The sidebar on page 462 of the CRB states the following:
"Using an activity is not the same as using any of its subordinate actions. [...] if you used an action that specified, 'If the next action you use is a Strike,' an activity that includes a Strike wouldn't count, because the next thing you are doing is starting an activity, not using the Strike basic action."
The monster ability Push lists the following as its requirement (page 343 of the Bestiary):
"The monster's last action was a success with a Strike that lists Push in its damage entry."
Now consider the roc's Wing Rebuff reaction as described on page 281:
"The roc makes a wing Strike against the triggering creature. If the roc Pushes the creature, it disrupts the triggering move action."
From my understanding of the CRB text, the second sentence does not make any sense, since it should be impossible for the roc to Push a creature in this situation, the Strike being a subordinate action to the Wing Rebuff reaction.
As another example, consider the last sentence of the kraken's Double Attack feature (involving Grab, which has a similar requirement as Push) on page 214:
"If the kraken subsequently uses the Grab action, it Grabs any number of creatures."
Of course, how these cases should be adjudicated is clear: the roc *can* Push after a Wing Rebuff, and the kraken *can* Grab after a Double Attack. However, the wording of these entries has led me to believe that a similar thing should hold in cases where it is not explicitly mentioned, like the snapping flytrap's Hungry Flurry on page 160 or the remorhaz' Thrash on page 280.
My questions, thus, are the following:
1. Should it be possible, in general, for a monster to use a Grab, Push or Knockdown action (or free action from the Improved versions) after a successful Strike, even if said Strike was a subordinate action?
2. If so, should each Strike from the activity count as a separate trigger for the Improved versions (which are free actions), so that, for example, the snapping flytrap could Grab two creatures at once with its Hungry Flurry?
Note that question 2 is really only relevant for the Improved versions, since in the standard case it is quite clear that only one Grab, Push or Knockdown is possible - the second such action would no longer follow any successful Strike. This also means that, say, the sentence quoted above from the kraken's Double Attack action is not superfluous either way.
After reading large parts of the Bestiary, my intuition would be that the intended answer to both questions is "yes". However, I would be interested in other people's input on this.
There are two different things at play.
1) (the Sidebar example) is using an activity instead of a specified action.
2) (the roc example) is a trigger working for additional effect.
In addition, the Roc's Wing Rebuff isn't an activity, but a reaction.
It just also triggers the Push, that then disrupts the movement that triggered the Wing rebuff.
The very differnt thing between those two situations is the order.
The roc and kraken trigger additional stuff with reactions or actions (or activities), while the Rule denies substituting specific actions with subordinate actions from an Activity.
I have only found one example of the "follow up"-actions-variant that isn't metamagic: Wall Jump. You can wall jump only if you use a Jump action, not if you use any activity that has a Jump as subordinate action (unless it's High or Long Jump, as specified in Wall Jump).
So for your questions: Free actions with a trigger (like improved grab) can trigger any number of times, even during activities, it seems.
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The thing that threw me off is that while the example in the sidebar is not entirely analogous, the requirement for Push *does* specifically mention "[t]he monster's last action". So I do not think your (or my) assessment is supported by the rules alone.
Also, regarding Wing Rebuff not being an activity: The term "activity" is not really comprehensively defined anywhere, but it is very possible for an activity to be a reaction. The last sentence of the first paragraph on activities on page 461 of the CRB states: "In some cases, usually when spellcasting, an activity can consist of only 1 action, 1 reaction, or even 1 free action."
That's what I was trying to mention with the order being the difference:
The Sidebar only speaks of next actions, while all those triggers work on some last action.
Good point on the reaction counting as activity. I did not remember that.
EDIT: Look at the Simultaneous Actions Sidebar (should be just above subordinate Actions?):
You can use only one single action, activity, or free action that doesn’t have a trigger at a time. You must complete one before beginning another. For example, the Sudden Charge activity states you must Stride twice and then Strike, so you couldn’t use an Interact action to open a door in the middle of the movement, nor could you perform part of the move, make your attack, and then finish the move.
Free actions with triggers and reactions work differently. You can use these whenever the trigger occurs, even if the trigger occurs in the middle of another action.
So, a normal Grab is not allowed during an activity that has more attack dealing "...damage plus grab", but an improved grab is because it is a free action with a trigger.
My understanding is that the sidebar is not only speaking about next actions - that is just the specific example used. (The other example, which I omitted in my quote, is about how activities interact with the Quickened condition.)
Regarding your second point: I guess I was a bit unclear about what exactly I was asking. I am aware that free actions can be used during activities. What I am concerned with is the fact that only one free action may be used *per trigger*. Hence the question is whether multiple Strikes from the same activity count as separate triggers for the purpose of free actions like Improved Grab. As I said, my assumption would be yes, but I think it is not entirely clear.
Ah! Now I get you. Yeah, I would assume the same, that each time a trigger for a free action occurs, you are allowed to take the free action.
I aggree that it isn't spelled out if subordinate actions of activities count as seperate instances of actions that could each trigger free actions/reactions.
But the other point in the subordinate actions sidebar in my reading only talks about substituting an action "x" with an activity (with subordinate action "x"), which isn't allowed.
Like: You can't use (with Wall Jump) a High jump as a single action activity (from Wall jump) with the bonus action stride from Quickened.
The term "activity" is not really comprehensively defined anywhere, but it is very possible for an activity to be a reaction.
I'm fairly certain this is incorrect. As I recall, an activity was defined as anything that required two or more actions. If it's not a single action, free action, or reaction, it is most likely an activity.
The term "activity" is not really comprehensively defined anywhere, but it is very possible for an activity to be a reaction.I'm fairly certain this is incorrect. As I recall, an activity was defined as anything that required two or more actions. If it's not a single action, free action, or reaction, it is most likely an activity.
Well, it is a little confusing because activities can definitely be single action as well - this is called out for single action spells. It feels as though activity may refer to anything that isn't a "simple" action. When something says you may spend an Interact action to reload, or an action with the concentrate action to end Bon Mot, that isn't an activity (I don't think). The basic actions are also defined as actions and not activities, but beyond that it feels hazy to me.
Oh well then! :)
The term "activity" is not really comprehensively defined anywhere, but it is very possible for an activity to be a reaction.I'm fairly certain this is incorrect. As I recall, an activity was defined as anything that required two or more actions. If it's not a single action, free action, or reaction, it is most likely an activity."Activities are special tasks that you complete by spending one or more of your actions together. Usually, an activity uses two or more actions and lets you do more than a single action would allow..." [p17 CRB]
Activities CAN be one action. While the intent appears to be that actions are the building blocks and activities are the combination of building blocks, a single action can be a single activity
EDIT
ANother example is p461 CRB"In some cases, usually when spellcasting, an activity can consist of only 1 action, 1 reaction, or even 1 free action."
My thought is that the 1 action allowance is to ensure that cast a spell was always considered an activity and rules lawyers would not be able to say that the cast a spell ability/activity does not work on 1 action spells since they are not activities
In addition, I think that a 1-action reload IS an activity to ensure that all reloads (including the 2 action) would be considered under the "Reload" activity
Reloading is a special case where it can be a (or multiple) single actions or activity, depending on the GM.
If an item takes 2 or more actions to reload, the GM determines whether they must be performed together as an activity, or you can spend some of those actions during one turn and the rest during your next turn.