Damage during a Grapple?

[Gwazi Magnum]

I'm a bit confused by the Grappling mechanics.

What exactly are the benefits to grappling?
How can I damage someone in a grapple and how much damage would it do?

Other than the -20 to the check if you grapple with one hand are there any other ill effects?

[cakellene]

Lose Dex to AC.

[Khedrac]

The main benefits of grappling is it shuts down what your opponent can do, and your allies get to attack them without their dex bonus to AC.
The one thing you don't do is grapple to do damage (it's too small to count).

Let's see, if grappled you cannot:
cast a spell with a somatic component
cast a spell with a material component not already in hand
cast a spell without making a DC 25+ spell level concentration check.
attack anyone not in the grapple
move very far, if at all
attack with a weapon larger than a light weapon

You also:
take -4 to attack with light weapons and natural weapons against the other grappler - who does get dex to AC...

So, grapple your opponent and thy probably now cannot cast spells and just became your party rogue's new punching bag - for a round or 2 before they die.
Even if they break free on their next turn, they have just used their primary attack - any remaining attacks in the round are iteratives, so no iteratives = no attacks. What's more if they don't want to attack, all thy have left is a move action - they just used their standard action breaking free!

About the only ways you lose by grappling are:
They were going to grapple you, now they do the nasty trick they have prepared for grapplees (e.g. swallow).
your initial grapple fails - means your action was in effect "wasted".

[Kelb_Panthera]

Grappling is a nasty debuffs to most creatures (including the grappler, so watch out).

All of the creatures in a grapple lose their dex bonus to AC against creatures outside the grapple.

They have their actions limited; They cannot move without making a successful grapple check. They cannot attack foes outside the grapple and threaten no space. If they cast spells, they will have difficulty doing so as Khedrac described.* They suffer a penalty on attacks against other grapplers. Finally, they can take no action not listed in the grapple section of the rules for combat.

This leaves -most- creatures pretty vulnerable.



The option to take a -20 penalty so that your opponent is consider grappled while you are not is a special option only available to creatures with the improved grab special ability and characters with the scorpion's grasp feat.

Grappling to do damage is an action made in place of an attack. If you beat your opponent's grapple check you do the damage you would do with a successful unarmed strike. Simple as that.

*Most skillful spell casters are able to render grappling a non-option for their foes in one way or another. I wouldn't count on pinning them down for more than a moment or two.

[Necroticplague]

As a guy who builds a lot of different grapplers, I can say damage is normally just gravy. The main point is that you debuff an enemy in a way more severe than you are debuffed. Lose dex to ac: you have as low of a dex as your grappling feats provide (and wear the heaviest armor you can have without penalties). Can't cast spells easily: you aren't a spellcaster. It is possible to do decent damage in a grapple, but it requires a lot of feats, and at least decent stats. Stacking on armor razors and spikes, getting grafts for constrict, spike stone graft, getting natural weapons, chokehold and earht's grasp, beast fist feat (assuming you have claw or slam), savage grapple ability from bbc. Grafts in general are your friends for a grappler. Another advantage of grappling is the environment use and enemy control. You can move the enemy exactly where you want with an opposed check, so can take advantage of any movement speeds or immunities you have that they don't. You fly? Drop them out of the sky. Earth glide? Drag them into the ground and leave them there. Fire immune? Lets see how they handle the lava. Breath underwater? Drown them.

[Ansem]

Each round you win the grapple check to pin you can do unarmed damage, with natural weapons or unarmed attack (like a Monk) that can add up quite well.

[Gwendol]

We discussed grappling at length a few days ago, so please look up the thread if you like.
Grappling is great, but there are a few caveats: after around level 6 casters will likely have means to escape the grapple. Also, some creatures you encounter will be too large and too strong to grapple, so have something else you can do.
Luckily grappling is only depending on two things really: size and strength! Maximize both and you'll do fine!

[Gwendol]

Each round you win the grapple check to pin you can do unarmed damage, with natural weapons or unarmed attack (like a Monk) that can add up quite well.

Normally you take -4 to the attack when using a natural weapon in a grapple.

[Necroticplague]

Each round you win the grapple check to pin you can do unarmed damage, with natural weapons or unarmed attack (like a Monk) that can add up quite well.


Normally you take -4 to the attack when using a natural weapon in a grapple.

I think she's referring to this:
Damage Your Opponent
While grappling, you can deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike. Make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If you win, you deal nonlethal damage as normal for your unarmed strike (1d3 points for Medium attackers or 1d2 points for Small attackers, plus Strength modifiers). If you want to deal lethal damage, you take a -4 penalty on your grapple check.

Works a lot better if you have constrict that can trigger off the grapple check. Doesn't really add up all that well unless you really focus on it (using some of the things I listed earlier).