[Snake]

You're missing the point.

The reason Painful Grip should stay strong in PvE is easily because Grapple way more deadly for the user on situations of 1v40. You'll be stuck in place surrounded by 4 mobs curbstomping you (not counting the caster mobs from afar) while you can't do jack shit to move away. The damage as it is now is the only worth using it.

The protection ignoring clause is mostly used against 70% DR mobs. My only way to reliably damage them, as not every build is composed of Vorpal X anymore.

So yes.

50% less damage on Players will make this way more fair and balanced than it is (especially that -50% + -30% from Evasion will turn the damage down to -80% of what it should be), where the problem really lies. I don't give a hell to how much it affects PvP, but it CERTAINLY has a PvE role for me I don't want taken out because of salt.