Grapple House Rule

[Savage_ScreenMonkey]

I've been thinking about creating an additional house rule for grappling, and I would like to get some advice or suggestions on what the community thinks about it before I actually implement it in my PFRPG campaign, if at all.

The rule is this:

Whenever a creature is grappling a target and takes damage it must immediately roll a combat maneuver check to maintain the grapple.

I’m also considering that the grappling creature must make this roll with a penalty equal to the damage it takes, or possibly some flat penalty like a standard –4. Should I bother with a penalty at all?

In addition I was thinking that any creature immune to feeling pain is not subject to this effect.

The goal is to make grappling less of a threat to characters, as I feel grappling seems to still be a tough situation to deal with.

So how does that sound?

[Liporteryu]

this sounds pretty good, as allies should be able to wack a dire weasle off of the wizard, but balance problems ensue:
every time a creature is damaged does it need to do another check? or just in the next round take a certain penalty based on the damage dealt to it.

I suggest the following -
add up the strength and constitution scores of the creature and subtract that from the damage dealt last round to determine what the penalty (if any) is on this round's CMA

[Gjorbjond]

If I were going to make a house rule like this, I'd keep it simple: if an attacker is willing to take a -4 penalty to hit, any attacks which damage the opponent also count as "aiding another" to assist in the next escape attempt of a creature the opponent is grappling.

[Majuba]

I like Gjorbjond's idea.

Also you could clarify/rule that any "Aid Another" actions grant a bonus for a full round (so both to escape attempt and to resist the next maintain roll).

[Savage_ScreenMonkey]

Hmm,I like the aid another idea. Simple and gives the character a better chance of escaping without making it too easy.Thanks I talk it over with my group.

[anthony Valente]

Gjorbjond wrote:

If I were going to make a house rule like this, I'd keep it simple: if an attacker is willing to take a -4 penalty to hit, any attacks which damage the opponent also count as "aiding another" to assist in the next escape attempt of a creature the opponent is grappling.

Great idea. I'd make it even simpler though and forgo the penalty. Just say that each successful attack gives the grappled creature a cumulative +2 bonus to their grapple check to escape the grapple.

[The Speaker in Dreams]

anthony Valente wrote:

Gjorbjond wrote:

If I were going to make a house rule like this, I'd keep it simple: if an attacker is willing to take a -4 penalty to hit, any attacks which damage the opponent also count as "aiding another" to assist in the next escape attempt of a creature the opponent is grappling.

Great idea. I'd make it even simpler though and forgo the penalty. Just say that each successful attack gives the grappled creature a cumulative +2 bonus to their grapple check to escape the grapple.

+1 for the win there!

Love it! This way characters not-grappled aren't having to sacrifice their own actions in the round (as Aid makes you do), and are reasonably/realistically able to grant some help to your grappled ally.

I mean, *realistically* if you're grappling someone and then someone comes behind you and stabs you w/a freakin' knife, chances are you're going to instinctively let go and attempt to deal with the new pain (like mostly just reaching back and screaming I'd imagine).

It *should* be hard to maintain a grapple if you're getting pummeled by other attackers than the one you're directly grappling.

It *should* be easy to "help" in this context compared to the standard rules for "aid another" and how it plays out.

It *should* be just fine in-play, especially since PC's tend to have the upper hand in #'s over grapple-types normally (at least my experience carries that conclusion).