Pinned and casting a spell - does it provoke from the grappler?

[Nefreet]

(can't find that this specific question has been asked before)

Situation: spellcaster is grappled, and then pinned, by an Acrochor.

The pinned condition states that "you can still take verbal and mental actions, such as spellcasting".

But grapplers do not gain the grappled condition themselves, so this spellcasting would provoke from the Acrochor, right?

I am leaning towards "yes", but wanted to ask the community in case I missed anything during my readings.

[Xenocrat]

It absolutely provokes. The relevant question is whether a grappler threatens.

[Nefreet]

That's basically my question.

For now, I ruled that grapplers do threaten, and can make attacks of opportunity (which did end up hitting and disrupting her spell, but she didn't have many other options at that point anyways).

[Nefreet]

Side note: these creatures have Lunge.

In the following round, an Acrochor successfully grappled a character while using Lunge, but Starfinder lacks the Pathfinder wording that the grappled target is pulled adjacent to the grappler.

Since grappled characters can't move, it sets up a weird situation where the grappled victim cannot attack in return (unless they have reach or Lunge themselves).

[BigNorseWolf]

I can't find any reason the grappelER would not threaten in starfinder.

[HammerJack]

Well, no reason except for reasons that they wouldn't threaten while not grappling.

If they had no weapon, grappled with their bare hands and didn't have Improved Unarmed Strike, for example.

Or if they were grappling with a garrotte, which uses both hands and can't make attacks?

[BigNorseWolf]

visual reference

[Magyar5]

CRB 255:

"REACH AND THREATENED SQUARES
Your reach is the distance at which you can attack foes in melee
combat. If you are wielding a melee weapon or are otherwise
capable of making a melee attack (e.g., if you have your own
natural weapons), you threaten all squares into which you can
make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn (the exception
is unarmed strikes—if you’re making unarmed strikes, you don’t
threaten other squares). Generally, that means you threaten
all squares adjacent to your space, including diagonally."

Yeap. You ruled correctly.

[Metaphysician]

Magyar5 wrote:

CRB 255:

"REACH AND THREATENED SQUARES
Your reach is the distance at which you can attack foes in melee
combat. If you are wielding a melee weapon or are otherwise
capable of making a melee attack (e.g., if you have your own
natural weapons), you threaten all squares into which you can
make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn (the exception
is unarmed strikes—if you’re making unarmed strikes, you don’t
threaten other squares). Generally, that means you threaten
all squares adjacent to your space, including diagonally."

Yeap. You ruled correctly.

Huh. It says you don't threaten *other* squares with unarmed attacks. So, does that mean you do threaten your *own* square when unarmed, and can make attacks of opportunity when grappled or when attacked by a smaller critter entering your square?

[Nimor Starseeker]

It definitely looks like what Magyar5 quoted from the rules is correct- your unarmed strikes threaten your own square(s).

[HammerJack]

Nope.

Improved Unarmed Strike (Combat)

You have trained to make your unarmed attacks lethal and strike with kicks, head-butts, and similar attacks.

Benefit: Your unarmed attack damage increases to 1d6 at 4th level, 2d6 at 8th level, 3d6 at 12th level, 5d6 at 15th level, and 7d6 at 20th level. You threaten squares within your natural reach with your unarmed strikes even when you do not have a hand free for an unarmed strike. If you are immobilized, entangled, or unable to use both legs (or whatever appendages you have in place of legs, where appropriate), you lose the ability to make unarmed strikes without your hands. When making an unarmed strike without your hands, you can’t use such attacks for combat maneuvers or similar abilities—only to deal damage.

Normal: You don’t threaten any squares with unarmed attacks, and you must have a hand free to make an unarmed attack.