled, simply ready an action to attack the creature when it tries to maintain it's grapple. Damage taken while attempting a maneuver is given as a penalty to the check.


Short range teleports. Even a tiny 5' teleport instantly breaks you out of a grapple.

Scarab Sages

A ring of blinking is effective, if expensive.

Silver Crusade

Freedom of Movement trumps every grapple without even needing a roll.

Get a ring if you can afford it, or have the spell cast on you, FTW!


Pathfinder Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Other options that would help to various degrees include:

In the CRB there is:
Improved Grapple feat
Anything that improves your Dex or Str
Friendly spell casters with the Grease spell
Salve of Slipperiness
Slick Armor along with Escape Artists skill

In Advanced Players Guide there is:
Alchemical Grease
FCB for fighter: +1 CMD when resisting grapple or trip
Coordinated Defense if you have a buddy that will also take it (Teamwork feat)

Those are the things I am aware of. There are probably more.

Sovereign Court

Given how many monsters have some sort of grapple ability, and how bad that can be for you, I recommend the Freedom of Movement ring. It's worth giving up other things for.

Lantern Lodge

@nobu_the_bard,

As Malachi Silverclaw and Ascalaphus had said, a Ring of Freedom of Movement is your best bet, its 40k, but at level 14, you should be able to afford it.

If 40k is too expensive for you, a possibility given your huge and clearly equipment hungry party, I would suggest a Unfettered Shirt as a cheaper if more limited alternative.
Its only 10k and takes up the Chest slot, which is usually free from any "must have" magical equipment.

You would need to activate its Freedom of Movement properties as a standard action, which lasts 10 mins and its only useable once a day.
However, given that you usually only need freedom of movement against black tentacles or a grappling enemy, you should be able to get by with only 1 use per day and only when you truly require it.

Sovereign Court

Also, you could ask some friends to prepare a Liberating Command spell. At level 14 the bonus should start to be significant.


Grease is a cheap and effective way to gain a +10 versus grapple checks as well. a single potion is enough to give you a +10.

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