| Mekkis |
I've noticed this issue a bit in the past, and I'm not really sure how the rules work with it.
Let's use a Hezrou as an example. He's standing next to Bob, the raging barbarian with an AC of 13 and a CMD of 24.
He starts his full-attack. His bite hits, doing some damage and grabbing him. He and Bob both gain the Grappled condition.
Question 1: Now that they both have the grappled condition, can he continue his full-attack? He still has two claw attacks he hasn't used.
Bob's turn comes up, and he (sensibly) quick-draws a longsword and full-attacks the Hezrou (at a -2 to all attacks due to the grappled condition).
It's now the Hezrou's turn. What are his options?
Must he either use a standard action to maintain the grapple, and potentially do standard bite damage, forfeiting his ability to use his claws?
Or drop Bob as a free action, full attack, and grab him again?
In the situations I've described, it seems that it's in Bob's best interest to remain grappled, simply because it prevents him from suffering three attacks.
Is this really what the designers intended?
| Rikkan |
Question 1: Nothing in the grappled condition prevents the Hezrou from continuing his full attack, so it can attack with its 2 claws (at a -2 because of the grappled condition.
The Hezrou can both maintain as a standard, and do bite damage if it succeeds or try a pin etc but then it can't use its claws.
It can also let go, and full attack and grab again (this is particularly nasty if you have a creature with constrict and multiple attacks)
Keep in mind Bob also needs to make fortitude saves to not be nauseated by the Hezrou's special ability.
| Shadowdweller |
Couple things prevent this from actually being the case. First off, the Grab ability allows a grapple attempt as a free action. It doesn't specify that the grapple attempt needs to be taken immediately. So the hezrou can complete its full attack (with the claws) BEFORE trying to make the grapple attempt. Second off, the controller of a grapple can drop the grapple as a free action. So the hezrou can maintain grapple until the beginning of its next turn (preventing Bob from using two weapons or using a two-handed weapon during that time), then drop and full attack again. The Hezrou barely loses anything (i.e. only the +5 pre-grappled bonus to grapple checks) from doing so in fact, since one needs to maintain a grapple every round anyway.