Set DC for grappler.

[SMac8988]

One of my players has decided to run a golith grappler, 2 rogue/5 bearbarian so far. He wants him to run like a lichador, doing fancy moves and grappling up with people. I've already decided that I am going to give him manuvers to do once grappled; chock holds vs Con saves, slams for extra damage, ways to knock prone or stuff like that.

What my question is, instead of rolling ever single turn for him vs the target for a grapple check, or doing the grapple check prior to him doing a manuvers to maintain the grapple, how would doing a set DC, like a spell dc. 8+str+prof. Maybe have it increase by rage damage mod if he is raging?

Just curious of people's opion on this.

[Falcon X]

Doing this is essentially the same as taking the average of a roll and just using that. If you are a person who is fine with using averages, than you should be fine doing this.

Personally, as a DM, using averages saves me time and energy, especially because 5e format always gives you those averages on monster damage rolls.
However, some players will not like you taking away the "random effect". I would figure out how much your players care about that. RAF=if your players will enjoy it less, don't do it.

[SMac8988]

Doing this is essentially the same as taking the average of a roll and just using that. If you are a person who is fine with using averages, than you should be fine doing this.

Personally, as a DM, using averages saves me time and energy, especially because 5e format always gives you those averages on monster damage rolls.
However, some players will not like you taking away the "random effect". I would figure out how much your players care about that. RAF=if your players will enjoy it less, don't do it.

I'm gonna try running it by him. I was just wondering if it would like drastically weaken the class build by doing that.

[SharkForce]

proficiency in grapple or acrobatics (the normal way of resisting grapples) is quite rare. if you make it a strength or dex save to resist it will be much more common for an enemy to be able to defend against the grapple, which would likely be a noticeable nerf (although if you're counting expertise in that save DC equation, he can eventually get to a point where enemies that don't have a fairly substantial bonus simply cannot make the save under any conditions. it also means that class features which improve ability checks are less valuable (barbarian in particular iirc offers advantage on strength checks and any total lower than your strength score is increased to be equal to your strength score at some point, and switching to a save DC will remove those benefits).

in any event, i don't see this saving much time... a roll still needs to be made, and you could otherwise just have both you and him roll at the same time and then compare to each other instead of one of you rolling and comparing it to the DC.

[Lombra]

If the players agree it would simplify everything. Make so that rage gives disadvantage on the opponent's check and it's done basically. Yes it brings away that beautyful feeling of grappling something that would have been almost impossible to grapple but you rolled a 20 so three heads of the hydra are now locked under your shoulder... but yeah, depending on the maneouvers that you'll introduce a set DC could end uo being better than a random roll