Falling in a Grapple

[Stygofthedump]

Hello Playgrounders. I am a Dire Bear (druid - heh) and I am grappling a frost giant. I am considering plunging us both off a 50 foot drop using move a grapple action.
What are the consequences of this? Can I attempt to land on giant? Are we still grappling at the bottom?
If it makes any diference we use Core + some GM (case by case) approved SRD20.

On another note if bear is prone and starts grapple does prone have any effect?

Thanks for assistance

[FocusWolf413]

I couldn't find anything in the rules (not that I looked really hard), but I think the rule of cool applies here. Turning into a bear, grappling with a giant, and throwing yourself off of a cliff, and breaking your fall by pile driving him is wonderful imagery.

[Stygofthedump]

Indeed, it might also save my ass from the 5 or so other giants on the way. (It's so windy flying isn't an option)

[animewatcha]

Too windy to fly, but is it to windy to ride the air currents to safety? Glide?

[Jowgen]

As a standard action, you can attempt to move yourself and everyone else in the grapple at up to half your speed. An opposed grapple check determines whether that works. So the basic idea of throwing yourself over a cliff along with the giant is workable.

Now, if you are prone, your movement is reduced to crawling 5 ft as a move action (provoking AoO). Since you can only move at half your speed while grappling, this reduces your speed to less than 5, which means you're reduced to moving 5 ft as a full-round action. From a fully RAW perspective, this means the two can't be combined; as the Special full round action required to move 5 ft isn't comparable with the standard action grapple to move half your speed. It's not even listed in the list of actions you can take while in a grapple. However, I'd be surprised if a DM wouldn't let you grapple and move 5 ft as a full round action.

Now, the only thing that happens with falling by RAW is that you're both entitled to make Jump and/or Tumble checks to reduce falling damage and not fall prone upon landing. There are no rules that would allow you to make it so the other creature cushions your fall while taking more damage.

I personally would call for opposed tumble checks in this scenario. The looser is prone, takes full falling damage from the fall, and takes damage from the winner falling onto him as per the falling object rules. The winner is not prone and takes the appropriately reduced falling damage. A DM might choose to have the fall count as shorter for the winner, depending on how much the looser could be expected to serve as a cushion.

[Stygofthedump]

great reply thanks.

I have checked prone and cant find any reference to moving only 5 feet. do you have reference?

In this scene we are already 5ft from cliff so i might give it a shot. im on 30 HP with 40 stoneskin and not too many other options. maybe shift and glide down (and pickup some HP) but that dosn't help the team. we are in a tight spot.

[Jowgen]

I have checked prone and cant find any reference to moving only 5 feet. do you have reference?

It's not very well spelled out. The quote below describes the rules for crawling, and the game designers seem to have kinda assumed that everyone would assume that when you're prone you have to crawl to move.


Crawling: You can crawl 5 feet as a move action. Crawling incurs attacks of opportunity from any attackers who threaten you at any point of your crawl.

Skip puts it clearer in his All about Movement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040608a) Articles:


Movement While Prone

When you're lying on the ground, you can move; however, you must crawl to do so. You crawl 5 feet as a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

[StreamOfTheSky]

I'd say after using the move a grapple success to throw both of you off the cliff, there'd be another grapple to see who takes the brunt of the impact. Whoever loses takes 150% of the normal falling damage; wins takes half the normal falling damage and can escape the grapple if desired, using the moment of impact as a chance to break out of it.