Author Topic: Retrieving a stored item during a grapple  (Read 1556 times)

Offline Tonymitsu

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Retrieving a stored item during a grapple
« on: November 25, 2016, 04:38:00 PM »
So I have a player who found "Ipecac" in the back of the Expedition to Castle Ravenloft.

His primary intended use for wanting it is that, if he ever gets swallowed whole, he can pour a dose out into the creature who will then be forced to immediately vomit him back up with no save, and afterwards will be nauseated for 1d4 rounds. Without a save.

 :huh ...uh huh...

So before I even have to make a ruling on whether or not you can force a potion down a creatures throat, even if it has swallowed you, there's something else I want to clarify:

Being swallowed puts you in a grapple, while the creature that did the swallowing is not.

There is a specific list of things you are permitted to do while in a grapple.

And while retrieving a spell component is on that list, retrieving a stored item is not. Nor are there any further clarifications on the matter in the Rules Compendium.
So is it even possible to get at the ipecac after he's been swallowed for his intended purpose?
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Offline ketaro

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Re: Retrieving a stored item during a grapple
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2016, 06:03:19 PM »
If you can draw a light weapon while grappled, you can draw stuff even smaller. Does say it requires winning a grapple check though, and if you've been swallowed you're likely going to lose just based on assumed size bonuses.

Now if the item is magically stored in, say, an extradimensional space via magic item, then drawing it is counted as part of the item's activation and activating magic items is allowed without a check.

Offline Tonymitsu

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Re: Retrieving a stored item during a grapple
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2016, 08:27:59 PM »
But light weapons are kept in the open in sheaths within easy reach for drawing when necessary.

Even a belt pouch would prove more troublesome than that (as is evidenced, I think, by something as insignificant as a spell component taking a full round action to get ready).


And other than the exception for the Handy Haversack (that is clearly intended to facilitate item retrieval) I really can't see how fumbling around with a bag of holding or an enveloping pit is somehow easier than working a weapon out of it's sheath. Especially when the intent of that clause is clearly to allow the activation of wands already in your hand or use-activated items worn on your person.
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Offline ketaro

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Re: Retrieving a stored item during a grapple
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2016, 08:47:11 PM »
It's this fancy little thing called a Potion Belt. A masterwork on lets you draw stuff from it as a free action :p

As for bags of holding
Quote
Retrieving a specific item from a bag of holding is a move action—unless the bag contains more than an ordinary backpack would hold, in which case retrieving a specific item is a full-round action.

;)

It's all about inventory management.