What Does the Grappler Feat Do in D&D 5e? A Comprehensive Guide
The Grappler feat in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition is a feat focused on enhancing a character’s ability to grapple and control enemies in melee combat. Specifically, it grants two core benefits: you gain advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling, and you can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. This pin renders both you and the target incapacitated until the grapple ends.
Understanding the Grappler Feat’s Mechanics
The Grappler feat aims to turn your character into a close-combat specialist who can restrain and control opponents. Let’s break down each component in detail:
Advantage on Attack Rolls Against a Grappled Creature
The primary benefit of the Grappler feat is that it grants you advantage on attack rolls against any creature you are grappling. Advantage essentially means rolling two d20s and taking the higher result, significantly increasing your chance to hit. This makes it much easier to land attacks and deal damage to the grappled foe. However, it’s important to remember that you must already be grappling the creature to gain this advantage. This requires first successfully initiating a grapple using an attack action, and then maintaining it.
The Pinning Action: A Double-Edged Sword
The Grappler feat’s defining, and arguably most controversial, feature is the ability to attempt to pin a grappled creature. This action requires you to use your action while you are already grappling the target. If successful (the creature fails to escape the grapple), both you and the creature become incapacitated. Incapacitated means that you can’t take actions or reactions. While the target is also incapacitated, meaning they cannot attack or cast spells, you are also severely restricted.
This pinning action is a double-edged sword. While it completely shuts down the pinned creature, it also leaves you vulnerable. You are effectively trading your action economy for guaranteed control, but at the cost of your own agency. This makes it a very situational ability best used when your allies can quickly capitalize on the pinned enemy while protecting you. Consider the action economy implications. While you’ve completely neutralized one enemy, other enemies are free to attack you or your party members while you are unable to act.
Analyzing the Effectiveness of the Grappler Feat
The Grappler feat is widely considered one of the weaker feats in D&D 5e, primarily because of the vulnerability created by the pinning mechanic. While advantage on attack rolls against grappled creatures is beneficial, other feats offer more consistent and versatile benefits. The pinning action is often deemed too risky and inefficient, as it requires significant investment (an action to initiate the grapple, an action to pin, and potential actions to re-establish the grapple if broken) for a comparatively limited payoff.
Grappler Feat: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about the Grappler feat in D&D 5e, designed to help you understand its nuances and potential uses:
1. Does the Grappler feat let me automatically grapple a creature?
No, the Grappler feat does not automatically grant you the ability to grapple. You still need to make a successful grapple check (an Athletics check contested by the target’s Athletics or Acrobatics check) using the Attack action to initiate a grapple. The feat enhances your grappling abilities after you’ve successfully grappled someone.
2. Can I use Extra Attack to both grapple and attack with advantage in the same turn?
Yes, if you have the Extra Attack feature, you can use one of your attacks to attempt a grapple and then use another attack to attack the grappled creature with advantage, assuming you succeeded on the grapple attempt. This is one of the main benefits of having Extra Attack combined with the Grappler feat.
3. Is the advantage on attack rolls against a grappled creature lost if I move?
No, the advantage on attack rolls against the grappled creature persists as long as you maintain the grapple. Moving does not automatically break the grapple, unless the movement exceeds your movement speed or forces the grappled creature out of your reach.
4. Can I use the pinning action against creatures larger than me?
Yes, you can attempt to pin a creature grappled by you regardless of its size, as long as it’s not two or more sizes larger than you. The size limitation for grappling still applies. This means you could grapple and pin a Large creature if you are Medium or Small, but not a Huge or Gargantuan creature.
5. What happens if someone attacks me while I am incapacitated due to the pinning action?
While incapacitated, you are at a significant disadvantage. Attacks against you have advantage, and any attack that hits you is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of you (due to the incapacitated condition). This makes you extremely vulnerable and highlights the risk associated with pinning.
6. If the grappled creature breaks free of the grapple while I am pinning, what happens?
If the grappled creature succeeds on an ability check to break free of the grapple while you are pinning, you remain incapacitated until the start of your next turn. You’re effectively left vulnerable and off-balance.
7. Does the advantage from the Grappler feat stack with other sources of advantage?
No, advantage does not stack. If you already have advantage on an attack roll from another source, such as flanking, you don’t gain any additional benefit from the Grappler feat’s advantage.
8. How does the Grappler feat interact with the Tavern Brawler feat?
The Tavern Brawler feat can complement the Grappler feat. Tavern Brawler allows you to use an unarmed strike or improvised weapon to make a grapple attempt as a bonus action after hitting with an attack. This allows a character to potentially grapple and then attack with advantage in the same turn if they also have Extra Attack.
9. Is there a specific class that benefits most from the Grappler feat?
Classes with Extra Attack, access to advantage on attack rolls through other means (like the Reckless Attack feature of a Barbarian), or features that enhance grappling, like the Rune Knight Fighter, benefit most from the Grappler feat. However, even for these classes, the feat’s overall utility remains questionable compared to other options.
10. Does the Grappler feat work with spells that require attack rolls?
Yes, the advantage on attack rolls applies to any attack roll you make against the grappled creature, including spell attack rolls. This can be useful for characters who rely on spells like Inflict Wounds or Ray of Frost in close combat.
11. Can I use the pinning action to restrain a creature silently?
No, the act of pinning a creature is unlikely to be silent, especially if the creature is resisting. Also, remember that you and the target are incapacitated, so you won’t be able to perform any action that requires you to take an action while pinned.
12. What are some alternatives to the Grappler feat?
Alternatives to the Grappler feat that offer more consistent benefits include Tavern Brawler, Skill Expert (for Athletics proficiency and expertise), Martial Adept (for maneuvers like Trip Attack or Pushing Attack), or simply increasing your Strength score. These provide more reliable and versatile advantages in combat.
13. How does the Grappler feat interact with the Sentinel feat?
The Sentinel feat can synergize somewhat with grappling, but not directly with the Grappler feat itself. Sentinel’s ability to stop enemies in their tracks when they attack someone other than you can help you control the battlefield and potentially set up opportunities for grappling.
14. Is the Grappler feat useful in a solo campaign?
The Grappler feat is generally less useful in a solo campaign. The pinning action’s vulnerability is amplified when you don’t have allies to protect you. The advantage on attack rolls is still useful, but may not justify the feat selection.
15. Can I use the Help action to give myself advantage against a grappled creature instead of using the Grappler feat?
Yes, if you have an ally willing to use their action to Help you, they can grant you advantage on your next attack roll against the grappled creature. This is often a more efficient use of action economy than using the Grappler feat’s pinning action, as it doesn’t leave you incapacitated.
In conclusion, while the Grappler feat offers some benefits for characters focused on grappling, its limitations, particularly the risk associated with the pinning action, often make it a suboptimal choice compared to other feats. Careful consideration of your character’s build and playstyle is essential before selecting this feat.