Differentiating grappling from latching

[SilverLeaf167]

In some cases, I find it a little annoying that if you want to just hold on to another creature, you need to initiate a grapple. I mean, yeah, it makes sense in a way, but in an actual grapple the two creatures are actually wrestling. For example, if you just want to hold on to a flying dragon's leg, you need to make the same kind of check with the same difficulty as if you were trying to lock the dragon in a chokehold or something. The same applies to small creatures latching on to players, which is typically almost impossible, even if the monster concept requires it.

What are your thoughts on the issue, and what would you do to fix it? I think a lower grapple DC would be fair, in exchange for being unable to pin or otherwise hamper the target's movement.

[kardar233]

Maybe apply parts of the Multigrab feat in the other direction? Creatures of a certain amount of sizes can grapple an opponent without actually hindering him, requiring a lower grapple modifier to succeed?

[jackattack]

If your character is attempting to do anything other than hold on, I'd say the rule should stand. If not, then I think holding on is an action unto itself, and deserves its own home rule.

Unless the opponent is actively trying to escape the grapple, or the grappling character is trying to perform any action other than simply holding on, the grappling character doesn't have to make a check.

Using the dragon example, there are a lot of actions the dragon can perform that don't require a grapple check by the attacker. Flying away might count as disengaging from combat, but shouldn't count as attempting to escape the grapple. Trying to bite or breathe fire on the grappling character shouldn't count as trying to escape, although any attempt by the character to avoid the attack would initiate a grapple check (since they are doing something other than just holding on). Only when the dragon starts trying to shake the character off should the grapple check come back into play.

However. If the character is carrying a lot of gear, or another character is clinging to him/her, you might throw in a STR check. If the character is holding on for a long time, you might throw in some CON checks.