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I'm not 100% sure about this, but how I see it, when you grab you do the rake damage automatically on top of any other damage you might do.
So on the 1st round you grab the opponent, on the second you test again if your grab holds, and then you can choose to do damage. The damage is the maximum damage from a natural weapon + rake in this case
As I understand it...
Creature establishes a grapple.
The next round, it maintains the grapple and chooses the option to do damage. It then gets to do its bite damage AND the rake damage. As long as it can maintain the grapple, it can continue to choose to do damage and thus the bite + rake.
In other words, don't let a lion knock you down and grapple you.
That is sort of what I thought too, except that rakes have an attack bonus, so dealing damage in a grapple can't simply 'deal rake damage' in the same way. There's got to be an attack bonus involved somewhere, but there isn't an attack roll involved in the 'deal damage in a grapple' option.
Is there an 'ask paizo' or something? A way to get offical answers (or at least answers-from-the-editors) to stuff like this?
Rake attacks are just that--attacks. However, they are bonus attacks granted by the success of a grapple (or improved grab).
Rake (Ex) A creature with this special attack gains extra natural attacks under certain conditions, typically when it grapples its foe. In addition to the options available to all grapplers, a monster with the rake ability gains two additional claw attacks that it can use only
against a grappled foe. The bonus and damage caused by these attacks is included in the creature’s description. A monster with the rake ability must begin its turn already grappling to use its rake—it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.
That is sort of what I thought too, except that rakes have an attack bonus, so dealing damage in a grapple can't simply 'deal rake damage' in the same way. There's got to be an attack bonus involved somewhere, but there isn't an attack roll involved in the 'deal damage in a grapple' option.
Is there an 'ask paizo' or something? A way to get offical answers (or at least answers-from-the-editors) to stuff like this?
It looks to me that you deal the grapple damage after establishing the said grapple and then the mantis would need to roll to hit to do his mandible damage, this would be an extra attack.
Usually the Paizo staff is very good at monitoring these forums and answering questions that you might have. Sometimes they won't answer, but that is usually because someone else has already answered the question for them in the threads.
In this case I think the above poster answered the question correctly and I believe, unless I am missing something, that I answered your question that you asked above. I did refer to the Bestiary for this just to assure you that I am not answering your question off the top of my head.
Well, the 'in addition to the options available to all grapplers' line suggests that it is it's own action, and takes the place of other options.
The mantis still looks like it only gets to use the mandibles on a round in which it grabs, though. Does that sound right?
That is the way I interpret it yes.