Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Junpei 03-07-05, 04:40 AM	Hello there, community! ;) Well, the situation I got myself into is quite nasty: during a very hard bout I've been hugged and impaled by an hamatula, and my character is now grappled with 7 hp left. Considering that barbed devils do a nice 3d8+9 points of damage on a successful grapple check and his modifier is higher than mine (+22 versus +16), my PC's future doesn't look so bright :rolleyes: Now, I may have a last ace up my sleeve to play: I'm a shadowdancer, and this PrC give me access to the Shadow Jump ability with which I was thinking to teleport 10 ft. away. Problem is: how do I manage to activate this ability during a grapple? I've read the grapple paragraph on PHB, but I found nothing about using a supernatural ability while being hugged by an opponent. Do I still have to make a successful grapple check against him, or do the Shadow Jump works automatically? I was thinking (actually, hoping) the latter 'cause a supernatural ability does not require gestures, components or the like, but I dunno if there are fixed rules for this particular event, and if that's the case I'd appreciate if someone can redirect me to the correct manual. Also, please excuse me if that was discussed on some other thread, but the search function is out of order and I couldn't check the forums before posting :(
Nom 03-07-05, 07:59 AM	Start with PH pg 156. You can cast a spell while grappling, as long as the spell has no somatic components, you have any material components or foci in hand, casting time is 1 standard action (or less), and you successfully pass a DC 20 + spell level concentration check. Note that you don't need to successfully pass a grapple check and don't provoke AoOs from the creature you are grappling (a grappling character doesn't threaten any squares). Since spell-like abilities never require components, you can activate a spell-like ability while grappling using the same rules for casting a spell. Su (and Ex) abilities are a little trickier, since they are broader in scope that spells and Sp abilities. As such, it's really up to the DM's judgement. In the case of shadow jump, it says it functions like dimension door, so as a DM I'd allow it... as long as the two of you are grappling in a shadowed area. You don't need to pass a grapple check, but I'd still require the Concentration check.