Fast Hands - Use Item

[ZenBear]

One of my players intends to go Thief, and is built as a wrestler with Expertise in Athletics and Grappler. I have toyed with this idea in the past for an NPC I intend to use in my campaign, a sort of sheriff/sergeant of the town guard. The mechanic I want to ask about is using Fast Hands as a bonus action after grappling an enemy to cuff them with manacles (Use Item). Would you allow this tactic in your game or do you see this as OP/abusive/absurd?

Edit: not relevant to my game, but a similar use of Fast Hands is with the Healer feat to stabilize or heal as a bonus action.

[strangebloke]

By RAW, it's a solid "Maybe." The rules don't say anything about whether it's a single action to apply manacles etc., nor does it say anything about whether you can put them on a grappled person.

Dimensional Shackles can be applied as an action, but only to an incapacitated creature.

The question is, what does being manacled even do to you, really? does it prevent you from moving? Restrain you?

If the latter, it isn't overpowered except against very specific sorts of creatures (like a lich) and I might allow it, depending on a variety of things.

Healers Kit is allowed by RAW. Every thief should have one!

[Lunali]

I would let them use a bonus action to improve their grappler feat pin action, allowing them to restrain someone without restraining themselves. Without fast hands it would be an additional action to apply the manacles after restraining them.

[sophontteks]

I mean the concept he's going for has been represented in Hollywood before. Not that I can pin out a particular movie among the ocean of cop movies. You know, the classic guy who's a master of cuffs. Like a reverse Lupin the third.

Bonus action cuffs? Sure. I'd allow him to try it after he grappled with his bonus action. Sounds cool! Restrained isn't a terrible affliction anyway. In this case it'd only be effecting its attack rolls and attack rolls against it.

Now here's the problem...
Them cuffs, well, they are a modern item, so this is a special item. Its probably quite expensive. AFAIK most manacles don't just snap on. If you give them to him, it'll still be a problem if they break, and he's likely only going to have the one.

[PeteNutButter]

I’d make sure it wasn’t automatic. Sounds like it should be another opposed athletics/acrobatics check.

Grappling in 5e works more like just holding onto someone’s clothing, since they still have full movement of their arms but can’t move away. With that in mind they should be pretty hard to slap manacles on.

I’d have the manacles apply the restrained condition. Basic manacles only have 15 hit points so they won’t hold long against higher level foes.

[ZenBear]

Now here's the problem...
Them cuffs, well, they are a modern item, so this is a special item. Its probably quite expensive. AFAIK most manacles don't just snap on. If you give them to him, it'll still be a problem if they break, and he's likely only going to have the one.

My setting is a bit more technologically advanced than the usual D&D game. Guns exist, Artificers are as common as engineers, etc.

[sophontteks]

My setting is a bit more technologically advanced than the usual D&D game. Guns exist, Artificers are as common as engineers, etc.
Awesome! Then this fits in perfectly! I think its a great character concept.