Kudaku wrote:
This came up in a session I had a few days ago. We winged it at the time to keep the game flowing, but the questions have been bothering me... So:
Question 1: An otyugh hits a foe with a tentacle attack. Using the Grab ability, it gets a free grapple attempt and makes a successful combat maneuver bonus check to grapple the target. It then uses the "continue fighting without the 'grappled' condition" rule. Can it continue doing tentacle attacks with the tentacle it uses to grapple its target?
Link to the PF d20 srd rules on grab here.
Question 2: The previously mentioned Otyugh hits another target with its second tentacle attack. Does the -20 penalty for continuing to fight with a target already grappled count towards this combat maneuver check to successfully start a grapple?
The otyugh attacks with a tentacle as part of its full attack. It hits (doing 1d6+2 damage) and then decides to grab taking the -20 penalty to not be grappled itself. So it gets a CMB of -7 (13-20) to try to hit the CMD of the target. Assuming this is successful, it now deals constrict damage (1d6+2) and the target (only) gains the grappled condition. At this point one tentacle is occupied holding a target and has no further actions this round.
In the same round the otyugh can attack with its second tentacle with no penalties or restrictions and can certainly grab and hold another opponent if it wanted to. It could also use the second tentacle to do the same to the already grappled target. Let’s assume the otyugh attacks another opponent with its other tentacle and has the same result as the first: a hit (1d6+2 damage), a grab using the -20 to hold, which results in a constrict (1d6+2 damage). Now it has two opponents grappled but is not grappled itself and both tentacles are occupied unless either of the opponents escape the grapple.
At the beginning of its next round, assuming both opponents remain grappled, the otyugh has a choice to make. Maintaining a grapple is a standard action so it can’t maintain the grapple with both tentacles. It has to pick one to keep grappled and let the other go or let them both go and start the whole process over from the beginning.
