Concentration DC when grappled by something without a CMB?

[Diachronos]

Running a game where the players are being thrown into a high-security prison (they let themselves get captured in order to infiltrate the place, knowing mostly what sort of thing they'd be dealing with once inside), but I'm not sure how to handle part of it.

As part of the facility's method of keeping its inmates under control, every prisoner is put into a straitjacket, which applies the Grappled condition to the wearer with an Escape Artist DC 28 to get out. One of the players in the party had taken Still Spell as a throwaway bonus feat earlier on, which I know would allow him to still attempt to cast spells while in the straitjacket...
but I don't know how the concentration check would work. The only rules I can find regarding spellcasting while grappled say that the DC is based on the CMB of the one controlling the grapple, which doesn't apply to an inanimate object. But I'm also wondering if there would even need to be a concentration check if he's ignoring the somatic components entirely, as the jacket isn't exactly yanking him around or doing anything to disrupt his concentration beyond binding his arms in place.

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated!

[Azothath]

straightjacket... yeah...
straightjacket:C5 spell
and Concentration check{pfsrd20}
The problem is you need to create a DC, and the Esc Art DC on your custom item in the place to start. Esc Art skill rope bindings binder's CMB + 20. So if the Esc Art DC is 35 from your masterwork straitjacket, the effective CMB=15 and so Conc Chk DC 25, just 10 lower.
With long sleeves there's no way to use components or foci, so it's verbal and somatic with a Conc Chk.

[Diachronos]

For clarification, I'm talking about the straitjacket item, not the spell.

[Azothath]

Diachronos wrote:

For clarification, I'm talking about the straitjacket item, not the spell.

I used the Esc Artist skill to figure out the DC, not the spell, so do the same math using DC 28 or 30 from the item.

[glass]

Diachronos wrote:

But I'm also wondering if there would even need to be a concentration check if he's ignoring the somatic components entirely, as the jacket isn't exactly yanking him around or doing anything to disrupt his concentration beyond binding his arms in place.

(bolding mine.)

Bingo! No Concentration check required IMO. Admittedly it would be better if the item explicitly said that, but it sorta implies it by giving no way to calculate the DC.

[Phoebus Alexandros]

A straitjacket "prevents its wearer from using his arms entirely. ... A creature wearing a straitjacket gains the grappled condition, except it is able to move. Escaping from the straitjacket requires a successful DC 28 Escape Artist check (DC 30 for a masterwork straitjacket.)".

A spell with a somatic component requires you to have at least one hand free to make measured and precise movements with it. In addition, you can't cast a spell with a somatic component while bound, grappling, or with both your hands full or occupied.

However, the Still Spell metamagic feat allows you to cast a spell with no somatic components.

With all that in mind, the Escape Artist check would only apply if the PC was trying to get out of the straitjacket, which they are not. The grappled condition would only apply if the PC needed to make measured and precise movements with their free hand in order to cast the spell in question. Still Spell allows the PC to bypass that requirement. As such, the straitjacket's theoretical CMB is neither here nor there. Assuming the PC has a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level, there is no problem.

[Name Violation]

Phoebus Alexandros wrote:

However, the Still Spell metamagic feat allows you to cast a spell with no somatic components.

With all that in mind, the Escape Artist check would only apply if the PC was trying to get out of the straitjacket, which they are not. The grappled condition would only apply if the PC needed to make measured and precise movements with their free hand in order to cast the spell in question. Still Spell allows the PC to bypass that requirement. As such, the straitjacket's theoretical CMB is neither here nor there. Assuming the PC has a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level, there is no problem.

That's only a solution IF:

1. They're a spontaneous caster, not a prep caster
2. They know the still spell meta magic feat

[Warped Savant]

Name Violation wrote:

That's only a solution IF:

1. They're a spontaneous caster, not a prep caster
2. They know the still spell meta magic feat

Diachronos wrote:

One of the players in the party had taken Still Spell as a throwaway bonus feat earlier on, which I know would allow him to still attempt to cast spells while in the straitjacket...

OP said the PC has Still Spell.