Jumping while grappling larger creatures

[VividMatter]

So I've recently rolled up a Goliath Barbarian who likes to grapple stuff (go figure). I talked with my DM about how a cool thing to do would be to spend a turn like this:

Attack 1: Grapple the creature in front of you
Interact with an object ("object" being loose here, but it can easily fit into the second attack for flavor): Raise the grappled enemy above my head
Attack 2: High jump up and slam the creature down into the ground like a basketball.

So this brings me to my point of: How would you rule this if the Goliath was grappling a larger creature?
He has a strength of 20, and he's trained to use his fists for combat, so I didn't see it outside of the realm of possibility, but my DM is a little hesitant to allow something like that. We're currently at a standstill about the subject, so I wanted an outside opinion.

Also, a sidenote:
How would you go ruling this series of events? (The dunk action) We came to a semi-agreement that it'd work just like an unarmed attack's worth of damage onto the creature for the dunk, but we wanted to know what you'd think.

[Garfunion]

While it is feasible and I could give you a list of “rolls/steps” to perform in order to do the bodyslam, just to deal 1D6 bludgeoning(falling) damage. Or you can do an unarmed attack and say you perform a bodyslam.

[hymer]

While it is feasible and I could give you a list of “rolls/steps” to perform in order to do the bodyslam, just to deal 1D6 bludgeoning(falling) damage. Or you can do an unarmed attack and say you perform a bodyslam.
Well, fall damage also results in people being prone. If the grapple isn't broken by this, it's a more potent move than a regular shove to prone.

[Garfunion]

Well, fall damage also results in people being prone. If the grapple isn't broken by this, it's a more potent move than a regular shove to prone.
True. I was just trying to make it easy.

Option 1
Attack 1: push the target prone
Attack 2: make an unarmed attack against the target.
Role-play as if you performed a bodyslam.

Option 2
Attack 1: grapple target
Move 10ft and perform a high jump
Attack 2: push the target prone, target takes 1d6 fall(bludgeoning) damage.

[No brains]

Don't you need extra speed if you are doing this body slam? Dragging a creature effectively halves your movement and you need to move an effective 40 feet to get a 10 foot run and 10 foot jump.

[sophontteks]

I would rule the body slam as a special attack, just like push. I don't see any balance issues with this. Suplexing large creatures is very barbarian.

If you want to focus on this go totem barbarian and pick eagle for your first and third totem ability. This gives you double movement and a flying speed. Now you can suplex them proper. Note that once you have a flying speed suplexing them is not nessesary outside of fluff. You can just fall normally. Fall damage is halved for barbarians.

[Garfunion]

Don't you need extra speed if you are doing this body slam? Dragging a creature effectively halves your movement and you need to move an effective 40 feet to get a 10 foot run and 10 foot jump.
You only need a 5ft(spend 10ft of movement) jump, when you calculate 5ft height/reach (close enough).

So move 10ft(spend 20ft of movement) jump 5ft(spend 10ft of movement) add height/reach of 5ft, for a 10ft fall on the target.

[The Big Bear]

By Rule of Cool, I'd allow it. But I would do the following:

Attack 1) Grapple check to grapple the target and get hold of them.
Attack 2) A second grapple check to determine if the target can get free while being lifted and thrown.

Due to the fact that you are essentially using 2 attacks for this 1 body slam, and that you lose the grapple in the process, I would rule 2d6 or 1d10/12 plus strength mod of damage. The target lands prone, but you could have done that with one contest anyway.

Rule of Cool mostly invoked to not get caught up in the "do I have the movement to high jump?" shenanigans.

[No brains]

You only need a 5ft(spend 10ft of movement) jump, when you calculate 5ft height/reach (close enough).

So move 10ft(spend 20ft of movement) jump 5ft(spend 10ft of movement) add height/reach of 5ft, for a 10ft fall on the target.

I just feel for this to be completely rules-permissible, you need to move further as the only to RAW move a grappled creature is to drag it. The rules are vague on how one does this, but it would make sense that a player could feasibly drag a creature parallel to it, even in vertical movement.

A permissive view on grid-dragging can make this safer for the practitioner. A jump to 5 feet in height across 10 feet can drag a creature diagonally upward so that it ends its movement 10 feet in the air while the dragging PC only reaches 5 feet, avoiding fall damage.

I suppose the easiest hack is to use the PC's action to Dash, which makes high and long jumps easier and puts this tactic in line with the power of other action uses. A purely-movement maneuver could be banned or turned against the party.

[sophontteks]

I just feel for this to be completely rules-permissible, you need to move further as the only to RAW move a grappled creature is to drag it. The rules are vague on how one does this, but it would make sense that a player could feasibly drag a creature parallel to it, even in vertical movement.

A permissive view on grid-dragging can make this safer for the practitioner. A jump to 5 feet in height across 10 feet can drag a creature diagonally upward so that it ends its movement 10 feet in the air while the dragging PC only reaches 5 feet, avoiding fall damage.

I suppose the easiest hack is to use the PC's action to Dash, which makes high and long jumps easier and puts this tactic in line with the power of other action uses. A purely-movement maneuver could be banned or turned against the party.

The best way to visualize grappling, in my opinion, is that you have a hand on them, nothing more. Well, I say that, but don't discount how freaking scary it is to have someone big actually grab you. I won't get into it, but a trucker "grappled" me last christmas over a bathroom stall, and it was pretty spicy.:smalleek:

So, if you move, and you have a hand on someone, you'll pull them along with you. If you jump, uh, they aren't going anywhere. That's just physics. But if you take an additional attack to lift them, then jump, then drop them. Now we are getting somewhere. As far as I see it all the hard work is in lifting the target, throwing them under you after you jump is not with a third attack. Rule of cool and all.

[Rukelnikov]

Totem Barbarian lvl 5, take Totem and tavern brawler.

Start your turn grappling

Movement: 20 ft for 10 ft of effective movement, 20 ft for 10 ft of effective high jump.
Free action: let go, BAM! 1d6 falling damage.
Action: 2 attacks, one must be unarmed or improvised weapon.
Bonus Action: Grapple

Rinse and repeat.

Note: Tiger totem is necessary for the 10 ft high jump, since it's 3 + Str, capping at 8, tiger takes it to 11.

[JackPhoenix]

That's riddiculous.

What you should do is to use the victim as an improvised weapon, and throw it 60' straight up, targetting a point mid-air.

[Rukelnikov]

That's riddiculous.

What you should do is to use the victim as an improvised weapon, and throw it 60' straight up, targetting a point mid-air.

Have your teammates ready to attack the victim with improvised victims of their own!!

[sophontteks]

That's riddiculous.

What you should do is to use the victim as an improvised weapon, and throw it 60' straight up, targetting a point mid-air.
When you tell your DM you are a halfling, and they reply with a document explaining houserules for throwing characters.:smalleek: