attack plus grab

[gutnedawg]

Does this mean a creature must make an attack to use the grab ability? Or can it use grab without attacking. I'm asking this because an attack has a higher miss chance for many creatures so it would be more advantageous to just make a grab.

[jjaamm]

grab gives the free grapple attempt. if the creature wants to just do a CMB grapple check, sure. needs the improved grapple feat or incurses an AoO.

[The_Scourge]

Yes, you can still make a regular grapple attempt, but it takes a standard action to do so.

[Whale_Cancer]

jjaamm wrote:

grab gives the free grapple attempt. if the creature wants to just do a CMB grapple check, sure. needs the improved grapple feat or incurses an AoO.

Incorrect. While it should be listed in the grab ability, consider the following...

Grapple wrote:

As a standard action, you can attempt to grapple a foe, hindering his combat options. If you do not have Improved Grapple, grab, or a similar ability, attempting to grapple a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

[gutnedawg]

But I'm confused. Can I grab as a standard action or do I have to hit it with an attack since the ability "plus grab" is listed after the attack. Look at the Roc

[Whale_Cancer]

gutnedawg wrote:

But I'm confused. Can I grab as a standard action or do I have to hit it with an attack since the ability "plus grab" is listed after the attack. Look at the Roc

You can make a grapple attempt as a standard action without provoking an attack of opportunity OR you can attack and hope you hit (which will grant you a grapple attempt that won't provoke an attack of opportunity).