If you don't deal damage due to DR, can you still make a grab attempt?

[Gark the Goblin]

Situation with an animal companion (with nonmagical talons) that damaged a vampire and tried to grapple with the same attack. It dealt exactly 10 damage, which is reduced to 0 by DR - does the animal companion still get to grab?

[CampinCarl9127]

I would argue yes. The attack still lands, your animal companion still hits and makes physical contact, they simply do not do any damage. I would still give them the chance to grab.

[Cat-thulhu]

Grab is linked to making a successful attack rather than successfully damaging a foe - there are a few abilities stated that way as well so I assume there is a distinction on that basis.

[Sarabel Hieronymus]

I agree with CampinCarl127 and Cat-thulhu.

The language of "grab" (if that's what we're talking about) is this: If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

So in the situation you're describing the "creature" (the animal companion) has hit and dealt damage as normal (the fact that said damage was then "reduced" to my mind "confounds" but does not mitigate) and so, tra la, attempts to start a grapple as a free action.

[Shadowborn]

Yup. It's an if/then statement, though the actual wording leaves the word "then" out. If the attack hits, then attempt a grapple. The damage is irrelevant.

[Bob Bob Bob]

I'm honestly not sure.

Damage Reduction wrote:

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury poison, a monk's stunning, and injury-based disease. Damage Reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

So DR can negate a stunning fist attempt. However in grab:

Grab wrote:

If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

It really only specifies hitting with the attack, not damage. I always thought the grab came from, you know, actually getting a claw/tooth into them, but by the rules that doesn't seem to be required.

So I guess I'd say yes you can grab if you fail to beat DR, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone else disagreed.