Repelling blast and grapple?

[cutlery]

Specifically, a warlock with crossbow expert (meh!).

Baddie closes to melee range and successfully grapples the warlock. The warlock fires off an eldritch blast and strikes their grappler - what happens?

How about if the warlock is restrained, what happens?

Since you can drag a grappled creature under normal movement, I'd be inclined to rule that the grappler can drag the warlock with them (and speed is cut in half if the grappled target is large enough).

The PHB talks about what happens when the grappled creature is moved away, but what about the grappler?

Say an Ancient red dragon chose to grapple a warlock (hey, it wants to play with its food). The warlock lands a couple bolts of EB, and applies repelling blast. What happens?

RAW, I can see grapple broken and the dragon pushed away from the warlock. On the other hand, a gargantuan dragon can trivially drag a medium creature around once grappled.

[MaxWilson]

The PHB talks about what happens when the grappled creature is moved away, but what about the grappler?

Say an Ancient red dragon chose to grapple a warlock (hey, it wants to play with its food). The warlock lands a couple bolts of EB, and applies repelling blast. What happens?

My ruling: the dragon moves, the grapple ends, and the warlock falls 40-80', landing prone.

That's assuming the Dragon isn't invisible or in Darkness and doesn't Counterspell (all ways to negate Eldritch Blast).

[cutlery]

My ruling: the dragon moves, the grapple ends, and the warlock falls 40-80', landing prone.

That's assuming the Dragon isn't invisible or in Darkness and doesn't Counterspell (all ways to negate Eldritch Blast).

In that case, for a lesser grappling creature, say, a froghemoth, EB+RB would be a so-so way to exit the grapple. Not that EB needs any help in the awesomeness department.

[Demonslayer666]

I would also agree that if the grappler is moved away that the grapple ends.

I would also take the situation into account. With a gargantuan dragon, it would not likely be automatic. Like you said, it would be easy for the dragon to maintain that grapple unless something made it drop whatever it was holding.

[MaxWilson]

In that case, for a lesser grappling creature, say, a froghemoth, EB+RB would be a so-so way to exit the grapple. Not that EB needs any help in the awesomeness department.

Sure. You can also have one of your buddies Eldritch Blast you away, or Shove you away with one of their attacks and choose not to resist (I think most DMs would agree that an unresisted Shove should autosucceed in the same way a Shove vs. an incapacitated creature does), or Grapple you and drag you out of the monster's reach. Or have a conjured Ape or animated zombie do the same thing.

I'm not sure what happens by RAW if you're mounted when the Froghemoth grapples you. Technically grappling just reduces your speed to 0, and your mount still has movement... but also technically, I don't think the rules actually define what happens by RAW when your mount moves. The fact that you move with your mount is just sort of left implicit... so it's not against RAW to say that when your horse moves, you don't, and are left hanging from the Froghemoth's tongue.

[sophontteks]

I would also agree that if the grappler is moved away that the grapple ends.

I would also take the situation into account. With a gargantuan dragon, it would not likely be automatic. Like you said, it would be easy for the dragon to maintain that grapple unless something made it drop whatever it was holding.
Their is no weight limits on push spells. A simple gust cantrip will break the dragons grapple as well. This is largely the purpose of these spells so I'd tread careful houseruling a check.

Repelling blast is not a super powerful ability as-is. Adding a check to it's one benefit would really hurt it.

It's kinda like the opposite of rule of cool where your applying house rules to make characters uncool.

[sithlordnergal]

Their is no weight limits on push spells. A simple gust cantrip will break the dragons grapple as well. This is largely the purpose of these spells so I'd tread careful houseruling a check.

Repelling blast is not a super powerful ability as-is. Adding a check to it's one benefit would really hurt it.

It's kinda like the opposite of rule of cool where your applying house rules to make characters uncool.

Mmmmm, close but not quite. Gust has a limit of Medium or Smaller creatures, but Repelling Blast lacks the restriction which makes it stronger. Outside of that I agree with you.

[sophontteks]

Mmmmm, close but not quite. Gust has a limit of Medium or Smaller creatures, but Repelling Blast lacks the restriction which makes it stronger. Outside of that I agree with you.
Oof. I didnt see that. It's been a long time since I played my storm sorc triton. It sounds OP in the cases it works, but it doesn't come up super often.

[MaxWilson]

Oof. I didnt see that. It's been a long time since I played my storm sorc triton. It sounds OP in the cases it works, but it doesn't come up super often.

Speaking of Storm Sorc, they can break grapples just by casting any spell and then flying away--their flying ability is not tied to their movement.

I do think Repelling Blast is quite a bit better than you give it credit for BTW. It combos well with spells like Spiked Growth, Wall of Flame, and even the Create Bonfire cantrip. Also any situation where falling damage is a possibility, because then you get damage AND the enemy has to spend time climbing back up.

Repelling Blast is lethal in mounted aerial combat (blast the Narzugon right off his Nightmare), and it's also terrific in naval or spelljamming combat.

[Warlush]

It's kinda like the opposite of rule of cool where your applying house rules to make characters uncool.

If I had a nickel for every time I saw a DM nerf a Warlock feature I'd be a masked lord of Waterdeep.

[da newt]

BTW - the EB attack will most likely be at DISADV because you are likely within melee range.

[MaxWilson]

BTW - the EB attack will most likely be at DISADV because you are likely within melee range.

The OP says in post #1 that it's "a warlock with crossbow expert (meh!)." So, no disadvantage.

[Valmark]

Up to the DM.

As in, multiple people interpret the rules differently, so while I'll tell you that the grappler drags the grappled with them even only looking at the posts in this thread you can see many think differently.

The reason for my explanation is simple- the Grappled condition says that the grapple also ends when an effect pushes the grappled away from the grappler, the opposite is never mentioned.

And we know that a grappler can drag the grappled when they move, no exception present. If forced movement broke that rule it would say so, like for opportunity attacks or Booming Blade (though I was told BB was made in collaboration with a third party, so that might be the reason. Opportunity attacks are PHB though, so the example applies).