The party encountered several Mimics in the latest session. The fight was surrounded by three mimics and was hit each time by Mimics Pseudopod. Based on the Pseudopod attack action, it automatically grappled its target with a hit.
Questions:
1) As I mentioned, the fighter was grappled by several of these mimics at the same time. I could not find it in the rules, but being grappled by multiple creatures seems legal. Is this correct?
2) Instead of breaking the grapple, the Fighter has chosen to use his actions to attack the grappling mimics. Again, I could not find anything in the rules indicating that this was an illegal action, nor if there was a penalty for taking an Attack action against the creature grappling the player. Is this correct?
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a grapple. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). You succeed automatically if the target is incapacitated. If you succeed, you subject the target to the grappled condition. The condition specifies the things that end it, and you can release the target whenever you like (no action required).
...and add in the rules for monsters
Grapple Rules for Monsters
Many monsters have special attacks that allow them to quickly grapple prey. When a monster hits with such an attack, it doesn't need to make an additional ability check to determine whether the grapple succeeds, unless the attack says otherwise.
A creature grappled by the monster can use its action to try to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the escape DC in the monster's stat block. If no escape DC is given, assume the DC is 10 + the monster's Strength (Athletics) modifier.
The key to your two questions is in the rules.
1. Can several mimics (or other creatures) grapple the same target? Yes. The requirements to grapple don't say a thing about "if the target of the grapple is already grappled by another creature..." and that lack of a mention means (in my interpretation) that they can - provided they can all reach the target.
2. Can a grappled creature attack their grappler? Yes. Again, we can find the answer in an absence of any rule saying the Grappled condition prevents a character from attacking.
Grappled
A grappled creature's speed becomes 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed.
The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated (see the condition).
The condition also ends if an effect removes the grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or grappling effect, such as when a creature is hurled away by the thunderwave spell.
The fighter in question is Grappled, so they have a speed of 0 and no bonuses to that speed. Not only can they attack, if they have multiple attacks they can use them all. Further, they could both attack and try to escape a grapple if they want to split the attacks.
Being Grappled does not mean a character is Prone. It means their attacker has a hand, or other limb, etc. on the character. They are still on their feet, they just can't move (speed of 0). The fighter is cutting to the chase with a "Dead is incapacitated, I can solve this with blood." response. The rules allow it.
Further, they could both attack and try to escape a grapple if they want to split the attacks.
Just want to point out that while the fighter can attempt to grapple one of the mimics with one of their attacks, in order to escape a grapple they must use their action:
1) In general you can be grappled by more than one creatures. If multiple effects impose the same condition on a creature, each instance of the condition has its own duration, but the condition's effects don't get worse.
2) Being grappled doesn't prevent you from attacking normally compared to the restrained condition where your attack rolls have disadvantage.
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Setup:
The party encountered several Mimics in the latest session. The fight was surrounded by three mimics and was hit each time by Mimics Pseudopod. Based on the Pseudopod attack action, it automatically grappled its target with a hit.
Questions:
1) As I mentioned, the fighter was grappled by several of these mimics at the same time. I could not find it in the rules, but being grappled by multiple creatures seems legal. Is this correct?
2) Instead of breaking the grapple, the Fighter has chosen to use his actions to attack the grappling mimics. Again, I could not find anything in the rules indicating that this was an illegal action, nor if there was a penalty for taking an Attack action against the creature grappling the player. Is this correct?
Let's start with the core rules for grappling.
Grappling
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a grapple. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). You succeed automatically if the target is incapacitated. If you succeed, you subject the target to the grappled condition. The condition specifies the things that end it, and you can release the target whenever you like (no action required).
...and add in the rules for monsters
Grapple Rules for Monsters
Many monsters have special attacks that allow them to quickly grapple prey. When a monster hits with such an attack, it doesn't need to make an additional ability check to determine whether the grapple succeeds, unless the attack says otherwise.
A creature grappled by the monster can use its action to try to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the escape DC in the monster's stat block. If no escape DC is given, assume the DC is 10 + the monster's Strength (Athletics) modifier.
The key to your two questions is in the rules.
1. Can several mimics (or other creatures) grapple the same target? Yes. The requirements to grapple don't say a thing about "if the target of the grapple is already grappled by another creature..." and that lack of a mention means (in my interpretation) that they can - provided they can all reach the target.
2. Can a grappled creature attack their grappler? Yes. Again, we can find the answer in an absence of any rule saying the Grappled condition prevents a character from attacking.
Grappled
The fighter in question is Grappled, so they have a speed of 0 and no bonuses to that speed. Not only can they attack, if they have multiple attacks they can use them all. Further, they could both attack and try to escape a grapple if they want to split the attacks.
Being Grappled does not mean a character is Prone. It means their attacker has a hand, or other limb, etc. on the character. They are still on their feet, they just can't move (speed of 0). The fighter is cutting to the chase with a "Dead is incapacitated, I can solve this with blood." response. The rules allow it.
Just want to point out that while the fighter can attempt to grapple one of the mimics with one of their attacks, in order to escape a grapple they must use their action:
"Escaping a Grapple. A grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your Strength (Athletics) check." - https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/combat#MeleeAttacks
1) In general you can be grappled by more than one creatures. If multiple effects impose the same condition on a creature, each instance of the condition has its own duration, but the condition's effects don't get worse.
2) Being grappled doesn't prevent you from attacking normally compared to the restrained condition where your attack rolls have disadvantage.