The grapple skill gives a +1 bonus (3 becomes 4, etc) to fight checks. Does that bonus apply during combat checks? Sometimes the water is murky between the types of checks (sneak/evade, will/horror). If this skill applies to combat against a monster, then anyone with a blessing and a flamethrower is pretty unstoppable. (3 becomes 4 becomes success...)

Yes. All Combat checks are Fight checks, but not all Fight checks are combat checks. All Evade checks are sneak checks, but not all sneak checks are evade checks, etc, etc, etc.

So yes, Grapple is an insanely good skill, as are most of the other ones that are like it (hide, library use, spot hidden, etc).

Komsomoletz said:

Try going against a monster with Physical Immunity . Possibly one with a hard Horror check, high Toughness and high combat modifier. Basic Fight gets you only so far.

These check types aren't murky at all, they're actually crystal clear once you get the hang of it.

Combat checks are a subtype of fight checks. So all combat checks are also fight checks, but not all fight checks are combat checks. All "blue cars" are also "cars", but not everything that is "blue" is also a "car".

From this it's clear that everything that gives you a bonus to fight also improves your combat rating. But you cannot use combat boni to improve your fight checks.

The same goes for will (subtype horror) and sneak (subtype evade).

crimson said:

Except when the combat checks are Lore checks (Dark Pharaoh, Storm of Spirits).

and so grapple also helps with closing gates using a fight check; it is a most useful skill