Hi, Grappling confuses me, always has. Thankfully most of my fighters dont use it, but now I imagine the Ugluurasta will be trying to swallow some pcs tonite, so I need a crash course. I tried reading the rule summarys (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050301a) and was suprised that grappling took four parts! Plus some things dont seem right like
"The grab provokes an attack of opportunity from the foe being grabbed. If the attack of opportunity hits and deals damage, the grab automatically fails" so when the ugluuurasta tries to grab, if they hit it auto fails? Or does the monster have some ability that cancels this?
Could someone please summarize the attacks it needs to make to swallow a pc of mine? That would be a huge help.
Thanks
I'm pretty sure the Urgulstata (rearange letters in the right way in needed) has Imporved Grab which states that if it hits with "insert body part" it can start a grapple WITHOUT provoking an attack of opportunity.
So it should go like this: Bite attack hits, grapple check wins...grappled fighter. Next round move attack to swallow hole...Fighter out of the picture!
Hope it helps.
I'm pretty sure the Urgulstata (rearange letters in the right way in needed) has Imporved Grab which states that if it hits with "insert body part" it can start a grapple WITHOUT provoking an attack of opportunity.
So it should go like this: Bite attack hits, grapple check wins...grappled fighter. Next round move attack to swallow hole...Fighter out of the picture!
Hope it helps.
If it hits it automatically can start a grapple. Does that mean it can still do bite damage? Or does it substitute it and instead start a grapple?
So the grapple check goes like this (base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier + any miscellaneous that might apply). Both the monster and fighter rolls this, if the monster wins he grapples?
On the fighters round he tries to get out right? Does he have to win a grapple check to do this? If he loses I assume he is free, otherwise he is still held... and therefore cant attack?
On the next Urgulstata's round he will try to swallow, if he is maintaining a hold he only needs to hit with a melee attack? Or a grapple attack?
Grappling is one of the most complicated parts of the rules. I am not surprised you are having trouble with it.
If it hits it automatically can start a grapple. Does that mean it can still do bite damage? Or does it substitute it and instead start a grapple?
If the monster hits, roll the bite damage first, then worry about the grapple. Yes it does both.
So the grapple check goes like this (base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier + any miscellaneous that might apply). Both the monster and fighter rolls this, if the monster wins he grapples?
That is correct. See page 310 of the Monster Manual for more information on Improved Grab.
On the fighters round he tries to get out right? Does he have to win a grapple check to do this? If he loses I assume he is free, otherwise he is still held... and therefore cant attack?
If the fighter is grappled, he has several options. They are spelled out on p 156 of the PHB, but I will summarize his most likely actions. Note that if the fighter's BAB is high enough to give him 2 attacks, he can take 2 of these actions, but the second one treats his BAB (and therefore his grapple check) as 5 less.
First, he can try to escape by winning an opposed grapple check. If he wins on his first attempt, he can take a move action after he escapes. If he wins on his second (or third) attempt, his turn is over after he exits the creature's square. If he fails to escape, nothing happens, and he is still grappled.
Second, he could try to attack the monster. However, he takes a -4 penalty on any attack he makes, and he can only attack with a light weapon. Remember that this counts against the number of times he can try to escape, since trying to escape (or doing just about anything else in a grapple) essentially uses up an "attack."
Third, he can try and draw a light weapon with by winning an opposed grapple check. This also counts as an "attack."
Fourth, If he's a spellcaster, he can try and cast a spell. He is not allowed to cast any spell that has a somatic component, neither can he cast a spell with a casting time longer than 1 standard action, and he has to make a concentration check (DC 20+spell level) in order to succeed. This does not count as an "attack," but it most likly counts as a standard action, and therefore prevents him from making any further "attacks" (including escape attempts) that round.
On the next Urgulstata's round he will try to swallow, if he is maintaining a hold he only needs to hit with a melee attack? Or a grapple attack?
If the Ulgurstasta is grappling the fighter at the beginning of its turn it can swallow him with a successful opposed grapple check. Note that since its BAB is +8, it gets two chances, the second one at -5.
I hope that helped.
Good explanantion of the rules so I have some other questions
1)When a creature holds you (say like a dire bear) and wants to 'grapple to do damage' what damage does it do?
2)Do you lose dexterity when you are grappling thus making the attacker vulnerable to sneak attacks (I know the ugluurasta is undead so immune but what about a purple worm or dire bear?)
3) Can a character help pull another away from the toothy maw? how does this work?
