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Ok - I hate creating big debates, because the ultimate point of all this is fun; so please note there is no tension here, I'm not upset, and I love CoCo, and I think you are an amazing pitlord -- honestly I definitely make by far the most mistakes of any of the active pitlords, and you're all quite kind and patient with me

I am arguing not b/c of losing the fight, but because it seems stupid to lose a close fight on a technicality/potential misinterpretation

My thesis is basically "a free action is free, it's such a simple thing to do that it's rarely specified."  However, it's not listed specifically on "actions allowable in a grapple." 

Re: the question of other free actions in a grapple, you can obviously speak.  That we all agree.

Re: the question of "prove you can take other mechanistically important free actions in a grapple," I will refer to the following and then rest my case:

1. Rules of the Game: All about grappling (part 2)
Release Your Hold: Curiously, the Player's Handbook says nothing about voluntarily relinquishing your hold on a foe, so here's a rule to cover that. You can release your foe as a free action.

2. When grappling, you have to perform a hold - this is a free action
"Step 3: Hold. Make an opposed grapple check as a free action"

3. To maintain a grapple you must move into someone's square - this movement is "free"

4. CoPS is an (ex) action: "Extraordinary Abilities: Using an extraordinary ability is usually not an action because most extraordinary abilities automatically happen in a reactive fashion. Those extraordinary abilities that are actions are usually standard actions that cannot be disrupted, do not require concentration, and do not provoke attacks of opportunity"  -- it is an action that specifically is a free action, however - not disrupted, not require concentration, doesn't provoke AoOs... why would it not be able to be used in grapple?

5. Though I agree it's ridiculous and brought it up for specifically that reason, "speak" is, in terms of free actions, classified in the same breath (both in text and on tables) as drop weapon, btw

Free Action	Attack of Opportunity1
Cast a quickened spell	No
Cease concentration on a spell	No
Drop an item	No
Drop to the floor	No
Prepare spell components to cast a spell6	No
Speak	No

Finally, 6: Would you be willing to discuss in the courtroom and see what others have to say?  Ultimately for this fight it's up to you, but I just really think it's absurd not to be able to freely activate a free action.    I sort of just want to hear Uknits' thought, since he's the other directly involved party; if he thinks should not be able to activate free action in a grapple too, then I will accept it. 

Thank you!!!  Seriously, thank you for the run, for careful consideration, and for listening!

Thanks for listening

Ah, that must be where I saw it, the FAQ.

Well, I believe we normally rule that the RotG articles take precedence over the FAQ, and the RotG articles clearly indicates that that logic does not work, and I generally favor RAI anyway, so I think it'll stick with working, and I'll adjust the fight tomorrow.

May 15, 2012 -- 1:56PM, Uknits wrote:

I did expect you to hear it, but a natural 1....

Yeah, that kind of sucks. I doesn't really make that much difference, though.

Probably, according to my tactics, I should have used Obscuring Mist and CLW on my last round, too, which likely wouldn't have made a difference (he was Entangled and I still had flames) but would have cost me more resources. On the other hand, I did call to follow the tattoo with flames so I guess it's OK (and I'm hardly going to complain since it's better for me this way).

I have to say, 3v3s are brutal. Sorry for teaming up on you Yitzi, but whilst I think I would rather have fought a badly-injured Bernik than a Ven, I was sure you were going to try and heal up there, and my best chance for a win at the moment is to attack from the sidelines in a cowardly manner and try to wear people down.

May 15, 2012 -- 10:37PM, Uknits wrote:

Vathillia vs. Quwibbik is up.  

All I have to say is meatgrinder. 

I don't understand what happened.  Why did you have the wolves attack each other?

Also, while I understand that the configuration I said to start in is actually not possible (since Arooo was halfway out of the start box), they should at least have moved to that configuration the first round, rather than starting in a different configuration and staying there (especially as my tactics required some movement so that Vathilia could share with Grrer).