Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[shinryu]

So I rather like the Savage Worlds grappling system in general; among grappling systems in RPGs I've tried it works really elegantly and probably best among them in general. However, as a bit of a lapsed jits guy there are a few things I think that could be added for flavor and I thought I'd toss 'em out to the group.

1) Targeted grappling: I don't see in the generic rules much discussion about what exactly you're grappling; as any wrestler can attest grabbing a single leg is a bit different of a matter than getting an underhook or a bodylock. Also, it's a bit easier to do damage to an opponent's limb than their body via grappling and leverage (discounting striking, which we we'll get to). So I'm thinking that grappling a specific limb should at least inflict the equivalent One Arm/One Leg hindrance as long as it's held. Could this possibly also permit additional damage to the limb? The head is a little trickier: I don't know of any published rules handling choking someone, but it's possible the +4 to damage might be adequate to represent that? Alternatively, one could be able to strike more freely (as in the Thai clinch); again, we'll get to that.

2) Grappling with legs: I don't think anyone can argue that a big part of submission grappling tends to be controlling the opponent with your legs (either on top by sitting on them in mount or from the bottom in guard); I'm thinking it might be adequate to treat legs as a separate set of arms (so one could grapple and maintain the grapple with legs and have arms to do other things (like grab other body parts, punch them in the face, etc.). Obviously you'd need to be prone (or become prone in the process) for this to work. Also, I'm not quite sure how to handle the situation where you would have grappled the same with both arms and legs (viz triangle choke, crucifix, etc); gang up bonus? blanket +2?

3) Striking in the clinch: So I don't know if there's any real rule regarding this, but the general solution seems to be that it makes the grappling task one armed (so -4, presumably, to maintaining the hold). I think this is actually really good and if you're using leg grappling you can come up with situations where you are free to hit. However, there are standing situations where you can pretty well control the opponent and still hit them pretty good, like the Thai clinch. So not sure how to handle that, but the idea that if you grapple the head you knee for free is attractive.

Thoughts?

[ValhallaGH]

1) Same problem for all called shots to limbs. Lots of situational effects are appropriate, but none are the default.

2) I always assumed that this was a part of any skillful grappling attempt.

3) Seems to be covered by trappings for the opposed strength / agility roll to deal damage.
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"Got a problem? I've got the solution: Rocket Launcher."
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[77IM]

There's an incredible array of ways to grapple people. Rather than try to stat out every single move, I'd come up with some general effects (limb control, disarm, pin to the ground, push/pull, prevent speech, choke out, etc.) and apply whichever effect is appropriate at the time.

-- 77IM
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Stuff I made: Arcane Abilities · Talent Edge · Savage Fading Suns · Savage Wuxia!

[shinryu]

[Clint]

[Gammon23]

Well for choking perhaps have be a called shot for +4 damage? Another idea could be that each round the opponent is choked he/she needs to make a vigorous roll to avoid fatigue.

[jpk]

I'd suggest the drowning/suffocation rules for choking, since that's what's really happening (maybe with some bonus damage as "frosting").

[ValhallaGH]

[jpk]

I would call a blood choke and a "regular old" choke as two different things. One is depriving the brain of blood flow, one is depriving that blood flow of additional incoming oxygen.