(3.5) Grappling and sizes

[koeldflare]

Hello people. Two of the people I play D&D 3.5 with are having an argument about grappling, and we are having a difficult time making a ruling.

One of them claims that any character capable of garppling is able to grapple anything else no matter the size. The example he is using is that a halfling could grapple a huge dragon if he rolls high enough.

The other player argues that no character is able to grapple anything 2 size categories bigger then themselves. Although I feel this ruling makes the most amount of sense we can't seem to find evidence for it in any of the books.

Could someone help us prove / disprove this grappling dilemma?

[Kaihaku]

One of them claims that any character capable of garppling is able to grapple anything else no matter the size. The example he is using is that a halfling could grapple a huge dragon if he rolls high enough.

I believe he is correct, the difficulty of that act is already acknowledged through size modifiers. It isn't impossible, it's just really hard.

Grapple Checks

Repeatedly in a grapple, you need to make opposed grapple checks against an opponent. A grapple check is like a melee attack roll. Your attack bonus on a grapple check is:

Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier

Special Size Modifier: The special size modifier for a grapple check is as follows: Colossal +16, Gargantuan +12, Huge +8, Large +4, Medium +0, Small –4, Tiny –8, Diminutive –12, Fine –16. Use this number in place of the normal size modifier you use when making an attack roll.

[tyckspoon]

You can indeed grapple anything you want if you can achieve a high enough modifier. There are even a number of feats designed specifically to help smaller beings grapple with larger ones, although most of them are more tuned to escaping the grapple and they still don't provide enough of a bonus.. *ahem*. Anyway. Tripping is restricted by size, which is probably what your other player is thinking of. Grappling is only restricted by the general futility of trying to beat the extra size+strength+possible stability mods of something multiple size categories larger than you. If you feel a further houserule is necessary, I would consider restricting the ability to pin larger opponents in a grapple- although a sufficiently skilled halfling could make a nuisance of itself to a dragon (as per the normal effects of being in a grapple), I would have some difficulty conceiving of him being able to pin down a dragon.

[RTGoodman]

You, in fact, CANNOT grapple anything more than two sizes larger that you. Well, you can start the grapple, but you can never get past Step 3 (Establishing a Hold) since you automatically fail at that point.

Step 3

Hold. Make an opposed grapple check as a free action.

If you succeed, you and your target are now grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.

If you lose, you fail to start the grapple. You automatically lose an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than you are.

In case of a tie, the combatant with the higher grapple check modifier wins. If this is a tie, roll again to break the tie.

See HERE for more info.


EDIT: Now, I suppose you could get past that by having the big critter grapple you first, but that's kind of a silly tactic.

[koeldflare]

Thanks rtg0922! As the page was loading to your post I managed to find it in the phb, and now we know the answer!