Some rules work: Grappling someone into manacles.

[Mistah J]

Hey folks, here is the scoop:

The PCs of my game are about to take on the current antagonist - a mad wizard. They have their own reasons but they have also teamed up with an NPC bounty hunter hunting the same target.

The bounty hunter has loaned the party his set of antimagic shackles (which do exactly what they sound like they do) in return for the party's promise to take the villain alive and turn him over.

It is very likely that during the fight, the PCs will simply knock the wizard unconscious with non-lethal damage and then slap the cuffs on him afterwards but it is also a possibility they may try to force the manacles on while the wizard is awake and fighting.

I am trying to come up with a way to reflect that second option in the rules that is both fair and easy to adjudicate. I'm thinking that a PC can grapple the wizard and, if they have the manacles, they can clasp one wrist with a second successful grapple check, i.e. attaching one manacle is a new option of things to do while grappling.
I was also thinking that if one PC pins the wizard, a second can attach the manacles as a full-round action.

What are your thoughts on the idea? What kind of pitfalls should I look out for to make sure it doesn't get tedious with complicated grapple checks? I'm kind of hoping they go this route because to me, it seems... more dramatic? flashy? cool? than just beating him over the head till he drops.

Thanks for the input

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I'd keep it simple, and just go with the Tie Up part of the Grapple rules.

Tie Up: If you have your target pinned, otherwise restrained, or unconscious, you can use rope to tie him up. This works like a pin effect, but the DC to escape the bonds is equal to 20 + your Combat Maneuver Bonus (instead of your CMD). The ropes do not need to make a check every round to maintain the pin. If you are grappling the target, you can attempt to tie him up in ropes, but doing so requires a combat maneuver check at a –10 penalty. If the DC to escape from these bindings is higher than 20 + the target’s CMB, the target cannot escape from the bonds, even with a natural 20 on the check.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Doubleposte!

 

[Mistah J]

Huh,

That is just what I need.. how did I miss that?

However, Given that if PC A has the target grappled and pinned, they can tie them up (shackle them) with a new check at -10. My question is, what kind of check/action is it for PC B to do it while PC A has them held?

 

[TanisFrey]

Huh,

That is just what I need.. how did I miss that?

However, Given that if PC A has the target grappled and pinned, they can tie them up (shackle them) with a new check at -10. My question is, what kind of check/action is it for PC B to do it while PC A has them held?

Sounds like a classic AID OTHER situation. As in PC B grants a aid other to PC A when they get their next action.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

However, Given that if PC A has the target grappled and pinned, they can tie them up (shackle them) with a new check at -10. My question is, what kind of check/action is it for PC B to do it while PC A has them held?

The same. Either it's in place of their attack made as a standard attack action, or in place of one of their attacks made as part of a full attack action.

Alternatively, they could aid another on the pinner's next check, but that seems less likely to work.