So, it appears that the prerequisite feat, Ability Focus (constrict), for Final Embrace Horror and Master is currently removed. The first question is:
1.) Is it removed for society play? I want to make a serpentine eidolon but it is somewhat important to know if I can legally ignore the impossible frat prerequisite selection (constrict cannot be ability focused).
2.) Final Embrace says that you gain a constrict and grab attack and can use them on creatures up to your size. However, it doesn't say what these attacks are bound/tied to. The bestiary, I believe, points out that these special attacks are usually attached to a particular type of attack such as a bite, pincers, tail slap, etc. The eidolons grab and constrict moves are clearly describing what they are tied to. The Final Embrace feat is silent. Do you select what attack to apply the grab and constrict to? Do they both have to apply to a single (ie. The same) attack? Do you designate which special attack is applied to which of your normal attacks? Or maybe you just can grab and constrict with any attack you make or, at least, any typically qualifying attack such as a bite or tail slap. I don't know and none of it appears to be clearly spelled out. Maybe I am missing something.
3.) Finally, does the grab ability for an eidolon work only as described in the eidolon entry or does it work as the grab universal ability modified for the eidolon. For example, it says you gain the grab ability. Then it details some bonuses to your grab but otherwise gives a watered down description of the universal grab ability. The full ability allows you to use your bite or tail to maintain the grapple while freeing the rest of your body to perform other actions because you are no longer considered grappled. This is extremely useful and puts grab/constrict on par with pounce or reach for bipeds getting large. The catch is you're at a -20 on that grapple check. So does the eidolon have the actual grab universal ability or just the description listed in the entry?
I really am hoping I get back nothing but good news here. I'm inspired to make a useful eidolon that isn't a quadruped or reaching biped. These questions seem to be largely the deciding factor in base optimization for serpentine forms (for me), in terms of combat options. Ah well, we'll see.
No love for the serpentine eidolons? The final embrace horror and master are kind of useful if you have constrict and are a grappler. Unfortunately, the questions above require clarification before I
make any assumptions in society play.
The easy (and most favorable) answers would be:
Yes, you can ignore the ability focus constrict in pfs.
Yes, final embrace gives you grab and constrict with any previously established body part that can do it (bite, tail, pincers, hands, etc).
And yes, the eidolons grab entry is a brief version of the universal monster ability. They are the same.
But that is wishful thinking. :)
So thoughts, anyone?
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FAQ
Grab (Ex) wrote: An eidolon becomes adept at grappling foes, gaining the grab ability. Pick bite, claw, pincers, slam, tail slap, or tentacle attacks. Whenever the eidolon makes a successful attack of the selected type, it can attempt a free combat maneuver check. If successful, the eidolon grapples the target. This ability only works on creatures of a size one category smaller than the eidolon or smaller. Eidolons with this evolution receive a +4 bonus on CMB checks made to grapple. So, the feat tax is removed, for now.
I take the part I bolded to mean "the UMR entry except as noted below". (otherwise there's zero information about how grab functions)
Now, the eidolon entry was written before they updated the UMR to be creatures up to the same size. However, for official play, the eidolon entry would need to be updated or FAQ'd to be affected by that change.
As to what attacks can use Grab/Constrict... it is very silent.
The answer is either
A) any natural attack (possibly including unarmed strikes)
B) those listed as having it available
B is the safest answer for official play.
As a note, gaining grab and constrict from Final Embrace does give you the UMR entries. (I mention this because eidolon constrict is restricts to size -1, while UMR is not restricted at all; although you would have to initiate grapple with a maneuver rather than grab if the target is larger than you)
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So, the Constrict ability is not normally attached to any particular natural attack. If you score a grapple, you do the damage, and it doesn't matter what you scored that grapple with.
But Grab is usually attached to a particular Natural Attack. Final Embrace does not specify which Natural Attacks get Grab.
That seems to mean that all your natural attacks get Grab when you take the Final Embrace Feat. But I think some rule-based feedback is in order here.
Because if Final Embrace gifts Grab (and Constrict) to ALL your natural attacks, then I could make a Tengu with claws and a bite, get a Mammoth Helm for a Gore Attack, and take 2 levels in White Haired Witch, giving me Constrict, serving as my prerequisite for Final Embrace. Then in addition to getting Grab for my hair, I also get it for my bite, my claws, and my Gore! Of course, I'll be wearing Spiked Armor, so every one of those attacks will also do an extra 1d6 (+bonuses).
That sounds too good to be true, but I can't see how it's illegal.
Somebody stop me!
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Grab is normally attached to 1 natural attack. If I take Final Embrace, I guess I pick 1 of my Natural Attacks to apply Grab to. So if I want Grab for all my attacks, I'd have to take Final Embrace for each natural attack I have.
Taking the same feat multiple times is unusual and is normally accompanied with a "Special" text, like for a Thunder and Fang Fighter who wants to take Weapon Specialization for both his Klar and Earthbreaker. But if you meet the prerequisites, you meet them. The prerequisites don't include "must not already have Final Embrace."
But I am bothered by how nonspecific the wording of the Feat is. It just says you get Grab. It doesn't say you get to apply Grab to one natural attack, and if that's what they meant, they should have said that. But if all your natural attacks get Grab, it really should say that, too.
What do people think?
I'm not surprised this was largely ignored as it's a very sticky situation with a poorly worded feat...
RAW, FE indeed seems to be linguistically ambiguous about "the constrict special attack", implying that any special attack with that name qualifies as a prerequisite.
RAI, it is most likely unintended for the WHW Constrict(Ex) to serve as a prereq.
The evidence here is that specific article "the" (not "a") in front of "constrict special attack" that very strongly implies it's talking about the UMR version of Constrict exclusively.
Now, this interpretation, strictly, should also exclude the Eidolon version, which is only triggered by a successful Grab; although I do doubt that Eidolons are intended to be excluded.
The primary distinction is the action type (this would technically allow you to get Constrict damage twice for that hair, once automatically[not an action] and again as a swift), which seems very unintended.
As to which attacks can/would be modified by Grab:
As you note, again, it is ambiguous, but we do have source material that is highly suggestive of which attacks normally have Grab attached. The list for Eidolons is probably the easiest reference. It's fairly unreasonable to expect Grab to apply to every type of attack.
Also, I'm not particularly inclined to restrict the effect of this feat to a single attack or attack type until it gets errata.
Keep in mind also that this archetype is from supplemental material.
As such, it's even more unreasonable to expect the author(s) to account for every interaction such as this.
GL if this is for PFS, you'll probably need it.
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FAQ requests
1.Does the Grab granted by Final Embrace apply to all of your natural weapons (including Unarmed Strike), just one, or just one type? And are there restrictions on type as in the Eidolon entry for Grab?
2.Does the 2nd level ability Constrict(Ex) gained by the White-Haired Witch archetype qualify as a prerequisite for Final Embrace?
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