Do armor spikes aid against being grappled?

[copmc]

I know armor spikes are listed as light weapons but it does not state there are any restrictions on where they can be placed.

If a grappler has spiked armor then they are attempting to pull their target into a spike to inflict extra damage.

If my character has spiked armor and someone tries to grapple him then how do the spikes come into play?

Do I get a free attack with a spike, if grappled, or should I get a bonus to my CMD to prevent being grappled?

It seems spikes should provide just as much of a defensive benefit as they do offensive since they are attached to a passive form of defense, unlike a spike shield.

[Dave Justus]

Armor spikes have no special abilities in a grapple, except that like any light weapons they can be used to make an attack.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

Remember that someone grappling you does not mean a full-body bearhug; it's more like they've grabbed your leg. That's why you can still attack your grappler (at least until they pin you). So your spikes don't necessarily get in their way.

[Bolon]

Personally, I would rule that you would need an attack of opportunity to position the spikes in the way or an attack if you could move them in. It wouldn't make the attack continuous or affect the grapple but just another option for an attack. Since the spikes are on the armour, I would rule that if unarmed, you still have a weapon. I would also rule that if the grapple is secure, you can't turn the weapon on the grappler. It should have an effect for helping to keep a grapple off once broken like pointing a shield to keep off attacks. That said, the spikes need to be paid for, affect movement, moving silently and preventing certain positive things like grappling to remove out of combat or save from falling.

[Imbicatus]

Dave Justus wrote:

Armor spikes have no special abilities in a grapple, except that like any light weapons they can be used to make an attack.

This is not true. If you make a grapple while wearing armor spikes, the armor spike damage is applied on any successful grapple check.

Armor Spikes wrote:

You can have spikes added to your armor, which allow you to deal extra piercing damage on a successful grapple attack (see “spiked armor” on Table 1–5: Martial Weapons). The spikes count as a martial weapon. If you are not proficient with them, you take a –4 penalty on grapple checks when you try to use them. You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case. (You can’t also make an attack with armor spikes if you have already made an attack with another off-hand weapon, and vice versa.) An enhancement bonus to a suit of armor does not improve the spikes’ effectiveness, but the spikes can be made into magic weapons in their own right.

Compare with constrict:

Constrict wrote:

A creature with this special attack can crush an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, when it makes a successful grapple check (in addition to any other effects caused by a successful check, including additional damage). The amount of damage is given in the creature's entry and is typically equal to the amount of damage caused by the creature's melee attack.

[Murdock Mudeater]

copmc wrote:

I know armor spikes are listed as light weapons but it does not state there are any restrictions on where they can be placed.

If a grappler has spiked armor then they are attempting to pull their target into a spike to inflict extra damage.

If my character has spiked armor and someone tries to grapple him then how do the spikes come into play?

Do I get a free attack with a spike, if grappled, or should I get a bonus to my CMD to prevent being grappled?

It seems spikes should provide just as much of a defensive benefit as they do offensive since they are attached to a passive form of defense, unlike a spike shield.

Placement is that they are placed on the armor. It doesn't get more specific, and doesn't matter in rules terms.

As for their use when you are grappled, here's how it functions:

Quote:

If You Are Grappled: If you are grappled, you can attempt to break the grapple as a standard action by making a combat maneuver check (DC equal to your opponent's CMD; this does not provoke an attack of opportunity) or Escape Artist check (with a DC equal to your opponent's CMD). If you succeed, you break the grapple and can act normally. Alternatively, if you succeed, you can become the grappler, grappling the other creature (meaning that the other creature cannot freely release the grapple without making a combat maneuver check, while you can). Instead of attempting to break or reverse the grapple, you can take any action that doesn't require two hands to perform, such as cast a spell or make an attack or full attack with a light or one-handed weapon against any creature within your reach, including the creature that is grappling you. See the grappled condition for additional details. If you are pinned, your actions are very limited. See the pinned condition in Conditions for additional details.

So the armor spikes offer two options. First, if they grapple you, you can just attack them with the spikes. Second, you could reverse the grapple, then get free armor spike attacks while maintaining the grapple on later turns.

Beyond that, the main value of the spikes is psychological, as most creatures will think twice before grappling any spiky creature. Although there isn't a rules mechanic to this effect, most players and GMs will use this one while they roleplay their characters. Doesn't mean they have to, but if choices exist between a spiked target and an unspiked one, most intelligent creatures will pick the non-spiked one.