Game Design – Wrestling with the Concept of Grappling

Let’s talk about the rules of Fight Club. Or rather, since we’re not supposed to talk about Fight Club, let’s talk about grappling rules in RPGs.

Every game covers unarmed combat, which is often stated as the base damage you can inflict without adding weapon damage, but how to quantify and adjudicate grappling in games is either glossed over completely or wrapped up in a confusing morass of rules. Let’s try to find a way to make grappling rules that are fun and fast.

Caveat

I’m not a martial artist or wrestler, nor do I practice any kind of fighting. Never even been in a real fight (so, no I’m not in Fight Club.) To be clear, I’m not trying to reflect reality in any kind of way, but rather trying to identify the best way to represent grappling in RPGs, reflecting our common conceptions of it from books, movies and television shows and translating that into something that could be fun and more than a simple roll at the table, but less than a series of complicated rules.

What Are We Trying to Represent? 

Maybe it’s just me, but most grappling fights in popular media start with one combatant grabbing the other and injuring each other, one gaining a choke or immobilization hold on him or shoving him into something dangerous (like a pit!).

If the fight doesn’t stop there, they both fall to the ground and wrestle for control of the other or a weapon, ending in either one being successful in immobilizing the other or one of the combatants injuring the other until one is victorious.

In essence, a grappling scene is all about a struggle for control of the situation. Maybe one of them pulls a dirty trick, no different from any other kind of fight, but it’s a visceral up-close, in-your-face, fight that is anything but clean. Both of them will come out of it roughed up and possibly bloodied.

Even unmatched foes can have unpredictable results.

What We Want to Represent in the Game

At the core, there’s a reason that people invented weapons that keep opponents at a distance, so part of what we want to represent is a higher degree of danger for grappling. The stakes should be just as deadly, if not more so, than other forms of fighting. Rather than unarmed damage being the base upon which weapons are added, we actually want something more dangerous.

Second, we need to represent a series of tactical decisions that combatants can make when grappling. Although the fight is essentially over control, there’s a few ways to achieve that goal: 1) beating/choking/stabbing or otherwise badly enough injuring the opponent that they submit; 2) maneuvering your opponent into a bad place they can’t recover from (remember that hole?) or 3) pinning the opponent completely. These should be options for players, as they all have very different outcomes: 1) an unconscious or dead opponent; 2) an opponent at bottom of hole; 3) an immobilized opponent. There are of course other possibilities, but most can be grouped into one of those three categories.

Finally, we need this to be simple, cinematic and fast, just like a fight.

How It’s Been Done

D&D 5e involves making the Grapple attack action, cannot be more than one size larger than you and within reach. You need at least one free hand and make a Strength (Athletics) roll against your opponent’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics). If you succeed, you inflict the Grappled condition. You can move an opponent you’ve grappled with you, but at half speed. Your opponent can make a similar Strength or Dexterity roll against your Strength to break free. There are separate shoving rules. When grappled, your speed becomes 0.

Savage Worlds uses an opposed Fighting (Strength) roll to entangle an opponent and with a raise, shake them. Entangled foes use either straight Strength or Agility as opposed rolls (each get to choose which one they’ll roll) to try to break free. Any other type of action is at -4. Once you have someone entangled, you can make the same opposed rolls as above to try to inflict damage on them. If you succeed, you inflict your Strength in damage.

Apocalypse World has the Seize by Force move, which you could take definite hold, but you could also suffer harm or inflict harm with this move. That’s about it.

How It Could Be Done

Okay, so now we have an idea what we’d like to see and we’ve seen that it’s not currently in games, so what could we do?

Let’s start with initiating a grapple. Since we’re going to make it more dangerous, we should also treat it a little differently. Jumping into something risky should be… risky. If you’re going to leap on someone, especially someone armed, that’s extremely risky. Let’s represent that in the game and make it the desperate move it should be. If your target gets a free attack as part of the deal, you’re going to think twice about trying to grapple that cop with a gun or the guy with a knife. It also gives that opponent who doesn’t want to fight the chance to run.

Grappling Rule #1: If you try to initiate grappling with an opponent, you must have at least one hand free and they get a free action before you even get in there.

Let’s also make sure that we have a good definition of what’s happening. From most grappling rules in games that I see, one person grapples the other and that other person then tries to break free. Is that what we see in movies and TV shows? Not always. Sometimes they both fight until one wins, in other cases someone pushes the other in different directions – not necessarily the aggressor. So, let’s add a rule that clarifies who can do what. Essentially, once grappling has been initiated, both are considered to be engaged in grappling and if the target of the attack wants to fight back – go for it!

Grappling Rule #2:  If one combatant successfully grapples an opponent, they are both considered to be grappling for the purposes of all these rules.

Next,  I don’t think it’s often covered in games, but really, using a two-handed sword, spear or halberd while grappling makes any sense. Let’s just add in something to clarify that only weapons we typically see in the media while grappling are allowed.

Grappling Rule #3: Only small weapons (knives, brass knuckles, pistols, etc.) can be used while grappling. Larger  weapons can only be used as clubs.

Next, grappling should be dangerous. Getting in close with anyone opens you up to them biting you, getting a better hold on you or just plain beating you. This means if you try to grapple, the stakes are instantly raised as you’re both in a different world of fighting. Close in fighting like this means that all your exposed bits on your body are very exposed. Think that guy you just grabbed onto will try biting your armour? Think again, oh noseless one. Liked that ear? Shouldn’t have grabbed onto that other guy.

