How (if at all) to Push and Pull Combat Manoeuvres interact with a Grappled character?
Example situation: Conan has grappled Merlin. Groot is standing 10ft away and attempts to target Merlin with a Pull Combat Manoeuvre intending to move Merlin closer.
We know that Merlin can't voluntarily move himself, but can he be moved by Groot's Pull (or Push) manoeuvre?
If so, how is Conan effected?
Would Conan have to release the Grapple to allow the movement?
Does Conan have the opportunity to prevent the movement?
If Merlin can be moved, would Conan be dragged along too?
As a standard action, you can attempt to grapple a foe, hindering his combat options. If you do not have Improved Grapple, grab, or a similar ability, attempting to grapple a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. Humanoid creatures without two free hands attempting to grapple a foe take a –4 penalty on the combat maneuver roll. If successful, both you and the target gain the grappled condition (see the Appendices). If you successfully grapple a creature that is not adjacent to you, move that creature to an adjacent open space (if no space is available, your grapple fails). Although both creatures have the grappled condition, you can, as the creature that initiated the grapple, release the grapple as a free action, removing the condition from both you and the target. If you do not release the grapple, you must continue to make a check each round, as a standard action, to maintain the hold. If your target does not break the grapple, you get a +5 circumstance bonus on grapple checks made against the same target in subsequent rounds. Once you are grappling an opponent, a successful check allows you to continue grappling the foe, and also allows you to perform one of the following actions (as part of the standard action spent to maintain the grapple).
Move: You can move both yourself and your target up to half your speed. At the end of your movement, you can place your target in any square adjacent to you. If you attempt to place your foe in a hazardous location, such as in a wall of fire or over a pit, the target receives a free attempt to break your grapple with a +4 bonus.
Damage: You can inflict damage to your target equal to your unarmed strike, a natural attack, or an attack made with armor spikes or a light or one-handed weapon. This damage can be either lethal or nonlethal.
Pin: You can give your opponent the pinned condition (see Conditions). Despite pinning your opponent, you still only have the grappled condition, but you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC.
Tie Up: If you have your target pinned, otherwise restrained, or unconscious, you can use rope to tie him up. This works like a pin effect, but the DC to escape the bonds is equal to 20 + your Combat Maneuver Bonus (instead of your CMD). The ropes do not need to make a check every round to maintain the pin. If you are grappling the target, you can attempt to tie him up in ropes, but doing so requires a combat maneuver check at a –10 penalty. If the DC to escape from these bindings is higher than 20 + the target's CMB, the target cannot escape from the bonds, even with a natural 20 on the check.
If You Are Grappled: If you are grappled, you can attempt to break the grapple as a standard action by making a combat maneuver check (DC equal to your opponent's CMD; this does not provoke an attack of opportunity) or Escape Artist check (with a DC equal to your opponent's CMD). If you succeed, you break the grapple and can act normally. Alternatively, if you succeed, you can become the grappler, grappling the other creature (meaning that the other creature cannot freely release the grapple without making a combat maneuver check, while you can). Instead of attempting to break or reverse the grapple, you can take any action that doesn't require two hands to perform, such as cast a spell or make an attack or full attack with a light or one-handed weapon against any creature within your reach, including the creature that is grappling you. See the grappled condition for additional details. If you are pinned, your actions are very limited. See the pinned condition in Conditions for additional details.
Grappled: A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit.
A creature with this ability can choose to make a free combat maneuver check with a successful attack. If successful, this check pulls a creature closer. The distance pulled is set by this ability. The type of attack that causes the pull and the distance pulled are included in the creature’s description. This ability only works on creatures of a size equal to or smaller than the pulling creature. Creatures pulled in this way do not provoke attacks of opportunity and stop if the pull would move them into a solid object or creature.
My own interpretation is that the Grapple condition prevents a character from moving voluntarily, but does not prevent them from being moved. Therefore a Push or Pull manoeuvre should work. The rules don't cover any impact on Conan, so there is no impact unless the GM house-rules one; it doesn't make much sense, but it's also a pretty rare corner case.
The rules don't cover any impact on Conan, so there is no impact unless the GM house-rules one; it doesn't make much sense
Nail on the head. Groot cannot pull Merlin out of Conan's grasp as long as Conan still control's the grapple. If Groot wants to help Merlin escape he can Aid Merlin's grapple to help him break free but afaik that's about it. Attacking the grappler is usually the best way to help the grappled anyway.
Pulling someone who is in a grapple reminds me of the process used for quartering (especially once you consider the Strength scores that Conan and Groot would have to have), so I would caution my own players against the small squishy guy being pulled in opposing direction by impossibly strong monsters and/or men.
Indeed, you can't get someone out of the grapple by moving them. It seems likely the grappler would either willing be moved with them, or be forcibly moved while hanging on. I would not let a pull get someone out of being grappled.
The aid another action can be used to help someone escape a grapple, as well as many spells can be helpful in doing so.
It seems likely the grappler would either willing be moved with them, or be forcibly moved while hanging on.
Tug-o-war using a person as the rope is a pretty inefficient way to move someone. Especially because
Pull wrote:
A creature with this ability can choose to make a free combat maneuver check with a successful attack. If successful, this check pulls a creature closer. The distance pulled is set by this ability. The type of attack that causes the pull and the distance pulled are included in the creature’s description. This ability only works on creatures of a size equal to or smaller than the pulling creature. Creatures pulled in this way do not provoke attacks of opportunity and stop if the pull would move them into a solid object or creature.
emphasis mine
Since we agreed that Merlin can't be Pulled out of grapple the pull would have to be against Conan (via Merlin). Based on the text of pull: you can't pull Conan in the direction of Merlin at all. This is all just a misguided attempt to help Merlin get taller.
