Ok so one of my players for some reason likes to climb to taller places and usually initiates combat by dive bombing enemies and pins them to the ground. Up till now I've been running rules for an unarmed strike and a grapple maneuver in one round, but that seems to either be really awesome or really useless.
I'm not sure if thats the best way to run that train of thought or if there is something easier.
Interesting and I see how you need to make sure such a maneuver is balanced if the player is going to have their character do this often!
Personally, I'd go with the following, but it may be a little complex:
The character makes a standard grapple attack, a Strength (Athletics) check, as contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) OR Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The target gets to choose what they contest with.
If the grapple FAILS (the target either moves, or braced themselves and shrugged the grapple off) - the player character is at risk of taking falling damage, if they dropped from sufficient height. The falling rules state 1d6 damage per 10 feet fallen. I'd probably allow an acrobatics check to take half damage, as they initiated the fall on purpose.
If the grapple SUCCEEDS - the target is prone and grappled and the player character is on top of them. I'd roll falling damage and split it evenly between both. Maybe allow the player character a save for half/none?
What you already have is reasonably simple though, so use whatever works for you and your players. :)
Is your question about how to pull that off or that he's doing it too easily or what exactly?
For the mechanics of it I'd assume you're making him do an Athletics check to climb first of all, then using half speed = climbing speed (technically each foot costs two but you get it). This would happen after you've engaged the enemy, unless he knows they are coming and can prepare that ahead of time. From there some sort of roll maybe Acrobatics or even an attack roll to actually land on the intended target, fall damage = 1d6 per 10 feet. If you allowed for the dive bomb attack to also knock them prone which is certainly feasible they would then need to grapple the target. That's an awful lot of opportunity for things to do awry to pull that off. Not impossible at all just takes a good bit of time and good rolls to pull off successfully.
This also assumes there's something for him to actually get up on too. I think it sounds like a fun thing to do but not sure how practical it is in most situations due to the set up required.
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Ok so one of my players for some reason likes to climb to taller places and usually initiates combat by dive bombing enemies and pins them to the ground. Up till now I've been running rules for an unarmed strike and a grapple maneuver in one round, but that seems to either be really awesome or really useless.
I'm not sure if thats the best way to run that train of thought or if there is something easier.
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D&D Beyond FoundersInteresting and I see how you need to make sure such a maneuver is balanced if the player is going to have their character do this often!
Personally, I'd go with the following, but it may be a little complex:
What you already have is reasonably simple though, so use whatever works for you and your players. :)
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Is your question about how to pull that off or that he's doing it too easily or what exactly?
For the mechanics of it I'd assume you're making him do an Athletics check to climb first of all, then using half speed = climbing speed (technically each foot costs two but you get it). This would happen after you've engaged the enemy, unless he knows they are coming and can prepare that ahead of time. From there some sort of roll maybe Acrobatics or even an attack roll to actually land on the intended target, fall damage = 1d6 per 10 feet. If you allowed for the dive bomb attack to also knock them prone which is certainly feasible they would then need to grapple the target. That's an awful lot of opportunity for things to do awry to pull that off. Not impossible at all just takes a good bit of time and good rolls to pull off successfully.
This also assumes there's something for him to actually get up on too. I think it sounds like a fun thing to do but not sure how practical it is in most situations due to the set up required.