I did a search, and looked through the books, but there really doesn't seem to be any real rule set for grappling in SR4. Am I missing any rules?

If not, has anyone tested some reasonable rules for grappling? I've got a troll physad, and to not have him pick someone up and piledrive them just seems wrong. Pins would also be incredibly useful for him, I'd think.

In the absence of any good rules, I'll probably turn to d20 for inspiration, but I'd hate to do that....

They call it "subdual." It's on page 152 of your hymnal.

Ahhh.

Didn't even consider looking there.

So, the grappler must spend a complex action on each of his Action Phases.

Does that mean that with 3 init passes, I spend one pass on that, or I spend each pass on that?

phase = pass

Hmmmm.

Say I have 3 passes, and my mage opponent has two.

Pass one: I grapple him, he fails to escape.

Pass two: I use my complex action to keep him grappled, and do something else (like pin him). He fails to escape.

Pass three: I don't spend a complex action to keep him grappled, he automatically escapes, but can't do anything because he has no passes left, I hit him really really hard in the head.

Rinse, repeat?

Pass 1 grappler succeeds in grappling
Grappled can only do if a physical action if they first break the grapple.

Pass 2 grappler may do one of the following
- Grapple test again to improve grapple
- Cause Stun DV = Grappler STR
- Knock grappled down.

Pass 3 Repeat 2

So you can start damaging on the subsequent pass if you have already grappled.

Here's a question: Can you improve the unarmed damage at all in some way while grappling? Since there's no test, you can't actually go for a vulnerable spot like you might with a regular attack.

That would leave things like critical strike or maybe shock gloves as the only alternatives, yes? No? Maybe?

Grappling is probably effective enough without adding to it. You can always do the Ip 1 Grapple, Ip 2 takedown, IP 3 hit prone opponent with whatever routine.

No, you just do Strenght Stun...

If you are grappling with shock gloves you're hitting yourself. Why the F would you want to do that? I was a wrestler in high school and grappling was a full-contact sport with about 50% or more of your body touching the other person most of the time. If you zapped someone with shock gloves while grappling, combined with their sweat, you might crank that to 7S or something. Definitely NO, IMHO only.

I would say if you could get the person in an armlock or something you could call shot their head with a swift stomp, maybe a nice kidney kick.

Just get bladed gloves, hand razors, fingerblades, etc. to increase grapple damage.

If the defender used both his action phases to unsuccessfully break out, yes he has no escape option in pass three after you release him. His only real options are to keep an action delayed into the third pass in the hope that you'll release him. If that doesn't pan out, once he's been released even if you beat his initiative next round, he does have the option of going into full defense for your next grapple attempt or whatever you decide to mess him up with.