Grappling and readied action question


Rules Questions


U-Rogue (r) and U-Monk (m) are like this at the start of a round with a medium sized undead (u):

r m u

Could they set up a readied action chain as follows:

1. Monk (with Improved Grapple/Greater Grapple) starts a grapple, moving the undead into their square
2. Monk uses Move action to Pin undead
3. Pin triggers Rogue's readied action and she makes 2 melee attacks, both of which with SA added
4. Monk finishes his full round action by using a Free action to release the grapple and a 5' step to get behind the undead, thus putting the undead foe between monk and rogue in a flank

Can you Ready off an action inside a grapple? I would guess so, since its a Move action to pin, but I wanted to ask for clarity. Thanks!


1) Grappled characters cannot (usually) share squares, though they must be adjacent to each other or the grapple fails. So no on this point.
2) This is fine.
3) A readied action allows only a single standard action (or move, quick, free action). You cannot make 2 attacks with a standard action. Rogue would be better off to delay till right after the monks turn and attack from a flanking position. Rogue could ready to make a single attack vs a pinned target.
4) Only of if you can find some way around the issue with #1.

A further note on readied actions, you can set the trigger for a readied action off of any perceivable stimuli. Eg, I ready to attack after the barbarian makes two attacks in a full attack action, but before they make their 3rd attack. Triggers don't even have to be based off of another characters actions (though they usually are). Eg, I ready an action to cast a spell if that burning building falls over.


The ‘grapple + maintain in the same round’ kids must be happy that Paizo decided to never officially say “you can’t do that.” Advice to your rogue: take Throat Slicer.

If you’re gonna abuse grapple might as well really get to it.

Other than that interaction that should be houseruled off the face of the planet, everything bbangerter said is right.


It's not very different than the 5ft step and then get 7+ attacks as a two weapon fighting ranger/fighter to be able to start within 5ft range, and then have to succeed at 2 grapple checks to just take someone ~95% out of a fight (vs likely completely out of the fight when you can hit them likely 4-7 times a round). And then there's ranged characters and casters that don't even have to micromanage a move action to be within range of murder.


I did it wrong then; I allowed the rogue to take a full attack action on her readied action, so 2 attacks instead of just one as it should've been by RAW. The reason she readied on the Pin instead of setting up a Flank is because the AC penalty to the undead was pretty high when pinned (-4 AC vs a +2 flanking bonus) so she wanted the maximum chance to hit.

Otherwise though it sounds like the grapple part was right. The monk can grapple adjacent, pin with greater grapple, then after the readied action can release the grapple as a free action and 5' step into that flank.

I only started questioning myself in all this when my monk player emailed, said he was looking for a feat to keep his AC while pinning foes so he didn't have to always do the free action thing. I told him Grabbing Style was the way to go next level, but then I started rethinking this whole combat round. Thanks for the clarifications!


Mark Hoover 330 wrote:

I did it wrong then; I allowed the rogue to take a full attack action on her readied action, so 2 attacks instead of just one as it should've been by RAW. The reason she readied on the Pin instead of setting up a Flank is because the AC penalty to the undead was pretty high when pinned (-4 AC vs a +2 flanking bonus) so she wanted the maximum chance to hit.

Otherwise though it sounds like the grapple part was right. The monk can grapple adjacent, pin with greater grapple, then after the readied action can release the grapple as a free action and 5' step into that flank.

I only started questioning myself in all this when my monk player emailed, said he was looking for a feat to keep his AC while pinning foes so he didn't have to always do the free action thing. I told him Grabbing Style was the way to go next level, but then I started rethinking this whole combat round. Thanks for the clarifications!

The only other issue I see is what bbangerter stated that Grappling does not cause creatures to share a space, but causes them to become adjacent to each other. You can move a creature into a valid space after a successful maintained grapple, but the only creatures you can move into your space as part of a grapple would be those that are 2 sizes or more smaller than you, or if you are both at least small. So the Rogue would have had to move into range before the pinned condition occurred.

On to the monk and not gaining the Grappled condition, the best way I know is a single level dip into White Haired Witch. They have to use Int instead of strength to perform the grapple, but they will gain all other bonuses from feats.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Grappling and readied action question All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.