Being able to use Grapple or Shove on an Opportunity Attack is a subtle, but fundamental, change to melee combat in 5ER. It allows melee characters options to control combat in a way they had not in 5E. "Tanking" might actually be a thing now when it really wasn't a supported play style before.
You still need a free hand, though, right? If so it’s not going to help a lot for sword-and-board types. And heavy weapon users will be able to hold on, but otherwise just stand there with a bad guy in one hand and a glaive in the other. So a dual wielder could drop one weapon and at least still be armed and able to attack with the other. But then they’re often going to be dex-based, and the attack to grapple them is using str. This is all assuming we’re not talking about a monk, which has its own things going on.
You’re right that it does at least open it up as an option, I just wonder how often it will be a good option.
You need a free hand to maintain a Grapple, yes, but not to Shove, which you can do with a kick. A two hander being able to initiate a Grapple as an OA is still great even if they drop it on their turn to attack. You still stopped that enemy from moving and also imposed Disadvantage on their attacks against everyone else. This also makes monks the best class at grappling, innately without any outside additions like Feats. Their Grapple and Shove DC is dex based and they don't need free hands in order to use most of their attacks.
How often will it be a good option? Well, unless you think you can kill an enemy outright with your OA, it might often be a better choice to knock them prone and force them to burn movement to get up.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
The creature provoking an Opportunity Attack will usually be on it's turn, so if shoved Prone it will be able to right itself and move up to half it's speed, and if Grappled, attempt to escape as an action and move the remainder of it's movement. A safer choice of action then may instead be to Disengage and avoid any Opportunity Attack.
The creature provoking an Opportunity Attack will usually be on it's turn, so if shoved Prone it will be able to right itself and move up to half it's speed, and if Grappled, attempt to escape as an action and move the remainder of it's movement. A safer choice of action then may instead be to Disengage and avoid any Opportunity Attack.
It does actually have to burn an action to attempt to escape, though. That, alone, has value. And it may well have already burnt its action before trying to run.
The creature provoking an Opportunity Attack will usually be on it's turn, so if shoved Prone it will be able to right itself and move up to half it's speed, and if Grappled, attempt to escape as an action and move the remainder of it's movement. A safer choice of action then may instead be to Disengage and avoid any Opportunity Attack.
All of which represents the melee character taking away options or action economy from the fleeing enemy, Control which melee characters did not have in PHB 2014.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Reading through these necroed threads is making my head spin. I see a recent thread, cross reference the 2024 rules, and have my response constructed before I realize the original thread is two or three years old. I think I've done it three times today.
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You need a free hand to maintain a Grapple, yes, but not to Shove, which you can do with a kick. A two hander being able to initiate a Grapple as an OA is still great even if they drop it on their turn to attack. You still stopped that enemy from moving and also imposed Disadvantage on their attacks against everyone else. This also makes monks the best class at grappling, innately without any outside additions like Feats. Their Grapple and Shove DC is dex based and they don't need free hands in order to use most of their attacks.
How often will it be a good option? Well, unless you think you can kill an enemy outright with your OA, it might often be a better choice to knock them prone and force them to burn movement to get up.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
The creature provoking an Opportunity Attack will usually be on it's turn, so if shoved Prone it will be able to right itself and move up to half it's speed, and if Grappled, attempt to escape as an action and move the remainder of it's movement. A safer choice of action then may instead be to Disengage and avoid any Opportunity Attack.
It does actually have to burn an action to attempt to escape, though. That, alone, has value. And it may well have already burnt its action before trying to run.
All of which represents the melee character taking away options or action economy from the fleeing enemy, Control which melee characters did not have in PHB 2014.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Haha, thank you Plaguescarred!
I'm still using the 2014 rules, but little by little, I'm learning and picking up some differences between versions. Always learning! :)
Same for me too
Reading through these necroed threads is making my head spin. I see a recent thread, cross reference the 2024 rules, and have my response constructed before I realize the original thread is two or three years old. I think I've done it three times today.