Enhanced Grappling Rules for Roleplaying

 Grappling is often over-simplified in roleplay gaming and does not offer the possibilities it does in reality. This is an attempt to fix that.

A skilled grappler can manipulate their opponent in myriad ways not limited to pinning and restraining. Depending on style they can break limbs, inflict damage by smashing their opponent on the ground, strangle them, or put them in a weaker position to be finished off with a weapon. 

Grappling is a crucial part of armed combat and neglecting it makes for a less dynamic and believable game. 

More versatile grappling rules enhance gameplay and player agency, opening up many new possibilities in combat and non-lethal encounters. 

5E: 

Everyone is a Grappler

Grappling/wrestling/open-handed-fighting is not the purview of one class or style of fighting, it may be necessary for any archetype of adventurer to engage in grappling at some point. This is a key aspect of close quarters fighting. 

A strong character might grapple to push opponents around or hold them close to strike an opponent who would otherwise run, a more dexterous character might use it to off balance or trip opponents and give themselves and their teammates advantage, while a weaker character might only grapple to disengage from others’ attempts to wrestle them. 

The feat would read:

You’ve developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:

-increase your strength by 1 to a total of 20

-You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.

-You have advantage on grapple attempts and escaping from a grapple

-You can attempt joint locks, pins/restraints, power-throws, or strangles 

The damage done by different types of grappling have different effects and durations. Joint lock damage (1d8+strength or dexterity) decreases movement or denies use of a limb and is only recovered through magical healing or several months of recovery. Power throws deal bludgeoning damage modified by the thrower’s strength or dexterity (1d10) critical hits have a chance to knock the one being thrown unconscious (if damage exceeds half their HP). Strangles act as a silence, if you take damage while strangling make a constitution save to maintain.