Quick question about an issue that came up in last night's Council of Thieves session.
Can a character, specifically a monk, use the Power Attack feat to increase the damage delivered by grapple?
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power attack improves the damage dealt on melee attacks.
A grapple restrains an arm.
A monk can be grappled, and still use flurry of blows. With power attack even :P
Using the damage option from being in control of a grapple, you deal damage equal to your unarmed strike, a natural attack, or an attack make with armor spikes or a light or one-handed weapon. If you power attack, you will increase the damage done by those attack types. However, the penalty applies to your grapple check and thus might not be the best option.
Here's the thing, is the damage delivered by the grapple considered a melee attack? No "attack" roll is made to successfully hit the target being grappled and the power attack feat states that it improves the damage dealt by a melee attack.
This is what my group is little confused/hung up on.
I'd say no.
The grapple attempt, or maintenance there of, is not an attack action. It is a standard action requiring a CMD check.
While there is no "attack" roll, there is a CMB roll, so me and my group have allowed it. The flavor example being the grappler becoming slightly more reckless in order to snap that bone or wrench that joint. The risk/reward is still there on the Combat Maneuver check, so we decided it was kosher.
Now, this was a decision we came to without looking for an official answer... so sorry if you wanted an official answer.
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Well, the damage options listed are derived specifically from melee attack types. You can activate power attack, and any time you hit with those attacks, you add the bonus damage from power attack. Since the damage you deal is equal to the damage you deal from those attacks, and power attack increases the damage you deal from those attacks, the result ends up being the same.