Question for the community

[Robert Wellighurst]

I was in a position where I had a different opinion the the game master. I was on a back of a dragon with the rider attached to the dragon and my character, a monk, was grappling the rider, and that was a successful grapple.
Here is the split: game master says that I had to make a reflex or fall of the dragon, because the rider gave a command to fly upside down. I call that an attempt to break the grapple, even if the dragon do not know. The game master says, no it is a reflex save.

The break down is this.
non combat mode. Alternating action.
the target of the grapple, teleports to the dragon.
I abundant leap to him, saying "don't do it"
Portal opens.
I grapple successfully.
rider gives command to dragon to execute flight maneuver.

situation breaks down, with heated discussion.
I was forced to make a reflex save, I made with rolling a two on the die.

I say it is an attempt at breaking a grapple, with the dragon making the attempt, what say you all?

[Talonhawke]

If it were me not even that. If your holding the rider then if he stays on so would you.

[Steve Geddes]

I say the DM is always right in the middle of a session. In my view you accept the ruling and go with it, then argue about the rules between sessions. More fun for everyone, in my experience.

[Talonhawke]

Agreed Steve.

[Goblin King Grog]

Gets out the popcorn for the show.

[cranewings]

I agree with the GM, but I'd give you a +2 to your roll as a bonus for having something to hang on to.

On the other hand, if you argued with me for even two seconds I'd just kill your character.

[Mark Hoover]

BBEG says FLY UPSIDE DOWN; you BOTH make Ref saves. You win/he loses, you grab the reins and he plummets to his death. You lose/he wins; you both tumble a bit but his leg's caught in the reins and the sudden change caused you both to lose the Grappled condition. You both win or lose; the explanation is obvious.

Bottom line; a little clarification, even mid fight is ok on both sides of the screen (Player: I Charge the dragon. GM: you do WHAT now?) but it should never get heated from anyone and the GM has the final say at the moment.

That doesn't mean that later, after the entire party rags on the GM for a bad call, you don't see a +5 Amulet of Mighty Fists in the next loot pile.

[FallofCamelot]

Make your case at the table, if the GM does not accept your case then accept his call and move on.

If you feel that the call is wrong discuss it after the game but in the end if he sticks to his guns then let it go.

[Sir Ophiuchus]

Mark has the right of it - unless the BBEG had a set of feats to stay mounted under those circumstances, I'd probably rule Reflex saves - or Acrobatics/Climb checks - for you both.

It's not an attempt by the dragon to break the grapple, because under these circumstances, it's best to think of the dragon not as another creature, but as shifting hazardous terrain.

I can see how both interpretations may be valid, but I'll go with the GM's as (a) it makes more sense to me to consider the dragon as terrain for this fight, and (b) it's a really complicated situation and I'm in favour of GMs making reasonable judgement calls for those. This was one of them.