Genuinely don't know where to post this, I've looked around for clarification but I find literally nothing.
So the Oath of the Noble Genies has a feature called Elemental Smite (or Elemental Strike in the builder). I'm confused about the Dao's Crush option. Here's the important part of the feature:
Immediately after you cast Divine Smite, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity and invoke one of the following effects.
Dao’s Crush. Earth rises up around the target of your Divine Smite. The target has the Grappled condition (escape DC equal to your spell save DC). While Grappled, the target has the Restrained condition.
My issue is, this feature does not tell you how the target is meant to escape from the effect. Every other instance of an effect like this I've seen explicitly says whether the creature makes a saving throw at some point, or that they can use an Action to make an ability check to escape. I have checked the rules for Grappling, which does say:
One Grapple per Hand. A creature must have a hand free to grapple another creature. Some stat blocks and game effects allow a creature to grapple using a tentacle, a maw, or another body part. Whatever part a grappler uses, it can grapple only one creature at a time with that part, and the grappler can’t use that part to target another creature unless it ends the grapple.
Ending a Grapple. A Grappled creature can use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the grapple’s escape DC, ending the condition on itself on a success. The condition also ends if the grappler has the Incapacitated condition or if the distance between the Grappled target and the grappler exceeds the grapple’s range. In addition, the grappler can release the target at any time (no action required).
I expect people will respond that the target can just use an action to escape, but following the rules for normal Grappling, does that mean the Grapple also ends if the Paladin is Incapacitated? Or that the Paladin needs a hand free to maintain the Grapple? Or that the target only remains Grappled as long as the Paladin stays within reach of it? If these answer to any of those is no, then why would the escape be the same as normal?
This option is written like a buffed Grapple, but the effect itself is clearly not a normal Grapple, and needs some clarification. I had to go hunting in the rules to find out how this is meant to end - it should just be written in the feature. The fact that this includes the Restrained condition says to be it should be worded and explained in the same way as other effects that cause it, like Entangle or Ensnaring Strike - which both state you escape by making an ability check.
I think you may be over complicating it. The paladin is not grappling the creature, the earth around it is. So, no the paladin doesn’t need to use one of their hands or stay there or maintain concentration or anything. You already quoted the rules for escaping the grapple. The power specifies the escape DC is equal to the paladin’s spell save DC.
The escape is the same as normal, because there’s nothing that says it’s not normal. Rules only do what they say. They don’t imply anything.
The reason they didn’t go into more detail is the power just follows the standard rules. The target has the grappled condition, there’s rules on how to end the grappled condition. They save themselves having to re-write the same instructions every time grappled comes up.
The grapple's source is not defined. (Is it the original square of the grappled creature?)
The grapple's range is not defined. (Is it 5 feet?)
Please don't incapacitate the ground.
Apart from that, Strength or Dexterity checks can end it as normal. Forced movement out of the grapple's range (requires DM's ruling on the above). Teleporting automatically escapes the grapple.
I would personally rule it as a grapple originating from the square or squares the grappled creature was in with a range of 0 feet (completely leaving the square or squares ends the grapple).
Genuinely don't know where to post this, I've looked around for clarification but I find literally nothing.
So the Oath of the Noble Genies has a feature called Elemental Smite (or Elemental Strike in the builder). I'm confused about the Dao's Crush option. Here's the important part of the feature:
Immediately after you cast Divine Smite, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity and invoke one of the following effects.
Dao’s Crush. Earth rises up around the target of your Divine Smite. The target has the Grappled condition (escape DC equal to your spell save DC). While Grappled, the target has the Restrained condition.
My issue is, this feature does not tell you how the target is meant to escape from the effect. Every other instance of an effect like this I've seen explicitly says whether the creature makes a saving throw at some point, or that they can use an Action to make an ability check to escape. I have checked the rules for Grappling, which does say:
One Grapple per Hand. A creature must have a hand free to grapple another creature. Some stat blocks and game effects allow a creature to grapple using a tentacle, a maw, or another body part. Whatever part a grappler uses, it can grapple only one creature at a time with that part, and the grappler can’t use that part to target another creature unless it ends the grapple.
Ending a Grapple. A Grappled creature can use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the grapple’s escape DC, ending the condition on itself on a success. The condition also ends if the grappler has the Incapacitated condition or if the distance between the Grappled target and the grappler exceeds the grapple’s range. In addition, the grappler can release the target at any time (no action required).
I expect people will respond that the target can just use an action to escape, but following the rules for normal Grappling, does that mean the Grapple also ends if the Paladin is Incapacitated? Or that the Paladin needs a hand free to maintain the Grapple? Or that the target only remains Grappled as long as the Paladin stays within reach of it? If these answer to any of those is no, then why would the escape be the same as normal?
This option is written like a buffed Grapple, but the effect itself is clearly not a normal Grapple, and needs some clarification. I had to go hunting in the rules to find out how this is meant to end - it should just be written in the feature. The fact that this includes the Restrained condition says to be it should be worded and explained in the same way as other effects that cause it, like Entangle or Ensnaring Strike - which both state you escape by making an ability check.
I think you may be over complicating it.
The paladin is not grappling the creature, the earth around it is. So, no the paladin doesn’t need to use one of their hands or stay there or maintain concentration or anything.
You already quoted the rules for escaping the grapple. The power specifies the escape DC is equal to the paladin’s spell save DC.
The escape is the same as normal, because there’s nothing that says it’s not normal. Rules only do what they say. They don’t imply anything.
The reason they didn’t go into more detail is the power just follows the standard rules. The target has the grappled condition, there’s rules on how to end the grappled condition. They save themselves having to re-write the same instructions every time grappled comes up.
There are a few issues.
Apart from that, Strength or Dexterity checks can end it as normal. Forced movement out of the grapple's range (requires DM's ruling on the above). Teleporting automatically escapes the grapple.
I would personally rule it as a grapple originating from the square or squares the grappled creature was in with a range of 0 feet (completely leaving the square or squares ends the grapple).
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.