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Sunday, September 24, 2017

RPGNow Deal of the Day - Dungeon Grappling (D&D Grappling that "Doesn't Suck")




My introduction to grappling in RPGs came with my first ever RPG - AD&D 1e. Remember those arcane tables that didn't follow anything else that seemed like D&D and made little sense, at least to me?

Well, Dungeon Grappling is the opposite of that. As +Douglas Cole , the author, has been known to say - these are grappling rules that "Don't Suck" and he's right. Normally priced at $7.50 in PDF, until tomorrow morning at 11 AM Eastern Dungeon Grappling is on sale for $2.85.
From the first story ever told, to tales on the silver screen. They all have at least one thing in common: Grappling. 
Grappling is thrilling, dangerous, and drives thousands of years of epic storytelling.
Dungeon Grappling brings those thrills to the oldest fantasy RPG with rules and examples for Swords and Wizardry (and other OSR-style games), the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and 5e
Dungeon Grappling provides: 
  • Simple, unified mechanics, using the same concepts as weapon strikes
  • Variable outcomes – grapples can be good or bad
  • Dynamic, tense stories
  • Weapons, talons, magic . . . they’re all in here.
  • Grappling just got scary again! 
What’s in the Book 
First and foremost, this book contains rules based on Open Gaming License content from several editions of the industry’s most popular RPG – explicit examples for Swords and Wizardry, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Fifth Edition
Let’s look inside: 
  • Introduction: How can grappling be as epic at the tabletop as it has been in stories throughout history?
  • Core Concepts: Dungeon Grappling shows that the same basic concepts that you use to smite a foe with your sword are perfectly appropriate when grappling. The attack roll, target number, and effect roll are all unified in the context of grapples to minimize special cases. 
  • Grappling Effects: Dungeon Grappling presents a variable effect roll - using both "control points" as well as conditions to make grappling exciting and unpredictable.
  • Grappling Techniques: This section gives you options, from simply rendering them immobile, to tossing or dragging, to takedowns, throws, choke holds, grappling with weapons, using magical spells to grapple in a way that makes all of them follow the same basic principles.
  • Monstrous Grappling: Let’s face it. Grappling is for monsters. A dozen examples are provided to highlight how to calculate the attack bonus, grappling target number (the equivalent of armor class for grappling), and the grappling damage roll, as well as brief discussions of how such monsters fight.
  • Combat Examples: An example vignette and grappling-oriented combat is provided for each of Swords and Wizardry, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and 5e.
  • Quick Reference Sheets: All of the key calculations, tables, and concepts are summarized in three pages in the back of the book for easy lookups and rules checks.
  • Art and Layout: Laid out and illustrated in full color by a great team of professionals, the interior is as beautiful as the rules are elegant.
  • Navigation and Layering: The PDF is hyperlinked in the Table of Contents and Index, and Bookmarks are provided. The document is also layered, allowing the background, art, or text to be turned on and off for ease of printing or readability.
Just a reminder - Through Dungeons Deeper: A Survival Guide For Dungeoneers As Written By A Survivor released today. If you go to The Tavern post that announces the release, you will find a discounted link to save you 3 bucks off the regular PDF price.

All purchases made via The Tavern's affiliate links put coins in The Tavern's coffers. Thanks to The Tavern's readers, I already owe you an adventure in October. Further monies raised in September will allow for future art purchases. Thank you :)


8 comments:

  1. Recently my fighter was matched up with a monster immune to normal weapons, which is all he had. So he jumped on the monster and tried to ride it into the ground.

    Grappling rules would have been useful I reckon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've got the core bits of Dungeon Grappling condensed down into a very short (2 pages in a laid-out version) quick-start document in a Kickstarter I'm launching next week (Monday Oct 2) if things continue to go on-pace.

      The new one is "Lost Hall of Tyr," which is support for 5e and Dungeon Grappling right out of the gate; a S&W conversion is planned if the KS does well enough (it wouldn't take much, just hitting a few stretch goals so I know demand is there).

      But yeah - when the rules don't get in the way, grappling takes its proper place!

      Delete
  2. Not for nothing but i can atest to the fact that this is an awesome product. One of the best non-mainstream things I have purchased hands down.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Would this work well imported to Swords & Wizardry?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the supplement has rules for S&W, 5e and PF.

      Delete
    2. The rules that came into full flower in Dungeon Grappling were written first for Swords and Wizardry, actually, and published in prelim form in Tim Shorts' Manor #8. If you want the flavor of the rules, you can do that . . . though honestly I think with the Deal of the Day sale on my full PDF is less expensive, at least for the next nine hours.

      Delete
  4. This is indeed an excellent product, for an excellent price. If anyone needs a review, here is mine. The review focuses on the S&W / 5e parts, as I'm not that familiar with Pathfinder.

    http://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com.br/2017/01/review-dungeon-grappling-rpg-supplement.html

    ReplyDelete

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