How does the grab / HOLD function?

[Defraeter]

I would verify if i play "well" the grab/HOLD: i have no time to search the forum, and i'd like to have yours comments and/or links if any.
NOTE: i don't like very much houserules, and i prefer say "be nearest of spirit and balance of game".

This is how i play and read the rules:
A monster with 3 tentacles with grab ability.
1st round: the monster attack in full-round action
- tentacle 1 attacks, touch and the monster chooses to make a grab/hold (at -20 CMB except if it has special ability like tongue of Giant Frog). It succeeds and hold the ennemy.
The ennemy has the condition "grappled" but not the monster.

That's the point important!!! The monster isn't grappled, so it isn't subjected to the rules of grapple.

The monster chooses to keep the hold.

- the 2 others tentacles attack (without malus because not grappled) and the monster don't grab with them.

1st round bis: the ennemy grappled check an escape attempt against the hold (vs CMD monster = "standard" CMD - 20 of hold), but fails.

2nd round; the monster has 2 tentacles (free) and 1 tentacle (hold). As it is not grappled, the monster don't have to maintain the grab/hold with a standard action (i.e that's why rule says "maintain the grapple" and not "maintain the hold").
The monster can do a full-round attack action...
- tentacle 1 (hold): the monster chooses to maintain the grab/hold, so check CMB (with -20 except..) +bonus +5 (the ennemy is always grappled)

- the 2 others tentacles make their attacks.

As i play, i understand why the grab/hold is interesting.

What do you think of that??? You're welcome! :-)

[Grick]

Defraeter wrote:

A monster with 3 tentacles with grab ability.

1st round: the monster attack in full-round action
- tentacle 1 attacks, touch and the monster chooses to make a grab/hold (at -20 CMB except if it has special ability like tongue of Giant Frog). It succeeds and hold the ennemy.

Note, this is not a touch attack, it's a regular attack. Grab (Ex) allows you to attempt to start a grapple as a free action when that attack hits.

So the tentacle makes a regular attack. If it hits, it deals tentacle damage, then as a free action makes a grapple check.

Defraeter wrote:

1st round bis: the ennemy grappled check an escape attempt against the hold (vs CMD monster = "standard" CMD - 20 of hold), but fails.

The -20 penalty for Holding only applies to the CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, not the creature's CMD which is used to break the grapple.

Defraeter wrote:

2nd round; the monster has 2 tentacles (free) and 1 tentacle (hold). As it is not grappled, the monster don't have to maintain the grab/hold with a standard action (i.e that's why rule says "maintain the grapple" and not "maintain the hold").

Grapple: "If you do not release the grapple, you must continue to make a check each round, as a standard action, to maintain the hold."

The tentacle monster has two options: Maintain the grapple as a standard action, or release the grapple as a free action. If he releases, he can full-attack again, and use Grab again if a tentacle hits.