Swallow whole - several questions

[Gray Eminence]

Last night we were playing with our group and we had some problems interpreting the Swallow Whole ability under the PFRPG rules. In 3.5, every monster I could find in the MM that had this ability had the same phrase in the description, that stated that if someone manages to cut the way out, the wound automatically closes and an other swallowed individual must cut his/her own way out. I can also recall a construct in one of the earlier Pathfinders (it was called Tophet IIRC), a sort of prison used by rulers to punish those who offended them, and this monster specifically stated that if someone manages to cut its way out, the hole will not close. I remembered it, because it was "going against the general rule".

For some strange reason this rule was always repeated in the description of each monster, and not in the description of the Swallow whole ability at the end of the MM.

So question No. 1: Now PFRPG repeats the description of the MM in the Bestiary on the Swallow whole ability, but the description of the monsters in the Bestiary is completely different from those found in the MM, and it does not mention anything about the wound. Does it close automatically like it does in 3.5, or once someone manages to cut the way out, the others may follow?

Question No. 2: Is exiting the belly of the beast through the cut-out wound a move action, a standard action or something else? Does it cause an AOO?

Question No. 3: Does the damage caused to cut the way out add to the damage total of the monster, or is it handled separately?

Question No. 4: A monster may not use the swallow whole ability if someone cut his/her way out until the wound is healed. Does this mean that the monster must get back to full Hp before it may use the ability again, or does it mean that it must heal only a number of Hp that was inflictid in order to cut the way out?

Any help, especially quoting the necessary rules would be greatly apprechiated.

Thanks.

[Zurai]

1. The Swallow Whole ability specifically states that the "stomach" wound doesn't close until the damage that caused it is healed.

2. It's an automatic action once you've dealt the required amount of damage, and it does not provoke AOOs.

3. It adds to the total damage caused to the monster.

4. Ambiguous, but I personally rule in favor of the second interpretation (only the damage caused cutting the stomach open needs to be healed).

[Robert Young]

From Swallow Whole:
If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent grappled in its mouth (see Grab), it can attempt a new combat maneuver check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If it succeeds, it swallows its prey, and the opponent takes bite damage. Unless otherwise noted, the opponent can be up to one size category smaller than the swallowing creature. Being swallowed causes a creature to take damage each round. The amount and type of damage varies and is given in the creature's statistics. A swallowed creature keeps the grappled condition, while the creature that did the swallowing does not. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon (the amount of cutting damage required to get free is equal to 1/10 the creature's total hit points), or it can just try to escape the grapple. The Armor Class of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally 10 + 1/2 its natural armor bonus, with no modifiers for size or Dexterity. If a swallowed creature cuts its way out, the swallowing creature cannot use swallow whole again until the damage is healed. If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker's mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again.

Format: swallow whole (5d6 acid damage, AC 15, 18 hp); Location: Special Attacks.

As to the questions, I agree w/Zurai.