D&D 3E/3.5 - 3.5 Question About Grapple

Wearing armor gives the opponent more things to grab onto, and it can definitely impede motion. Just watch two Hockey players go at it if you have a doubt. And if you've ever watched Sumo, you know how important it can be to deny your opponent something to grab.

And there are Strength based skills that Armor Check penalties apply to (Jump, Climb, Swim to name a few) so it's not as if there wasn't some precedent, concept wise.

And if "learning to move in armor" could counter this, why doesn't it counter it when running, jumping, climbing or swimming?

Remember that Armor Check Penalty is independent of simple encumbrance, so it isn't just the impact of the weight on these activities, it's the restrictive nature of armor.

So his question is a valid one.

My answer, by the way, will be light on visceral satisfaction.

There are many factors that come into play when you design a game. Often you have to sacrifice realism for playability. This is one of those times.

To start with, Grapple rules aren't particularly realistic. They make no distinction between a wrist lock and a bear hug, and make no distinctions about size until the difference is extreme (one size category, which is usually double height and eight times weight). So an appeal to "realism" is kind of weak from the start.

Most grappling monsters don't wear armor, and most PCs do, so this would tip the scales even more in favor of those grappling monsters.

Further, it would add one more factor to consider in an already clunky game mechanic.

Remember that the ideal game mechanic is resolved with a single dice roll. Most in D&D use two: One for the attack or Save and one for the damage or other effect.

Grapple already uses three at a minimum and in some cases four: Touch Attack (which frequently sends players scrambling to find their Touch AC), opposed Grapple checks (which also sends players searching their sheets to find or calculate the correct modifier), and in some cases a damage roll.

And two or three of those are repeated automatically every round until the Grapple ends.

Adding another modifier to the mix doesn't add anything to the game, it just makes the players scramble a bit more when the situation comes up.

If the mechanic were in the same time zone as realism, such an appeal to realism would mean something. You'd be adding some polish. As it is, you'd be trying to polish a rusty cement mixer. You really shouldn't bother.

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