An encounter that is planned for the adventure I'm going to run is set in the desert. The PC's encounter monsters that have a burrow speed 20 ft. and Tremorsense 30 ft. The monsters's tactics is to Grapple the characters from under the sand (being 5 feet under the character) and drag them under it thereafter.
Cinematically, only hands of those humanoid-shaped undead monsters are visible when they try grappling the character. Am I correct in the following interpreation of the encounter mechanics?
1. If the monster fails to grapple a character, it hides its limbs and has Total Cover while burrowed.
2. If the monster does grapple a character, only its limbs are visible, so if it wants to drag the character under the sand, it potentially provokes Opportunity Attacks bus has Three-Quarters Cover against those attacks. After it burrows under the sand with the target, it has Total Cover once again.
No. A burrowing creature can drag another creature with them only if they have the ability to leave a tunnel. For example, a Purple Worm has the Tunneler trait, so it can drag a Grappled creature into a tunnel it creates when burrowing. Conversely, an Earth Elemental can’t drag a creature into the ground with it.
Apart from that, I agree with your point 1, but I'd say succeding or not, it has Total Cover while under the ground.
Regarding question 2, if that monster is under the sand the whole time, it should have Total Cover throughout.
Thank you! Then, because it's a homebrew monster, I should update the monster to give it the Tunneler trait which explicitly states that he leaves a tunnel while burrowing through sand. I also gave the monster the ability to Burrow strictly vertically with the Grappled Target, collapsing the tunnel afterwards.
I think it's thematically appropriate. I try to make a Desert Zombie from Har'Akir, but I want to follow the style of DnD 2024.
Thank you! Then, because it's a homebrew monster, I should update the monster to give it the Tunneler trait which explicitly states that he leaves a tunnel while burrowing through sand. I also gave the monster the ability to Burrow strictly vertically with the Grappled Target, collapsing the tunnel afterwards.
I think it's thematically appropriate. I try to make a Desert Zombie from Har'Akir, but I want to follow the style of DnD 2024.
It sounds fun :)
And sorry, because I didn't ask about the edition (2014, 2024). All good if you prefer 2024.
But if it's needed, this is from the 2014 SAC, so the rules are essentially the same:
No. A burrowing creature can drag another creature with them only if they have the ability to leave a tunnel. For example, a purple worm has the Tunneler trait, so it can drag a grappled creature into a tunnel it creates when burrowing. Conversely, an earth elemental can’t drag a creature into the ground with it.
I agree with TarodNet a creature completely underground effectively has Total Cover, this even if it grapple a creature aboveground.
This is one of those things that are severely under defined in DND rules. You can't initiate a grapple on someone that has total cover that much is clear. But the question if you still can hold on to them if you move to a position where you have total cover has no explicit answer.
IMHO you can't have total cover against someone you are grappling, if you can reach them then they can reach you (but I can see other ruling it differently). The grappled creature might just be able to reach/attack the appendage that is grappling it though.
I agree with TarodNet a creature completely underground effectively has Total Cover, this even if it grapple a creature aboveground.
This might be the best RAW answer, but this one doesn't sit well with me.
I guess one question might be if Creature A who is standing in space A grapples Creature B who is standing in space B . . . is any portion of Creature A occupying any portion of space B? In other words, can Creature B attack Creature A by explicitly targeting space B (his own space)?
I guess one question might be if Creature A who is standing in space A grapples Creature B who is standing in space B . . . is any portion of Creature A occupying any portion of space B? In other words, can Creature B attack Creature A by explicitly targeting space B (his own space)?
RAW an Occupied Space is the one a creature is in. Grappling a creature in another space or square doesn<t make you occupy two spaces or squares.
IMHO you can't have total cover against someone you are grappling, if you can reach them then they can reach you . . . The grappled creature might just be able to reach/attack the appendage that is grappling it though.
IMO, this is the best answer, and I think that we can get there by using the rules for Cover, with the end result being that in the situation presented in the OP the monster will have three-quarters cover and NOT total cover while grappling the PC.
Walls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide cover . . .
An object that covers at least three-quarters of the target
So, even in a situation where the ground provides cover and a creature is considered to be located in a space that is fully underground -- if the creature itself is not actually fully underground because its arms are sticking up out of the ground to grapple another creature's legs then that portion of the creature's body is not actually covered by / behind the object / obstacle in question. Instead, that grappling creature only has three-quarters cover.
