The Big Cat animal companion gets grab at level 7 but does not specify if it is associated with the bite or the claws or both. The Beastiary clearly states that Tigers get grab on bites and claws but the lion clearly states that it only gets grab on its bite attacks.
Is it legal to rule that a player with a lion animal companion only gets grab on its bites?
Secondarily, once a grab is successfully initiated without taking the -20 penalty, does the cat still get the rest of its attacks if it took a full-round attack action? Being grappled doesn't prevent taking full-attack actions per-se. In fact, it still permits taking attacks with natural weapons and light/one-handed weapons. Its just that maintaining the grapple in the next round is a standard action, preventing a full-attack action in following rounds. So I would rule that once the grapple is successfully initiated on the first round, then the rest of the cat's attacks can proceed as normal but with the appropriate -2 penalty. On follow-up rounds, however, normal grapple rules would apply.
Last question. If the cat manages to successfully grapple with the -20 penalty, that gets the cat out of having the grapple condition. However, that does not get the cat out of having to take a standard action on the next round to maintain the grapple. Thus, the cat doesn't get a full attack action from completing the harder grapple check. Rather, it just gets out of the Dex and attack penalties. Correct?
Sspit
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I'm not sure on the attack associated with Grab. I'll look into it later and see if I come up with anything. At first blush I would think it depends on the kind of cat your companion is.
As for Grab during full actions and grappling, this is my understanding:
Once you Grab an opponent any subsequent attacks are made with the penalties for being grappled applied. Unless there is specific reason to maintain the grapple (dragging, pinning or such) then I suggest releasing the grapple as a free action and re-apply as part of your attack routine. This lets you force opponents to waste actions escaping a grapple or take actions within the limitations of being grappled.
Have your caster and eat him, too.
The tactic of release, full attack to re-establish might be a bit advanced for a int of 2-3 but that's just my opinion
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I'd say that the Grab ability depends on the type of cat.
Once you succeed at grabbing, you and your opponent gain the Grappled condition and your turn is over. If you do not release the grapple, you must continue to make a check each round, as a standard action, to maintain the hold. If your target does not break the grapple, you get a +5 circumstance bonus on grapple checks made against the same target in subsequent rounds.
In every round (on your turn) in which you win the grapple check you can inflict damage to your target equal to your unarmed strike, a natural attack, or an attack made with armor spikes or a light or one-handed weapon in addition to you rake damage (if you have any).
You cannot make attacks while you are grappling someone. You inflict automatic damage every time you win an opposed check.
In all fairness, you could release the grapple as a free action and then attack, but then you'd have to start the grapple all over again.
All big cats get the same thing for animal companions as for as advancement. You get it when the table says you get it whether you call you big cat lion, tiger or some other name.
edit:You have a good point with the difference between lions and tigers. I will look at it later.
Also grab works the same all the time. There is one grab entry. Unless an animal calls out an exception they use the one in the book as written.
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I was under the impression that the Grappled Condition applies only to the one who is being grappled as it says that you cannot move while in Grappled Condition, yet if you are the one grappling someone and you win your check to maintain a grapple, you can move both yourself and your opponent as part of that standard action up to half your move speed.
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Grapple
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. Humanoid creatures without two free hands attempting to grapple a foe take a –4 penalty on the combat maneuver roll. If successful, both you and the target gain the grappled condition (see the Appendices). If you successfully grapple a creature that is not adjacent to you, move that creature to an adjacent open space (if no space is available, your grapple fails). Although both creatures have the grappled condition, you can, as the creature that initiated the grapple, release the grapple as a free action, removing the condition from both you and the target. If you do not release the grapple, you must continue to make a check each round, as a standard action, to maintain the hold. If your target does not break the grapple, you get a +5 circumstance bonus on grapple checks made against the same target in subsequent rounds. Once you are grappling an opponent, a successful check allows you to continue grappling the foe, and also allows you to perform one of the following actions (as part of the standard action spent to maintain the grapple).
All participants gain the grappled condition. The options change depending on who's in control.
