Attacks with Grab / Knockdown / etc

[Thebazilly]

Edit: NEVERMIND! I found the ability glossary.

PSA. Not only are these defined in the ability glossary, a lot of them require spending separate actions. I probably ran a combat with a little too much action economy on the monster's side. Whoops.

Some monsters have attacks with effects in addition to damage, like a grab or a trip. I have a pretty simple question about this: Does the monster automatically grab/trip/whatever when they succeed with the attack, or do they still have to roll the Athletics check as well?

I would expect this to be noted in the bestiary, but I didn't see it.

Also, there are monsters listed with Knockdown (like the hyenas), which should probably be Trip instead.

[DerNils]

I do feel these abilities should carry the Action Icon, to make clear that if you want to use the free grab it costs an Action. This is easy to overlook, especially for People coming from PF1.
It would also be nice if a crit at the attack would also carry the critical combat maneuver result. Like Restrained instead of Grabbed on the Grab Maneuver.

[Barnabas Eckleworth III]

I saw Grab was listed. But it's extremely vague. It says if it hits with an attack, it can automatically grab. But what does being grabbed mean? In PF1, it meant you were grappled, and had certain conditions.
But this one just says you're grabbed. No details.
And if a character is already grabbed, the monster can spend an action to keep the grab going. But there's no check involved or anything?

[Shaheer-El-Khatib]

It cost an action but there is no DC or Save as far as I understand it.

Example:

Knockdown (action)

Requirements : The monster’s last action was a success with an
attack that lists Knockdown in its damage entry.

Effect : The monster automatically knocks the target prone

[Nachti]

Barnabas Eckleworth III wrote:

I saw Grab was listed. But it's extremely vague. It says if it hits with an attack, it can automatically grab. But what does being grabbed mean? In PF1, it meant you were grappled, and had certain conditions.

But this one just says you're grabbed. No details.
And if a character is already grabbed, the monster can spend an action to keep the grab going. But there's no check involved or anything?

Page 322 from the Rulebook:

GRABBED
You’re held in place by another creature, making you immobile and flat-footed. If you attempt a manipulate action, activity, free action, or reaction while grabbed, you must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or it is lost; attempt the check after using it but before any effects are applied.

Interesting is also that is now easily possibly to grab two creatures at once with both pincers of a Giant Scorpion for example. And then it can constrict both grabbed creatures at the same time for some automatic damage with a single action.

[Turkina_B]

So the D6+2 piercing plus knockdown for the hyena is a free knockdown or does it require an action?

[Helmic]

Turkina_B wrote:

So the D6+2 piercing plus knockdown for the hyena is a free knockdown or does it require an action?

It requires an extra action (which you don't have to spend if you don't want to knock your target down or if you're out of actions), but it succeeds automatically, no save.