1) Lion charge target: Pounce applies.
A) Do I get a free grapple check from Grab on the pounce?
B) Does my rake damage applies even if I miss that grapple check?
2) Lion make full attack: Grab applies.
A) Do I get additional rake damage if I got the target grappled on first hit?
I've always heard and run it as Yes to 1 and No to 2.
Typically, you rake when maintaining a grapple. (IE: You can't grapple then rake that round, including a free grapple from Grab)
If Pounce wasn't an exception, it would never apply, as you can't charge while grappled, and you could Pounce without Grab, so the only way for Rake to apply is if you just get free rakes as part of the pouncing full attack.
Unfortunately, I think that the rake ability can not be used as written except if you are grappled by somebody else and choose to make a full attack on your turn rather than escape the grapple. The groups I've played with have always allowed two free "rake" attacks (basically 2 extra claw attacks) on a pounce. These extra attacks don't require establishing a grapple (though maybe they should...this is just how we've always played it). We've also played that you get two free rake attacks when you maintain a grapple.
The rakes on a pounce seem to contradict the rules since the Rake ability says you can only rake a grappled foe. The rakes in a grapple seem to contradict the rules since you usually have to make a full attack to get any extra attacks you're entitled to, but you can't make a full attack when you maintain a grapple. This makes my views on rake kind of tough to defend except with the reasoning that if you don't allow Rake to work in these situation it becomes an almost useless ability.
Since Rake grants free attacks I've always felt that they still require attack rolls. This certainly seems to be how the Rake evolution for a Summoner's eidolon works.
Rake (Ex): An eidolon grows dangerous claws on its feet, allowing it to make 2 rake attacks on foes it is grappling. These attacks are primary attacks. The eidolon receives these additional attacks each time it succeeds on a grapple check against the target.
Actually, that ability has some issues too. Does the eidolon really get two free attacks every time it succeeds on a grapple check? Does that include the first grapple check on a Grab to establish a grapple? Could an eidolon with Greater Grapple get 4 free attacks by grappling you twice? Could an eidolon with 4 claws and a bite use Grab to grapple you 5 times and get 10 free attacks by letting you go as a free action between each attack?
For what it's worth, the eidolon rules mention nothing about getting Rake on a Pounce, but since the Rake goes off automatically when it grapples I guess the eidolon could just use the Grab ability on one of the attacks it pounced with.
Pounce specifically grants an exception to the rake rules with respect to grab.
The strength of rake is that once a grapple is established, you can keep hitting your target for the grapple damage + the 2 rake attacks, or you can use the other grapple options (moving the target or pinning it) while still getting the rakes.
Rake (Ex): An eidolon grows dangerous claws on its feet, allowing it to make 2 rake attacks on foes it is grappling. These attacks are primary attacks. The eidolon receives these additional attacks each time it succeeds on a grapple check against the target.
Actually, that ability has some issues too. Does the eidolon really get two free attacks every time it succeeds on a grapple check? Does that include the first grapple check on a Grab to establish a grapple? Could an eidolon with Greater Grapple get 4 free attacks by grappling you twice? Could an eidolon with 4 claws and a bite use Grab to grapple you 5 times and get 10 free attacks by letting you go as a free action between each attack?
As for the Eidolon Rake and Pounce, I suspect whoever wrote those abilities up didn't double check the beastiary. I would rule them as functioning exactly per the beastiary rules, personally, unless Michael Brock has said otherwise.
Unfortunately, I think that the rake ability can not be used as written except if you are grappled by somebody else and choose to make a full attack on your turn rather than escape the grapple. The groups I've played with have always allowed two free "rake" attacks (basically 2 extra claw attacks) on a pounce. These extra attacks don't require establishing a grapple (though maybe they should...this is just how we've always played it). We've also played that you get two free rake attacks when you maintain a grapple.
The rakes on a pounce seem to contradict the rules since the Rake ability says you can only rake a grappled foe. The rakes in a grapple seem to contradict the rules since you usually have to make a full attack to get any extra attacks you're entitled to, but you can't make a full attack when you maintain a grapple. This makes my views on rake kind of tough to defend except with the reasoning that if you don't allow Rake to work in these situation it becomes an almost useless ability.
Since Rake grants free attacks I've always felt that they still require attack rolls. This certainly seems to be how the Rake evolution for a Summoner's eidolon works.
Rake (Ex): An eidolon grows dangerous claws on its feet, allowing it to make 2 rake attacks on foes it is grappling. These attacks are primary attacks. The eidolon receives these additional attacks each time it succeeds on a grapple check against the target.
Actually, that ability has some issues too. Does the eidolon really get two free attacks every time it succeeds on a grapple check? Does that include the first grapple check on a Grab to establish a grapple? Could an eidolon with Greater Grapple get 4 free attacks by grappling you twice? Could an eidolon with 4 claws and a bite use Grab to grapple you 5 times and get 10 free attacks by letting you go as a free action between each attack?
For what it's worth, the eidolon rules mention nothing about getting Rake on a Pounce, but since the Rake goes off automatically when it...
the save on the eidelon is it has a limited number of attacks it can make. levels 1-3=3, 4-8=4 9-13=5 14-18=6 and 19-20=7
each rake the eidelon gets requires it to roll to hit twice for the two attacks but only counts as one attack
so at 3rd level--an eidelon could not bite, claw, claw and rake--that would be four attacks
it could do that at 4-8th level
Pounce specifically grants an exception to the rake rules with respect to grab.
This. You're all looking way too deep into this. Pounce specifically allows you to use rake outside the grapple. You can't say Pounce can't be used as written because it contradicts Rake. It's SUPPOSED to contradict normal Rake rules. Think of Rake as the general rule, and Pounce as the specific rule which overrides it. Nothing more.
An Eidolon's Rake is different (as are most Eidolon rules), and should be treated as such.