Fighting in Grapple Range (Combat Rules)

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The hero of the 15th Century Catalan Romance novel Tirant Lo Blanc, shown in the 16th century engraving above, is a cunning fighter. One of his favorite tricks in combat is to cut the helmet straps of his opponents so he can easily remove their helmet and cut their throat or stab them in the face.As I was re-reading some of my favorite combat sequences, I decided it was time to flesh out the Codex Martialis: Core Rules for fighting in Grapple Range.

Fighters tend to get closer the longer they are fighting. Armor, thick clothing, and dull blades would often prevent the “instant death” we’ve come to expect from modern sport fencing. The reality was that your opponent can rush in to grab you if he really wants to (though they may be dead by the time they succeed). Historical fechtbuchs feature grappling techniques prominently alongside fencing techniques. This illustration shows four grappling techniques by Meyer circa 1570.

Melee Combat in Grapple Range

To enter grapple range one must make a successful attack either unarmed or with a size S or T weapon. Once you announce your attack and intention to enter grapple, your opponent may first make an Opportunity Attack (OA) if they have dice remaining in their Martial Pool. If there is no OA or you survive the OA and hit with your attack, whether it does any damage or not, you are now in grapple range of that opponent. Note: it is possible to be at grapple range with one opponent and onset or melee with another.

Anyone who is involved in a grapple is considered at grapple range until they break out. While at grapple range, Weapon Defense Bonus no longer applies for active defense and Weapon Reach does not apply to attacks, but Speed does. Being at grapple range does not mean that grappling is necessarily taking place.

Once in grapple range, there are a few special effects:
· The Weapon Defense Bonus no longer applies.
· Weapons sized M or larger cannot be used to attack (except for special cases).
· Shields confer passive defense only (see Shields).
· All weapons receive their Speed To-Hit Bonus instead of their Reach To-Hit Bonus.

You’ll also have access to a few extra combat options:
· Opponents can be thrown down to prone
· Opponents can be Held

While in grapple, you can also make a grapple check, which is a contested skill check based on Str or Dex mods (whichever is higher). If you succeed you can throw your opponent down to a Prone position, disarm them, or simply incapacitate them while your friend plunges a dagger in their back over and over again.

Large weapons lay abandoned as a fight is finished by a dagger at very close range. Talhoffer 1467.
“Even without armour, there is nothing you can do. And even if you were strong and powerful, I would still be able to do this to you.” This quote and illustration (and the following two like it) are from the 15th century manuscript “Trattato della scherma” by Fiore de’i Liberi. English translation by Michael Chidester.

Restraining an Opponent

Though the transition from melee range to grappling range can be perilous, once you’ve entered the grapple: there are a wealth of feats and combat options at your disposal. Perhaps the most fundamental is simply immobilize your opponent while you (or your friend) decide what to do next. Note that this is different from a submission, which can be performed with some Martial Feats.

If you have entered grapple with someone, you can hold them by expending one or more MP. If they want to do anything – move, fight, draw a weapon, etc.- they will have to overcome your hold first. Each attempt to hold is a grapple check requiring expenditure of 1 or more MP. To oppose it, the defender can also expend 1 or more MP. Bonus MP such as for Ringen MF apply here. If the defender does not expend any MP (or have none left) they are considered held and can’t do anything. If they succeed in a defensive grapple check, they are free of the hold though they are still at grapple range. Once it is their turn they can attempt to break out.

“I'll give you so much pain and suffering to your nose that I will immediately make you let go of me.”
“When I press my thumb under your ear you will feel so much pain that you will go to the ground for sure, or I will make other hold or lock that will be worse than torture for you.”

Breaking Out of a Grapple

Breaking out from grapple range requires the expenditure of at least one die from the Martial Pool, and provokes a potential OA.

