Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in- Marketplace
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in
My question is this: Can GRAPPLER set VICTIM down anywhere within their reach? And before you rush to an answer, imagine this scenario: They are in a long, narrow hallway, and GRAPPLER moves around a corner during its movement. If it cannot dictate where VICTIM is set down, then VICTIM has no where to be sat down because 15' north of GRAPPLER is inside a wall now.
On a smaller scale, if GRAPPLER had 5' reach, then when moving VICTIM in the grapple, could they simply set VICTIM in any adjacent square? With 15' reach, though, they have a large AOE in which to set the VICTIM. There are some pretty gnarly possibilities.
Thanks for the help!
This is not defined, for either short- or long-range grapples.
All the rules have to say is:
However, I don't think that "must maintain relative position" is workable -- for instance, if the grappler goes around a corner -- so I must conclude that they can maneuver you.
My personal ruling is that the grappler can move you the same amount as they move themselves, but if they want to move you while remaining in place, they have to spend movement to do so.
I've always run it that every 5 feet moved can drag a grappled creature an equal distance.
Let's say GRAPPLER with 15' reach is standing at the corner where a hallway bends. So VICTIM is 15' North from the corner. GRAPPLER moves 5' East around the corner. They need to drag VICTIM 15' South to maintain line of sight.
How would you two rule for this situation?
Line of sight isn't required to grapple a creature or moved it. Presuming it's a flexible appendage, i would rule it turns around the corner and the grappled creature is moved 5 feet down.
Yeah. Presuming it's an elements monk, it doesn't even create narration issues, and probably doesn't for other such abilities. Even if you're Mr. Fantastic, your stretchy arms can go around the corner.
If they want to move them into LOS, and aren't moving further down the hall, I'd just have them spend extra movement as described above.
The other possibility for this scenario of dragging someone around a corner is to rule that it simply cannot be done.
Think about the real-life situation where one person grabs another person by the wrist and forcibly drags them along while the other is actively resisting as hard as they can by hanging and dragging their feet and kicking and screaming and pulling the opposite way. For the sake of argument let's say that this real-life corridor is only 2 feet wide instead of 5 feet wide. When coming to a corner in this manner, they might actually struggle quite a bit when trying to drag this other person around the corner to the point where they might be forced to switch techniques to actively carry them or whatever.
From Grappling rules: "Ending a Grapple. ... The condition also ends if the ... the distance between the Grappled target and the grappler exceeds the grapple’s range."
So, the Grappled condition doesnt end as long as the target is within the Grappler's reach, so i would say that the Grappler would use Grappled condition rule:
"Movable. The grappler can drag or carry you when it moves, but every foot of movement costs it 1 extra foot"
So the Grappler could move the target wherever they want as long as they (Grappler) have movement, and if the Grappler wants to move a little more themselves but leave the target in place (but still in reach), they use normal movement rules.
The "reach" would have to make sense, such as accounting for obstacles and such. But it should be doable.
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” — Voltaire
If GRAPPLER carries VICTIM when they moved, would GRAPPLER not then be able to set VICTIM down wherever they wanted?
The more I look at the, the more I think that as long as GRAPPLER moves, they can carry and, by extension, set down VICTIM wherever they want.
Imagine if GRAPPLER was a great wyrm dragon. They pick someone up, turn around, and set them down away from the rest of the party to have a nice private little chat.
If there is a wall, and the grappler runs around the wall to be on the other side, and if they have muscle and bones for arms, then the victim probably has to be somewhere in the grapplers line of sight
If the grappler is something like a kraken with 15 foot tentacles or something, then one might imagine that the tentacle could wrap around the wall, and the grappler and their victim could be out of line of sight of one another, but still grappled
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” — Voltaire