Any way to do it beyond specific class abilities, improved and greater grapple, increasing strength, and increasing size?
No you pretty much excluded anyone listing anything for you except for maybe an odd feat or magic item.
Most every spell or other buff that gives an attack bonus (e.g. Haste, Good Hope, bard song, etc) will also increase your grapple CMB.
I believe Paizo printed a garrotte in some book or another (I do not remember where, exactly), and an enchanted garrote ought to add its bonus as well.
There's the feat Greater Whip Mastery that allows you to use a whip to grapple, so I would guess then the enhancement bonus of the whip would count too. But costly to get that feat.
Also a monster with the Grab special ability has a +4 grapple bonus to CMB.
But what you mentioned pretty much covers everything.
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A dusty rose prism ioun stone placed in a wayfinder grants a +2 bonus to both CMB and CMD. Also, certain Pathfinder Society Organized Play scenarios can grant boons to CMB or CMD. My 12th level monk currently adds 26 to his grapple CMB rolls and has a 48 CMD vs. grapple.
That's according to the Resonant Powers rule from Seekers of Secrets, right?
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A dusty rose prism ioun stone placed in a wayfinder grants a +2 bonus to both CMB and CMD. Also, certain Pathfinder Society Organized Play scenarios can grant boons to CMB or CMD. My 12th level monk currently adds 26 to his grapple CMB rolls and has a 48 CMD vs. grapple.That's according to the Resonant Powers rule from Seekers of Secrets, right?
Correct. That was errated so only a perfect dusty rose prism ioun stone would grant that bonus per the resonant powers rules involving ioun stones and wayfinders.
No you pretty much excluded anyone listing anything for you except for maybe an odd feat or magic item.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I was looking for. I'm just finding that grapple doesn't seem to scale very well since creatures at higher levels tend to be quite big, and as a result get big bonuses to CMB and CMD.
How about Weapon Focus: Grapple? Any character with +1 BAB can take that.
And then you could go with Greater Weapon Focus, though that requires certain levels of Fighter.
Hmm, I wasn't aware you could do that. I'll have to look into it, thanks.
Most every spell or other buff that gives an attack bonus (e.g. Haste, Good Hope, bard song, etc) will also increase your grapple CMB.
I believe Paizo printed a garrotte in some book or another (I do not remember where, exactly), and an enchanted garrote ought to add its bonus as well.
I'll have to see if I can find the garrote. I didn't know that effects that give you bonuses to attack also improved CMB. That's quite helpful.
A dusty rose prism ioun stone placed in a wayfinder grants a +2 bonus to both CMB and CMD. Also, certain Pathfinder Society Organized Play scenarios can grant boons to CMB or CMD. My 12th level monk currently adds 26 to his grapple CMB rolls and has a 48 CMD vs. grapple.
I'm not familiar with this wayfinder thing. I'm guessing it is a magic item?
The synthesist's grab ability only works on smaller creatures, though, and it isn't clear that Enlarge Person works on a transformed synthesist. Also, dipping a level of synthesist is almost never a good idea, since it will usually penalize your key physical abilities.
The Lockjaw spell grants a natural weapon the grab ability, functioning on creatures your size or smaller. You can put that on your unarmed strike. That would also probably let you apply any Magic Fang / Mighty Fists enhancement bonus.
I think the Resinous Skin spell also gives a small grapple bonus.
Depending on your build and gear, adopting animal forms with Beast Form might be good or might be bad.
Otherwise, yeah, best to just focus on improving your attack bonus.
Cool, I'll take a look at those spells.
The wayfinder costs 500gp and is a magical compass. You can find it in Seekers of Secrets.
A dusty rose prism provides a +1 insight bonus to AC, but when slotted into a wayfinder also gives a +2 to CMB and CMD. Of course, it costs 5000gp, so it may be difficult to acquire for several levels.
That's fine. It's the higher levels I'm worried about anyway. I'm considering just exchanging improved and greater grapple for some feats with broader application unless there's some way to make this grappling thing work better at higher levels.
I'll have to see if I can find the garrote. I didn't know that effects that give you bonuses to attack also improved CMB. That's quite helpful.Most every spell or other buff that gives an attack bonus (e.g. Haste, Good Hope, bard song, etc) will also increase your grapple CMB.
I believe Paizo printed a garrotte in some book or another (I do not remember where, exactly), and an enchanted garrote ought to add its bonus as well.
The line about bonuses is this:
When you attempt to perform a combat maneuver, make an attack roll and add your CMB in place of your normal attack bonus. Add any bonuses you currently have on attack rolls due to spells, feats, and other effects. These bonuses must be applicable to the weapon or attack used to perform the maneuver.
Since a spell like Good Hope does not limit its bonus to any particular sort of weapon or attack, it applies to all sorts of combat maneuvers as well.
Presumably (check with your DM) any feat, item, spell, etc that adds specifically to your unarmed attack roll (such as Weapon Focus) could add to a grapple roll as well, since you're using your hands and body to grapple.
As for the garrote, I found it on d20pfsrd, but it looks like it is too limited in its use to be of help to a general grappler.
Get a ring of spell-storing and charge it with true strike. Start the battle by casting true strike, then let the opponent approach you/get in position so you can grapple on your next turn. When your next turn comes, start your grapple, and use your greater grapple to immediately try to maintain your grapple, if you can. Next turn, cast true strike from your ring, and move action to maintain then pin. Next turn, cast true strike again and move action to tie up. If you can grapple it, you can beat it in 4 turns, no matter its HP.
Brawling enhancement to Armor (from UE) and Belt of Anaconda's coils give bonuses to grapple as does the Dan Bong weapon which is a little more useful than the garotte.
Brawling enhancement to Armor (from UE) and Belt of Anaconda's coils give bonuses to grapple as does the Dan Bong weapon which is a little more useful than the garotte.
About the belt, the constrict ability: +1d6 points of damage plus the wearer’s Strength modifier.
Does this add the strength twice. Once of the grapple damage & a second for the constrict damage??
Yes, constrict is a separate free action while grappling.