That OA can be also a grapple attempt (i.e., grabbing the person trying to escape), in which case those involved in grappling can make a contested grapple check. If the person attempting to disengage succeeds, they are free of the grapple. If they still have MP remaining, they can spend the rest on movement, attack or defense as normal.

Killing an armored opponent can be tedious unless you have a sturdy friend to help hold the armor in place while you stab around it. This early 16th century painting by Marten van Cleve shows a brawl between soldiers and peasants that is about to be decided very much in the peasant’s favor.

Attacking a Restrained Opponent

If two or more people are in a grapple, and you attack one of them, but if you are using a weapon too large for a grapple (M or L or larger) any missed attack must then be rolled against their opponent in the grapple (which might be your ally). If your large weapon is legal due to Half-Swording or other MF, then you can disregard this. If you are using an S or T sized (or otherwise grappling-legal) weapon, this accidental attack will only happen if you roll a fumble (i.e., Natural 1).

Illustration from the Lucerne Chronicle of Diebold Schilling circa 1513 showing the dangers of being grabbed when outnumbered four to one.

Being Forced to the Ground

One of the most likely outcomes of grappling is to be thrown down or knocked prone. This also happens many other ways such as falling off of a horse. Various versions of the SRD have rules on the effects of being prone, and Codex Rules follow a similar logic. Anyone attacking a prone character gains a Free Dice. A prone person can recover to standing for 1 MP (the “Rollout” MF allows them to do this at no cost). They can also crawl (at ½ normal movement rate), but either standing or crawling in the immediate presence (i.e., within 5’ of) an opponent can trigger an Opportunity Attack.

There are many ways to throw someone into a prone position, but Hans Talhoffer did not have time to be delicate about it. Talhoffer 1467.

Throwing your opponent to prone

While in grapple, you can also make a grapple check, which is a contested skill check based on Str or Dex mods (whichever is higher). If you succeed you can throw your opponent down to a Prone position, disarm them, or simply incapacitate them while your friend plunges a dagger in their back over and over again.

“Finally, if you have thrown him and made him fall, then put your knee between both of his legs on his manhood, grab both of his hands or his throat, and press almost everything to the ground. Thus you hold him.” From the 16th century manuscript “Artful Devices of Fighting, Wrestling, and Throwing” by unknown author. Translation by Anthoy Giljum.

Being Held in prone

The Free Dice against a prone person applies in grapple attempts. The first person who is prone suffers the disadvantage even if both are on the ground. However, if the prone person can win a grapple check, they can roll to put their opponent under them, in which case their opponent is now prone! It is also possible to execute throws etc. with certain Martial Feats.

Multiple people can grapple the same opponent, and thus hold them down. If the person being grappled is out of MP, anyone attacking them gains an additional Free Dice against them (this stacks with the Free Dice vs someone who is prone, so being held and prone simultaneously is very dangerous!).

The hero of the 15th Century Catalan Romance novel Tirant Lo Blanc, shown in the 16th century engraving above, is a cunning fighter. One of his favorite tricks in combat is to cut the helmet straps of his opponents so he can easily remove their helmet and cut their throat or stab them in the face.

Cutting Armor off

If you find yourself fighting an armored opponent with a real inclination to stab them in the face: but their pesky helmet is always in the way! Consider cutting their helmet straps. To do this in Codex rules, you can attempt this during a grapple (only). To get the strap is a bypass attempt, which is -8 To Hit. A weapon capable of slashing (S) damage must be used. If you hit, the strap has 3 HP. If the strap is destroyed, the helmet can come off with a second successful grapple check. Removing the helmet will reduce the targets armor coverage (Bypass penalty) by 2-3 depending on the type of helmet. Note that some people may have a mail coif under their helmet which still provides protection!

I will be adding these new rules for restraining opponents, liberating opponents of their armor, and murdering foes with the help of a friend – to the Codex Martialis: Core Rules. If you’ve enjoyed this blend of Martial history and RPG combat rules, be sure to check out the full book which is available now on DriveThruRPG!