PF Grappling hook build help

[Marywn]

I've been wanting to make an explorer that uses a hook as a weapon, but I'm relatively new to pathfinder. Any tips?

[stack]

Grappling hook, exotic ranged weapon, 1d6 piercing, x2, 10' range increment, grapple.

Grapple: On a successful critical hit with a weapon of this type, you can grapple the target of the attack. The wielder can then attempt a combat maneuver check to grapple his opponent as a free action. This grapple attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the creature you are attempting to grapple if that creature is not threatening you. While you grapple the target with a grappling weapon, you can only move or damage the creature on your turn. You are still considered grappled, though you do not have to be adjacent to the creature to continue the grapple. If you move far enough away to be out of the weapon’s reach, you end the grapple with that action.

Hello dysfunction, how have you been? Ranged weapons don't have reach, so it seems the grapple ends automatically. It doesn't matter much though, because it only triggers on a crit and this is a x2 weapon, so will rarely matter. You will have to houserule some to make it work at all.

Basically, as a weapon it is terrible.

The hook fighter feat (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/hook-fighter-combat/) lets you pay a feat on top of the exotic weapon prof to make it usable. Even then you need whip proficiency to get full use out of the feat but still not qualify for the various things that support whips. Best bet is probably magus to spell strike through it, but that has more to do with the magus than the grappling hook. This item might be of interest: Steadfast grapple (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/r-z/steadfast-grapple/).

If you use third-party, Spheres of Might's Athletics sphere (http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/athletics) has a few bits that work with them.

[Unavenger]

Hello dysfunction, how have you been? Ranged weapons don't have reach, so it seems the grapple ends automatically.

Not unreasonable; where grappling hooks are used as weapons, they're mostly used in close combat. Having to pay an extra feat to give it the reach in order to be able to use it to grapple someone on the other end of a moderately-sized room seems reasonable.

[Marywn]

What other alternatives would you suggest? I'm not to good with opmitizing, mostly because I like favor more. I wanted to have a longer reach melee that was reliable, but I don't know weapons that would be good for that.

[stack]

Not unreasonable; where grappling hooks are used as weapons, they're mostly used in close combat. Having to pay an extra feat to give it the reach in order to be able to use it to grapple someone on the other end of a moderately-sized room seems reasonable.
Reasonable or not, giving a weapon a property that it can't inherently benefit from is dysfunctional.


What other alternatives would you suggest? I'm not to good with opmitizing, mostly because I like favor more. I wanted to have a longer reach melee that was reliable, but I don't know weapons that would be good for that.

Decent whip builds exist. Reach weapons in general are the easiest way to go. How much reach and how much magic are you looking for? What kind of level range? Restricted sources?

The grappling hook with the required feats could be made to work okay if you aren't in a high powered game or starting at low level. You will just be spending a few feats for little mechanical benefit. Not the end of the world on a class like the magus that is solid over-all and can generally overcome such choices. There are probably some things I'm missing; I had not looked into grapple hook builds before this.

[Unavenger]

Reasonable or not, giving a weapon a property that it can't inherently benefit from is dysfunctional.

It can be used to hit someone round the face with in close combat, therefore making it work properly for grappling an opponent.

[thelastorphan]

Grappling hook, exotic ranged weapon, 1d6 piercing, x2, 10' range increment, grapple.

Grapple: On a successful critical hit with a weapon of this type, you can grapple the target of the attack. The wielder can then attempt a combat maneuver check to grapple his opponent as a free action. This grapple attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the creature you are attempting to grapple if that creature is not threatening you. While you grapple the target with a grappling weapon, you can only move or damage the creature on your turn. You are still considered grappled, though you do not have to be adjacent to the creature to continue the grapple. If you move far enough away to be out of the weapon’s reach, you end the grapple with that action.

Hello dysfunction, how have you been? Ranged weapons don't have reach, so it seems the grapple ends automatically. It doesn't matter much though, because it only triggers on a crit and this is a x2 weapon, so will rarely matter. You will have to houserule some to make it work at all.

Basically, as a weapon it is terrible.



To me it just reads like the reach means whatever length of rope you have attached to the hook. Though that isn't RAW it is probably the RAI.

[Kurald Galain]

Try to use this spell (http://legacy.aonprd.com/ultimateMagic/spells/forceHookCharge.html), which is basically the Hook Shot from Zelda. How's that for grappling? :smallbiggrin:

[ericgrau]

Try to use this spell (http://legacy.aonprd.com/ultimateMagic/spells/forceHookCharge.html), which is basically the Hook Shot from Zelda. How's that for grappling? :smallbiggrin:

Oh geeze it's complete with the temporary zero gravity while you travel. They couldn't even give you a Batman grappling hook.

[Marywn]

Decent whip builds exist. Reach weapons in general are the easiest way to go. How much reach and how much magic are you looking for? What kind of level range? Restricted sources?

Level range.. I'm making them level 5, and its 25 pointbuy. My idea was using the grappling hook in unique ways that people wouldn't think, but eh. I prefer flavor over optimizing, but I don't like to be super underpowered. Reach.. as much as possible, though I could be happy with 15ft reach. I was planning on doing merfolk, and most 3rd party as long as its not overpowered could work, though I would prefer the paizo stuff.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

There is a trait that lets you use a whip like a grappling hook, if you want to go that way.

[Marywn]

Speaking of which, what classes would be good explorer classes? I've been looking and I've found investigator, but I do wish I could find some more.