Grabbing and Being Grabbed

You are either grabbing an opponent, or have been grabbed by an opponent, restricting your movement and your actions. You are subject to the effects of the chart below, depending on your state in the grapple.

If you are being Grabbed:

  • When you are first grabbed, you are automatically pulled adjacent to the creature grabbing you.
  • You are Confined, unless the creature grabbing you is two Size Categories or more smaller than you. Positioning Grapple and similar abilities ignore this effect.
  • You do not Threaten.
  • You grant an Advantage to all opponents except those that are grabbing you.
  • You have Disadvantage on attacks against opponents that you do not have grabbed.
  • If you use a power without the Grapple Keyword, the opponent grabbing you may attempt to prevent your action (see Preventing Powers and Abilities, below).
  • You cannot cast a power that has Somatic Components (unless it has the Grapple Keyword).

If you are Grabbing an Opponent:

  • You are Confined. Positioning Grapple and similar abilities ignore this effect.
  • You do not Threaten.
  • If you use a power without the Grapple keyword, you suffer a -10 penalty to all grapple checks made against the opponent you have grabbed while you are recovering from the power.
  • If the opponent you have grabbed uses a power or ability without the grapple keyword, you may make an opposed grapple check against them to prevent the action (see Preventing Powers and Abilities, below)
  • You can grab more than one opponent, but you suffer a cumulative -4 penalty to all grapple checks and attack rolls for every opponent beyond the first (Note: this penalty applies to all attack and grapple rolls, not just those made against the additional opponents).

Preventing Powers and Abilities

While you have an opponent grabbed you can attempt to prevent them from using powers and abilities that do not have the Grapple Keyword (even Free Actions, such as shouting).

  • When your opponent attempts to use such an action (or in the case of a focus or cast power, after the focus time or cast time completes), you may make an opposed Grapple check against them.
  • If you fail, the power or ability proceeds as normal.
  • If you succeed the check, the power fails, and the opponent must still pay all energy costs and wait the recovery time of the power before it may attempt another action.