History Main / GrapplingWithGrapplingRules

* ''Used as the punchline in the ''WebVideo/LoadingReadyRun'' Crapshot [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rlkIPbca4s The Level Up 2]]. As an added joke TheStinger reveals that the giant book is actually the phone book since the [=DM=] needs to call the one person in town who actually understands the grappling rules.

Contrast to regular combat, where the rules can reduce the chaos of battle to the reasonably simple "Did I hit?" and "How much damage did I do?"[[note]]Maybe, if you're really fancy, [[SubsystemDamage "Where did I hit?"]] or [[DamageTyping "What kind of damage did I do?"]][[/note]], and you'll begin to understand why grappling is considered such a frightening topic. While all of the factors mentioned above are relevant to standard weapons combat too, grappling systems have had a historical tendency towards [[MisaimedRealism greater "realism" for reasons rarely justified]].

** If you ''do'' understand the grappling rules, you get the [[GoodBadBugs grapple ball of speed]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6456612 (explained in detail here)]], where the player characters can take turns pulling each other by intentionally failing their checks.

** As shown here: http://darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0232.html. In the next strip we find out the grapple rules have their own supplement, which is bigger than the core rulebook. [[http://darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0233.html Then the GM decides to crash the flying car they're on.]]
** While the regular GM would rather give up than deal with the grappling rules, when [[{{Munchkin}} Pete]] later stands in as substitute GM he [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0344.html takes pride in using the full system]]. But that doesn't give the full impact of it, so this [[http://darthsanddroids.net/comics/darths0344_bonus.jpg THIS]] is the full uncut version with the true insanity level. Worth noting is, although Pete was being a KillerGameMaster for most of that session, he can only claim credit for the opponent and the surrounding hazards; the end result of that fight putting Jim in a horrible position was all this trope. Also worth noting is that Pete, [[CrazyPrepared having foreseen the possibility of a grapple on his watch]], set up a few flowcharts and tables to streamline the process. It still takes in excess of a hundred panels. Imagine how long it would've taken for the regular GM to thumb through the rulebook.

* A strip of ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick'' during its ''Dragon'' magazine run featured a chuul in the midst of battling the party attempt to make a grapple, before getting confused at how its Improved Grab ability (a monster-exclusive ability which streamlines grappling heavily) interacts with the usual rules. Ultimately, it decides to give up and just start attacking normally, which turns out to be quite effective.

** Averted in 5[[superscript:th]] edition, where grappling is now just an opposed skill check of Athletics for the grappler and Acrobatics for the grapplee and (usually) just stops the grapplee from moving. Even the few aversions mostly just add additional conditions that specific characters or creatures can impose while the grapplee has the "grappled" condition.

* Most '''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'' players are largely unaware the game even has grapple rules. The rules themselves are actually quite simple and generally intuitive, taking up a mere half page of text, but are restricted to the advanced ''Tactical Operations'' tech level 3 rules. They are one of the few rules not to be included in ANY of its [[Videogame/MechWarrior videogame]] adaptations.

** Averted in 5[[superscript:th]] edition, where grappling is now just an opposed skill check of Athletics for the grappler and Acrobatics for the grapplee and (usually) just stops the grapplee from moving.

** That said, NPC wrestlers can wrestle anything to death. In the 40d Fortress mode, having skill wrestlers was terrifyingly effective... they'd wade in against squads of enemies and soon there would be [[LudicrousGibs limbs ripped off and bodies flying frankly improbable distances]]. It's been [[{{Nerf}} toned down a bit]] in the newer version of the game, mind you, and trying to wrestle a guy with an axe doesn't often end well.

** This is even mocked by Wizards of the Coast itself [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbbqMoEwDqc in this promo video]]!!