Natural Attack: Multiples and Iteratives


Rules Questions


Our group has gone back and forth on this, with multiple readings and multiple interpretations. As an example, I am going to use the Girallon from the Bestiary.

Bestiary wrote:

Melee bite +10 (1d6+4), 4 claws +10 (1d4+4 plus rend)

.....
Special Attacks rend (4 claws, 1d4+6)

In this example:

1. On a full attack action, does the Girallon have 5 primary attacks or only 2 primary attacks?

2. As a standard action, can the Girallon use 1 bite or 4 claws, 1 bite or 1 claw, or all of it's attacks.

3. If the Girallon is staggered, can it make 4 claw attacks or 1 claw attack?

4. As an attack of opportunity, can the Girallon make an attack with 4 claws or only 1 claw?

5. Does the rend special attack trigger for each claw after the first or only if all 4 claws hit?

Basically, I think the major question is whether "4 claws" is one action with four dice rolls, or four actions with one dice roll each? Sorry if that seems ridiculously semantic...


A full attack is a full-round action that lets a creature use ALL of their attacks.
A single attack is a standard action that lets a creature use a single attack.

1. bite and claws are both primary attacks, so the creature has 5 primary attacks. Note, this was a change from 3.5 to pathfinder. In 3.5, if you have multiple primary attacks, you must pick one attack to be your primary attack, and all of the other attack become secondary attacks. In pathfinder, a creature can have multiple different attack forms that are primary attacks.

2. 1 bite or 1 claw

3. 1 standard action == 1 claw or bite attack

4. a single attack action, so 1 claw or 1 bite

5. Rend triggers once if 2 or more attacks hit. Rend cannot trigger more than once a round.


Correct me if I'm worong, but...

In the given case, Rend should only trigger when two or more claw attacks hit.


1: 5 Attacks
2: 1 Attack, either the bite or a claw
3: 1 Attack (As they get only a move or a standard action, not a full)
4: 1 Attack
5: Rend Rules "... max once per round"


1. As a full attack action, you may use all of your available attacks in this case 5.

Bite
Claw 1
Claw 2
Claw 3
Claw 4

1 Bite and 4 claws. Each claw is a separate attack with its own attack roll. Think of them as 4 separate weapons.

2-4.

If you use a standard action to attack, you only get to use a single melee attack using one weapon.

If you use a standard action to attack while staggered, you only get to use a single melee attack using one weapon.

If you use an attack of opportunity you only get to use a single melee attack using one weapon.

5.

Rend is a special attack triggering off the claws. As David said, it only triggers once per round.


Note that while the standard for rend is two claws, in this case it specifically requires four.

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