I've been reading through the feats, and I'm seeing references to grappling two opponents.
The first feat, grabbing drag:
When you are using Grabbing Style, if you use the move grapple action, you can move both yourself and a single target that you're grappling your full speed instead of half your speed. After you have done so, you can use a move action to move yourself and the target of your grapple half your speed without needing to attempt an additional combat maneuver check. You cannot use this feat if you are grappling two targets.
Specifically prevents you from using it while grappling two opponents.
The second feat, grabbing master:
When you are grabbing two opponents while using Grabbing Style, you can use your grapple to move or damage one or both opponents you are grappling, instead of just one.
Also references grappling two opponents. In fact it's specifically only while grappling two opponents.
In addition, there is language suggesting that you can choose to grapple one-handed. Such as from the grapple style feat:
When you use this style, you do not take a –4 penalty on combat maneuver checks to grapple a foe with only one hand. Additionally, you do not lose your Dexterity bonus to AC while pinning an opponent.
Now, it's conceivably allowed in action economy by the feat greater grapple:
You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Grapple. Once you have grappled a creature, maintaining the grapple is a move action. This feat allows you to make two grapple checks each round (to move, harm, or pin your opponent), but you are not required to make two checks. You only need to succeed at one of these checks to maintain the grapple.
This means that you could possibly use your move action to maintain a grapple and your standard action to make a new grapple against a new opponent, with a different hand, and that would be allowed in the action economy. In addition, future rounds allow you to take two move actions instead of two standard actions to maintain both grapples.
Being grappled prevents you from making attacks of opportunity, but interestingly does not seem to limit your reach. In addition, I can't seem to find any language that prevents you from interacting with targets other than your grapple-ee, should you have the actions to spare.
So, is this essentially correct? Can a character with the greater grapple feat grapple a target in one round, and then during the next round use his other hand to make a grapple against a new target? As a side question, can a grappler make a grapple with two hands and then choose to maintain it with only one hand, freeing up that hand?
So, is this essentially correct? Can a character with the greater grapple feat grapple a target in one round, and then during the next round use his other hand to make a grapple against a new target? As a side question, can a grappler make a grapple with two hands and then choose to maintain it with only one hand, freeing up that hand?
Yes and Yes.
Don't forget this:
Humanoid creatures without two free hands attempting to grapple a foe take a –4 penalty on the combat maneuver roll.