Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Thank_Dog Aug 21, 2014 5:49:15	This is one of those RAW cases that I'm not sure which way in which most people will lean. Personally I think it should be interpreted that it can be done but I'm guessing that others may argue against it.   The situation is this. If you're a druid in an animal form, say a bear, can you grapple a target or not? Technically the rules say that you require a free hand. I'd just handwaive that as poor language choice but I can see others making a big deal out of it and saying that bears don't have hands, therefore they can't grapple.   What's your take on this?
#2 Yunru Aug 21, 2014 6:04:20	Well, it's a little iffy but according to the handy "search "X definition" to get the definition of X" feature of Google you get this: the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb.
#3 CorwynnMaelstrom Aug 21, 2014 6:10:04	I'm personally going to say given that we have "bear hug" as a term, grappling as a bear is perfectly OK for a druid. I'd consider any wild shape which seems likely to be able to grapple (so, apes and the like as well as bears) as being able to do so if the druid so desires. I think RAW intends for it to be humanoid-specific, but nature offers up exceptions sometimes, and this certainly seems like a prime example.
#4 Yunru Aug 21, 2014 6:20:55	What about sharks? They don't have free hands but they could grapple with their teeth. Or crocodiles!
#5 CorwynnMaelstrom Aug 21, 2014 6:51:47	Sharknados.
#6 Raez_Daevan Aug 21, 2014 6:54:22	I'm hoping the MM has a stat block for octopus.
#7 -ktkenshinx- Aug 21, 2014 8:11:04	Would need to see the Monster Manual (don't have it yet) to answer this. The difficult for me is that some of the monsters at the end of the PHB have grapples included in their attack. See the Constrictor Snake and Crocodile, for example. Moreover, each stat block for a monster says "Actions", following the different attack options at their disposal. So it's unclear if that list of actions is exclusive (no grappling, shoving, withdrawing, etc.), or if those are just special actions that the monster has in addition to those other options in the PHB combat section.    I'm actually leaning towards the latter interpretation (Actions under a stat block are exclusive) until I see the actual Monster Manual. They way some of those are worded is just too exact.
#8 Thank_Dog Aug 21, 2014 8:21:51	I guess I should put my Human (variant) Circle of the Moon druid with the Grappler feat on hold. Le sigh.
#9 Kurhi_al_Sid Aug 21, 2014 8:25:00	A crocodile makes its attack and, if it hits, the grapple condition is imposed in addition to the attack's damage.  In the case of the brown bear, the attack is replaced by a grapple or shove.  What about the shove, though?  The brown bear gets two attacks.  Can the brown bear wild shaped druid grapple/shove with one and attack for damage with the other?
(Reply to #9) 2Chlorobutanal	In general, I think letting an animal choose the "attack' action and replacing an attack with grappling or shoving is fine, just like I'd allow creatures to Disegage, Dash, et cetera if the situation called for it.   That being said:   Kurhi_al_Sid wrote:
#11 Timborama Aug 21, 2014 11:13:43	-ktkenshinx- wrote:
#12 -ktkenshinx- Aug 21, 2014 11:24:44	Timborama wrote:
#13 KarlB Aug 21, 2014 14:56:38	I'd say use common sense. The act of grappling involves having a hand or paw that could realistically hold on to something to prevent it from moving. So if you shapeshift into a panther, you have some pretty sharp claws that can dig in and stop something in it's tracks. Whereas, I would allow a shark to grapple with it's teeth. I'd say any animal of medium size of larger could conceivably find *some* way of grappling a target.
#14 Thoughts_My_Aim Aug 21, 2014 15:08:28	Timborama wrote:
(Reply to #6) Illithidbix	Raez_Daevan wrote: