I'll be DMing an encounter in a couple of weeks that involves the party of PCs invading a den full of Asabi. The PCs are lvl 9-10, and the Asabi commander is similar level (RHD 3 / Rogue 3 / Hexblade 4).
I've dropped hints to the party that the Asabi chieftain is a ruthless combatant. Since Asabi have a burrow speed, one horrible tactic that I have planned is to grapple one of the smaller party members, beat them to an opposed grapple check, and then use the Asabi's 20 ft burrow speed to drag someone underground.
From the SRD:
Burrow
A creature with a burrow speed can tunnel through dirt, but not through rock unless the descriptive text says otherwise. Creatures cannot charge or run while burrowing. Most burrowing creatures do not leave behind tunnels other creatures can use (either because the material they tunnel through fills in behind them or because they do not actually dislocate any material when burrowing); see the individual creature descriptions for details.
And Moving while Grappling:
Move
You can move half your speed (bringing all others engaged in the grapple with you) by winning an opposed grapple check. This requires a standard action, and you must beat all the other individual check results to move the grapple.
I would think this combination allows an asabi to grapple the party wizard and drag her underground. What are the consequences for a kobold wizard who's buried 10 feet underground? And could I have my boss monster move away, effectively "closing" the underground tunnel and tombing the wizard in to result in a suffocation effect? Is this a rules-legal strategy?
Best Answer
That sounds like an entirely legal (and evil) strategy. I like it.
The kobold wizard, buried 10 feet underground, would begin suffocating, though the chamber would plausibly have a minute's worth of air.
Since the Asabi wouldn't leave behind a tunnel, the wizard would have a great deal of difficulty in casting any spells with a somatic component. A generous GM might allow a concentration check as if grappled (ie., DC 20 + spell level) to cast such a spell. Similarly, a generous GM might allow the kobold some kind of check to avoid being buried alive (perhaps Grapple to hold on to the Asabi, perhaps Climb to scramble up in its wake).