We see similar examples of this when a creature is considered to be located in a space that is fully behind a large tree trunk that is providing cover. But then that creature decides to "lean out" from behind that tree trunk to fire a bow shot but does so without ever actually leaving its own space. At this moment, even though the creature's space has total cover per se, the creature itself does not actually have total cover but instead has only three-quarters cover -- meaning, if an enemy had readied an attack, they could now target this creature applying the three-quarters cover penalty to this readied attack.
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An encounter that is planned for the adventure I'm going to run is set in the desert. The PC's encounter monsters that have a burrow speed 20 ft. and Tremorsense 30 ft. The monsters's tactics is to Grapple the characters from under the sand (being 5 feet under the character) and drag them under it thereafter.
Cinematically, only hands of those humanoid-shaped undead monsters are visible when they try grappling the character. Am I correct in the following interpreation of the encounter mechanics?
1. If the monster fails to grapple a character, it hides its limbs and has Total Cover while burrowed.
2. If the monster does grapple a character, only its limbs are visible, so if it wants to drag the character under the sand, it potentially provokes Opportunity Attacks bus has Three-Quarters Cover against those attacks. After it burrows under the sand with the target, it has Total Cover once again.
One thing to consider is that the monster needs the Tunneler trait to drag another creature with it:
Apart from that, I agree with your point 1, but I'd say succeding or not, it has Total Cover while under the ground.
Regarding question 2, if that monster is under the sand the whole time, it should have Total Cover throughout.
Also, if it's interesting for you Oerlaf, this thread has useful info about Opportunity Attacks against an Earth Elemental: Elemental Grappling - Rules & Game Mechanics
Among the answers, this one by Plaguescarred is relevant to your question:
Thank you! Then, because it's a homebrew monster, I should update the monster to give it the Tunneler trait which explicitly states that he leaves a tunnel while burrowing through sand. I also gave the monster the ability to Burrow strictly vertically with the Grappled Target, collapsing the tunnel afterwards.
I think it's thematically appropriate. I try to make a Desert Zombie from Har'Akir, but I want to follow the style of DnD 2024.
It sounds fun :)
And sorry, because I didn't ask about the edition (2014, 2024). All good if you prefer 2024.
But if it's needed, this is from the 2014 SAC, so the rules are essentially the same:
I agree with TarodNet a creature completely underground effectively has Total Cover, this even if it grapple a creature aboveground.
This is one of those things that are severely under defined in DND rules. You can't initiate a grapple on someone that has total cover that much is clear. But the question if you still can hold on to them if you move to a position where you have total cover has no explicit answer.
IMHO you can't have total cover against someone you are grappling, if you can reach them then they can reach you (but I can see other ruling it differently). The grappled creature might just be able to reach/attack the appendage that is grappling it though.
This might be the best RAW answer, but this one doesn't sit well with me.
I guess one question might be if Creature A who is standing in space A grapples Creature B who is standing in space B . . . is any portion of Creature A occupying any portion of space B? In other words, can Creature B attack Creature A by explicitly targeting space B (his own space)?
RAW an Occupied Space is the one a creature is in. Grappling a creature in another space or square doesn<t make you occupy two spaces or squares.
IMO, this is the best answer, and I think that we can get there by using the rules for Cover, with the end result being that in the situation presented in the OP the monster will have three-quarters cover and NOT total cover while grappling the PC.
So, even in a situation where the ground provides cover and a creature is considered to be located in a space that is fully underground -- if the creature itself is not actually fully underground because its arms are sticking up out of the ground to grapple another creature's legs then that portion of the creature's body is not actually covered by / behind the object / obstacle in question. Instead, that grappling creature only has three-quarters cover.
We see similar examples of this when a creature is considered to be located in a space that is fully behind a large tree trunk that is providing cover. But then that creature decides to "lean out" from behind that tree trunk to fire a bow shot but does so without ever actually leaving its own space. At this moment, even though the creature's space has total cover per se, the creature itself does not actually have total cover but instead has only three-quarters cover -- meaning, if an enemy had readied an attack, they could now target this creature applying the three-quarters cover penalty to this readied attack.