How can we represent that in the game? Armour should not count in grappling fights. This is why peasants try to pull knights off their horses and then jump on them.

Grappling Rule #4: Armour doesn’t count for any combatants engaged in grappling.

So now we know that if I try to grapple you and do so, we’re both now very much exposed. Maybe you had armour and I didn’t, in which case it’s worse for you, but in any case, the real reason we keep people away from us in fights is that up close, we’re really vulnerable. So, while a fist that swings at you is one thing, a hand grasping your throat and squeezing is quite another. On that basis, let’s assume that you can inflict much worse damage when you’re so close in to reflect that when grappling, you can bite, choke, stab, shoot, etc., up close and likely hit some vital organs or vulnerable locations.

Grappling Rule #5: Damage inflicted is increased for any combatants engaged in grappling. Amount to be determined based on the game.

Okay, we’re closing in on some dangerous grappling rules. Are you feeling a little nervous about grappling with an opponent yet? No, okay, let’s have some more fun.

We’re moving into hearsay, but I understand that most fights end on the ground. So, that’s where things should get even more interesting. There are generally prone rules in games, but they don’t seem to reflect the tumbling battles seen in shows. Let’s try to keep it simple, but reflect our media representations.

Grappling Rule #6: If you force an opponent prone while grappling, you must fall prone as well. You cannot stand up from prone while grappling.

Unlike most of the grappling rules out there, the kind of fight we’re looking to represent doesn’t just involve one type of effect, there are a few. We see in media people beating the crap out of the other person, choking them, trying to pin them down, throwing, rolling or pushing them somewhere, fighting over control of a weapon or other object and then often the other person just trying to get free.

Let’s try to model this simply, breaking down your options when grappling to: injure, pin down, maneuver, seize or break free. Each round you have the option to try any of these five options. The roll is the same contest of skills provided for in your game system, but the effects are a little different.

Grappling Rule #7: Prior to roll while Grappling, a participant must declare their objective for their action: injure, hold, maneuver (declare how/where you’re trying to move them), seize (declare what you’re trying to seize) or break free. A successful action will have the following results: Injure: as per your game’s combat rules, modified as per these rules. Pin Down: With your first success, the target suffers  disadvantage or a penalty for all rolls. If you get a second success on a pinned down target, they are immobilized and cannot do anything but speak. Maneuver: On a success, you can move your opponent half your move wherever you want to, including knocking them prone. Seize: On a success, you have gained control of the target object. On your next action, if you retain control, you can use it but at disadvantage or with a penalty. Break Free: With a success, you stop being pinned down and end the disadvantage effect. If you weren’t being pinned down, you manage to break free from the grapple and can move normally. If you try to escape the grappling, your opponent gets a free attack as per attack of opportunity rules in your game system.

And so we have seven rules that could be used for grappling in a variety of games. Overly complex? Perhaps the last rule with the five different possible actions is a little unwieldy, but it does give combatants a range of options during a fight and can mix them up as needed.

Savage Worlds Example

Since I play a lot of Savage Worlds, let’s write up a sample of what these rules would look like in that game system. You can also try them out at home and tell me what you think:

Grappling 2.0

Grappling an opponent is a risky move, but getting in close gives you a better chance at defeating your opponent. It also gives them a good chance at beating you!

Initiating grappling with an opponent requires at least one free hand and an opposed Fighting roll that causes no damage and your opponent gets a free action which automatically interrupts the attacker’s action and does not cost the hero’s action if on Hold or has not yet acted this round. If the defender moves out of range, you must be able to move adjacent again if you wish to try to grapple them this round (such movement does not trigger the free action again). If the attacker wins the roll, they’ve successfully initiated grappling with his foe and both are considered to be grappling. With a raise, they have also Shaken their foe.

Once grappling has been initiated, on each of their actions, participants may choose from the following actions: Break Free, Injure, Maneuver, Pin Down or Seize. Other actions, such as recovering from Shaken remain available. For each of these actions, the participant each pick their Strength, Agility or Fighting and then make an opposed roll. If the acting character succeeds on this roll, the following effects occur: 

Injure: The acting character inflicts their damage +2 and ignores any armour. Weapons larger than a knife or small club can only be used as clubs inflicting Str+d4 damage.

Maneuver: Either the acting character knocks the foe prone and also falls prone or moves the foe up to 1/2 of Pace in any direction. Prone combatants engaged in grappling cannot stand as part of their movement unless they have successfully broken free from the grappling.

Pin Down: The target is pinned down and suffers -2 to all rolls, except to attempt to Break Free. If the target was already pinned down, they are immobilized and cannot do anything but speak.

Seize: On a success, you have gained control of the target object. On your next action, if you retain control, you can use it but with a -2 penalty. 

Break Free: If you were Pinned Down, you cease being Pinned Down. Otherwise, you break free from the grapple and can move normally. If you try to escape combat, you are counted as Withdrawing from Close Combat.

Final Thoughts

Now it’s time to test these ideas out. Will these new grappling rules be a disaster or work well? We’ll have to see, but certainly there’s a further incentive to grapple someone in game, but also a terrible risk. You’re going into it essentially defenceless and, just like you can do major damage, so can your opponent. A bad roll here or there could be a complete disaster.