How to help a friend get out of a grapple?

[Hiro Quester]

I'm playing a Druid, with wildshape and improved grapple feat (from one level of Monk). Wildshaped into tiger form, with a strength boost from bull's strength, my grapple check is pretty decent for our level. (I know bear is better, but I use big cat wildshapes for flavor reasons.)

In a recent game a monster grappled our party ranger right in front of me. I already had cast the freedom of movement spell I prepared on our barbarian tank, in anticipation of this monster's attacks, so I couldn't help that way. The ranger would have to roll a 20 while the monster rolled less than 3, it seemed, for him to escape.

I figured that a decent thing to do would be to join the grapple, and try to make it easier for him to get out, since my grapple check and size made it a more even fight.

But as I read the rules on grappling, and on joining a grapple, it didn't seem that I could actually help him any.

Is that right? I can't grapple the monster who is grappling my friend? It seems I can just join the grapple with the two of them, but my doing so doesn't help him, but just gives the monster the option of a different target for trying to damage in the grapple.

Perhaps if I successfully pinned the monster, the ragnger could then get out of the grapple?

Is there anything apart from casting freedom of movement or killing the monster one can do in a situation like this?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I initially thought to suggest that you could pin the opponent to enable the Ranger to escape the grapple without even making a check, but after reading over the rules again that's not correct.

As a DM though, I would say that pinning the only opponent trying to keep the other character grappled would allow the other character to escape without making a check. Alternatively, I would also say you could make a grapple check to remove him from the grapple, similar to how you could make a grapple check to break another's pin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#breakAnothersPin).

[Hiro Quester]

I hadn't noticed that option to grapple from the outside to break another's pin. That's promising.

Edit: oh. You have to be inside the grapple. But yeah, succeeding on a grapple check to enable an ally to escape seems something to run by the DM at least.

The really weird rule, the one that kept me from entering the grapple (I attacked from the outside instead) was the rule about escaping from a multi-opponent grapple.


When you are grappling with multiple opponents, you choose one opponent to make an opposed check against. The exception is an attempt to escape from the grapple; to successfully escape, your grapple check must beat the check results of each opponent.

It doesn't say anything about when one of the grapplers is an ally.

[Extra Anchovies]

If custom items are in, get yourself a use-activated or command-word item of Benign Transposition (Miniatures Handbook p. 34). It can get your friend out of the grapple and you into it with a single action.

[BWR]

Yeah, the rules are a bit vague on that point. I should think that something like Aid Another would work. I also allow third parties to try to 'take over' the grapple. All they have to do is make a successful grapple check against the opponent, at which point they become the grappled party and the original target is released

[Hiro Quester]

Yeah, the rules are a bit vague on that point. I should think that something like Aid Another would work. I also allow third parties to try to 'take over' the grapple. All they have to do is make a successful grapple check against the opponent, at which point they become the grappled party and the original target is released

I think this sounds reasonable. I'll take it to DM to see if he agrees.

[Urpriest]

I'd probably rule that if you're pinned, you can't prevent someone else from escaping a grapple, and if you're an ally, you can forego your opposed grapple check when an ally tries to escape from the grapple. Both would be houserules though yeah.

[Curmudgeon]

The best way to help a friend in a grapple is to make their foe incapable of continuing the grapple. If you can make the foe stunned, panicked, paralyzed, nauseated, unconscious, or whatever, then they stop grappling. Or dead; that'll work, too. :smallwink:

[Hiro Quester]

The best way to help a friend in a grapple is to make their foe incapable of continuing the grapple. If you can make the foe stunned, panicked, paralyzed, nauseated, unconscious, or whatever, then they stop grappling. Or dead; that'll work, too. :smallwink:

Yep. That's what we did in the end. But our ranger took damage each round the monster wasn't dead yet.

[emeraldstreak]

When our of FoM Grease can also help.