PDA

View Full Version : Items and spells for Grapplers?



OverdrivePrime
2008-02-06, 12:55 PM
I've been trying to find a list of any and all items that add a bonus to a character's grapple check. I've already got a size bonus taken care of, and strength bonus taken care of.
Is there any item or spell that boosts the actual grapple check? I'm looking for offense, so Mountain stance and other such defensive only tactics aren't gonna help what I'm working on.

Thank you!

sikyon
2008-02-06, 01:20 PM
I don't know about items, but you'll need some way of getting around Freedom of Movement. Antimagic field, perhaps?

Telonius
2008-02-06, 01:23 PM
Not too many out there, apparently. There's the Ring of Earth's Grasp, from DR314 p.29. Bonus to Strength-based skill checks. My online source doesn't say what kind of bonus it is, so it's possibly untyped.

There are plenty of spells and items that are touch range or burst centered on you, which would synergize well with a grappler build. But nothing else I can find (other than size and strength/dex enhancers) that benefits the grapple check itself.

F.L.
2008-02-06, 02:03 PM
This: http://bb.bbboy.net/thegamingden-viewthread?forum=1&thread=651 should have a list of horrible spells for jacking up grapple checks, but it is by no means complete, and doesn't include items. And yes, finding a way to kill antimagic field is a must. Provided you can make items that apply these spells, you should have a high grapple check.

Sorry I'm not more help.

Iku Rex
2008-02-06, 02:10 PM
An old ENWorld post with grapple-related stuff: http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=3090155&postcount=8 .

Craig1f
2008-02-06, 02:37 PM
Armor spikes are always a good choice. Although, I'm not sure I totally understand the rules regarding them.

Do you damage whenever you win a grapple check, or just when you attack? Do spikes just up your grapple attack damage to 1d6 lethal? I don't really understand the rules for spikes.

Theli
2008-02-06, 02:40 PM
Now...is there any way short of dispel magic or antimagic (or paralysis/held) to get around Freedom of Movement when making grapple checks?

Draz74
2008-02-06, 02:42 PM
Do you damage whenever you win a grapple check, or just when you attack?

Anytime you win a grapple check, if the objective of that grapple check was to deal damage. (Not to start a grapple, or to pin the opponent, or whatever else.) Since "attacks" take a penalty in a grapple, dealing damage through a grapple check is better (for a dedicated grappler) than "attacking" with his armor spikes.


Do spikes just up your grapple attack damage to 1d6 lethal?

Pretty much. Although they can be enchanted to have all kinds of other effects.

Person_Man
2008-02-06, 02:51 PM
Lists of Stuff (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=662842)

It's quite easy to get to 12d8 unarmed damage by mid levels with the right combo of feats, magic items, and PrC.

Greater Mighty Wallop from Races of the Dragon. Increases the size category of a blunt weapon when calculating damage. A Monk's Unarmed Strikes are blunt weapons.

The same book also has a graft which gives you a dragon's Frightful Presence. (Though you can also just get it by taking the Frightful Presence feat from Draconomicon). Fear effects stack and impose penalties. If an enemy who has to run away can't (because they're grappled or cornered) then they Cower, rendering them unable to take any action. Or you could just use spells to Stun/Paralyze/Fear etc.

As an aside, any Grapple build needs the Scorpion's Grasp feat from Sandstorm. Free Grapple check whenever you hit an enemy.

SadisticFishing
2008-02-06, 02:52 PM
Psionics are very good at grappling, actually.

Augmented Expansion, Fists of Stone (or wtv it's called), Psychofeedback - they're really rather solid.

Still have the Freedom of Movement problem though.

OverdrivePrime
2008-02-06, 05:09 PM
Many thanks for all the help. I had forgotten about the problem of Freedom of Movement. Permanent Greater Arcane Sight plus either greater dispel magic or a rod of cancellation should be able to help with that, but there might be an easier way too.

Zenos
2008-02-06, 05:11 PM
Many thanks for all the help. I had forgotten about the problem of Freedom of Movement. Permanent Greater Arcane Sight plus either greater dispel magic or a rod of cancellation should be able to help with that, but there might be an easier way too.

You can't have Greater Arcane sight permanencied.

Ranis
2008-02-06, 05:20 PM
I know that it's possible to get a wizard capable of wrestling a purple wurm, and killing it, at level 5 consistently.

OverdrivePrime
2008-02-06, 08:10 PM
You can't have Greater Arcane sight permanencied.

Okay, googles of Greater Arcane Sight will have to do.


Essentially, I'm looking for a way to make a mind flayer as ludicrously deadly as possible. So, I've got strength through the roof and charisma through the roof. Now to enhance grapple checks and defeat FoM. Hmm... would an item that gives a bonus to strength checks work for grapple checks, as mentioned in the Ring of Earth's Grasp?

Parvum
2008-02-06, 08:15 PM
I'm afraid I don't know of anything that actually improves the check, but claws of darkness let you deal extra cold damage (minor) and Slow anyone you grapple (whenever). There is also somethingorother of the kraken, gives reach, constrict, and improved grab.

Theli
2008-02-06, 08:33 PM
If stunning is truly useful against FoM, and grappling escapes in general, then the illithid's mind blast may be all it needs.

But I'm guessing that stuns may not keep a character from attempting opposed grapple checks to avoid grapple...

marjan
2008-02-06, 10:23 PM
There is an item in MIC that gives you enhancement bonus on your grapple checks, but I don't remember its name.

OverdrivePrime
2008-02-07, 09:22 AM
So, here's a funny question.
I've got a mind flayer who's trying to get optimized for grappling.

A mind flayer, normally a medium-sized creature, has a wacky ability that allows it to suck out the brains of small, medium or large creatures, though the text of the ability also states that if it has a way to reach the head of a creature of huge size, it can suck out that creature's brain too. This implies that the mind flayer cannot gobble up the brains of creatures more than one size smaller than it. (Maybe its tentacles are too big to eat tiny brains?)

So, lets suppose that this mind flayer has UMD up the wazoo and uses a caster level 20 scroll of Giant Size. This brings the mind flayer's size up to colossal. Would he/she/it be unable to suck out the brains of any creature smaller than gargantuan?