Rasslin'! (clip art) |
The grappling rules I've seen in the
classic books left me scratching my head, so I ignored them. The ones
from AD&D, if I remember correctly, read like an alchemical
formula. That's when you shake your head and laugh sentimentally at
Gygaxianism's funny moments (I'm looking at you, psionics).
In my games when someone tackles or
grapples I have always used one rule: wing that mother. Normally I'll
have them make a hit roll and if it's a good one then I'll have the
target make Str or Dex checks to break the hold. Whatever seems
appropriate.
I track non-lethal combat exactly like
lethal combat, but the end game is subduing, not killing. So when hit
points reach zero you are DONE fighting.
Another simple rule I would employ is
this. When a successful non-lethal hit roll exceeds the target's Str
or Con, they have to save vs. Paralysis or be immediately subdued
(like a boxer being knocked out). This way you CAN have a one-punch
dramatic moment.
Against monsters (traditionally without
Str or Con scores), just use a target of 15.
I know that grappling rules are a bit
contentious and some folks love more complex rules. After all, a good
grapple is a lot like a wrestling match, which is itself kinda like a
mini-story. So it makes sense for there to be a desire for blow-by-blow
rules. I just prefer to keep things moving in my games and try not to
get bogged down in minute details.
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