How does Grappling + pinning work?

[MetznTrix]

I read in oriental adventures there's a feat called Earths embrace.

Here is what is does:
You can crush opponents when you grapple them. This feat is
called tsuchi-do in Rokugan.
Prerequisites:Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple,
Str 15+.
Benefit: While grappling, if you pin your opponent, you deal
critical damage (double normal unarmed damage) each round
that you maintain the pin. You hold your opponent immobile as
normal, but you must also remain completely immobile, giving
opponents (other than the one you’re pinning) a +4 bonus on
attack rolls against you (but you are not helpless)

How does actually grappling and pinning an opponent work in a round or during your turn? Can it all be done in one turn? It would be great is someone could walk through all the checks and stages to successfully pin an opponent thanks.

[Mike Miller]

This link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm) may help. Grappling takes a read or two to understand because the rules are a bit obtuse.

[MetznTrix]

So from my understanding:

1. Melee attack roll to initiate grapple
2. Melee touch attack roll
3. Grapple check
4. Succesfully grappled?

However how does the pin work? is it that once grappled they are automatically pinned?

[MishimaRyu]

Whenever an opponent is grappled, you can redo the grapple check to pin him.
You can, if you like, cover his mouth while pinned.


You can do both in the same round, multiple times if needed. As long you have an extra attack available, you can try a grapple check.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Enemy AoO
Touch attack to grab
Opposed grapple checks
Move into enemy space

If you fail at any step or the AoO hits, you fail to engage a grapple. If you succeed at all 3 steps and the AoO misses then you and the enemy are now grappling.

Once a grapple is engaged, it does not end until one participant or the other succesfully rolls a grapple check to escape.

Your options in a grapple are more limited than normal. The previously linked page outlines the available options.

The option you've asked about is the attempt to pin. In place of one of the attacks you could make with the attack or full attack action, you can roll an opposed grapple check to try and pin your enemy. If you succeed, you and your enemy enter the pinned state. Your options become more limited than in the normal grapple state; grapple to damage (triggering earth's embrace, if you have it), "disarm" a secured object from your foe, move the grapple (with a +4 to the grapple check to do so), or end the grapple entirely. Your pinned foe's only option is to try to move the grapple back to the normal grappled state.

[Fizban]

It's important to note that when they say "maintain" the pin, they mean actively maintain. Succeeding at the "pin an opponent" action only pins them for one round, so you need to repeat it every round. This means people without high BAB or special feats or abilities can't damage someone while pinning them- though just having them in a grapple is plenty of control.

[bean illus]

I read in oriental adventures there's a feat called Earths embrace.

Are you still trying to build that grapple Monk?

I would beg my DM to rearrange my stats.
18 14 14 - 10 14 7

Consider a level or three of cleric. Strength and War domains for enlarge, bull strength, and some minor healing and buffs.

Take half orc, for strength of 20. Now you're an enlarged, 28 str grappling monk.

That's how pin works in a grapple.

[MishimaRyu]

If you are willing to expent a level for adjust, I suggest Goliath for grapple monk.
STR and +4 size bonus

But if you want to make a grappler that does some damage, you can try to get some levels in rogue (or the Fighter Variant that gives sneak attack instead bonus feat, and I think Goliath favors Fighter).
If I recall correctly, while grappled the opponent loses his DEX to AC (which means Sneak Attack to all succeed attacks). "Flurry of Sneak Blows" xD

[Kelb_Panthera]

Two things to note;

Earth's embrace was updated in complete warrior to do an extra D12 rather than crit damage. Your DM may want to update.

If he doesn't, you might look at the telling blow feat from PHB 2. It adds your sneak attack or skirmish damage to your crits.