I find grapple unsatisfactory because once a big thing gets hold of you it is really hard to get out. On the flip side given freedom of movement makes you immune to grapple this seems too good as it counters completely a very powerful attack. What do others think? (BTW my house rule for freedom of movement is that it halves the opponents base grapple - I hate people being immune to stuff- reistant is Ok immune nup.)
Good explanation of the rules so I have some other questions
Sure
1)When a creature holds you (say like a dire bear) and wants to 'grapple to do damage' what damage does it do?
It depends on whether or not the monster has improved grab. If the monster has improved grab, than it can make an opposed grapple check to deal the same damage as the attack that it used to start the grapple. Since the dire bear in your example has improved grab with its claw attacks, it could do 2d4+10 (its claw damage) after winning an opposed grapple check to do damage.
If the creature does not have improved grab than it does an amount of damage based on its size (1d3 for Medium creatures, 1d4 for Large creatures, etc.) plus its Strength modifier. (So an ogre, a Large creature with 21 Strength, would do 1d4+5.) This damage is nonlethal damage unless the creature has Improved Unarmed Strike, in which case he can choose to make it lethal.
Finally, if the monster has constrict, it automatically does constrict damage whenever it wins a grapple check (regardless of what the grapple check was for). This makes constrict very deadly.
2)Do you lose dexterity when you are grappling thus making the attacker vulnerable to sneak attacks (I know the ugluurasta is undead so immune but what about a purple worm or dire bear?)
Yes, when you are grappling, you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC against everyone but the person you are grappling with. So people standing next to the grapple can sneak attack you, but the guy you are grappling with cannot.
Note that monsters that have improved grab can choose to take -20 on all their grapple checks in order hold someone with the appendage that initiated the grapple (such as a dire bear holding someone in one claw) instead of their whole body. If they do, then they are not considered grappled, and don't lose their Dex bonus to AC.
3) Can a character help pull another away from the toothy maw? how does this work?
Sure, you could use the aid another action to give someone a +2 bonus on their grapple check. This option isn't really spelled out in the rules though. I would say (in my own campaign) that if you are within reach of the grapple, you could make a DC 10 grapple check to give one of the grapplers +2 to their next grapple check.
On the next Urgulstata's round he will try to swallow, if he is maintaining a hold he only needs to hit with a melee attack? Or a grapple attack?
If the Ulgurstasta is grappling the fighter at the beginning of its turn it can swallow him with a successful opposed grapple check. Note that since its BAB is +8, it gets two chances, the second one at -5.
I hope that helped.
We had always played that on subsequent rounds, the grappler (the one who initiated the grapple) has to maintain the grapple first and then perform any grapple related actions.
The way we played it, in your scenario, if the Ulgurstasta failed to maintain the grapple (that is, failed an opposed grapple check) the grapple is over and the Ulg would have to start all over again. The way I read you, you are saying that if he fails the grapple check he gets another try to perform the action, and failing does not end the grapple. In this case, only a conscious decision to end the grapple on the Ulg's part, or a successful escape by the defender will end the grapple. Is that right? That the Ulg doesn't have to actively maintain the grapple every round (with an opposed grapple check)?
Greg - who thought he knew grappling, but is now just as confused as ever...
We had always played that on subsequent rounds, the grappler (the one who initiated the grapple) has to maintain the grapple first and then perform any grapple related actions.The way we played it, in your scenario, if the Ulgurstasta failed to maintain the grapple (that is, failed an opposed grapple check) the grapple is over and the Ulg would have to start all over again. The way I read you, you are saying that if he fails the grapple check he gets another try to perform the action, and failing does not end the grapple. In this case, only a conscious decision to end the grapple on the Ulg's part, or a successful escape by the defender will end the grapple. Is that right? That the Ulg doesn't have to actively maintain the grapple every round (with an opposed grapple check)?
Greg - who thought he knew grappling, but is now just as confused as ever...
Basically, once the grapple is initiated, there is no "attacker" or "defender" anymore, just grapplers. The grapple will continue until one of the two grapplers is helpless, or successfully escapes. There is no need for either of them to "maintain" the grapple.
Note that the even ulgerstasta can't just "let go." If he wants to end the grapple, he has to make an opposed grapple check to "escape" just like the fighter. The difference is that the fighter will probably just let him go (voluntarily fail the check) but it will still use up one of the ulgerstasta's attacks for that round.
The only time you have to "maintain" something in a grapple is a pin. If you successfully make a grapple check to pin someone, the pin only lasts until the beginning of your turn next round, you have to reestablish it every round to keep your opponent pinned.
I'll let one o' the experts answer those follow-up questions, but just wanted to say... without a doubt, the granted ability of the Travel domain is a VERY strong choice for Clerics, heh.
...Except that that ability only applies to magical effects, not grappling.