SPECIAL ATTACKS FROM CREATURES

[Stavross]

Greetings. A silly question, but what I prefer to ask to clear up doubts... In the second edition, does a creature whose damage adds a special attack like knock down or grab, do this automatically? In the previous edition, it had to perform the corresponding combat maneuver as a free action.
Thanks!

[HammerJack]

Quote:

Grab ONE ACTION

Source Bestiary pg. 343
Requirements The monster's last action was a success with a Strike that lists Grab in its damage entry, or it has a creature grabbed using this action. Effect The monster automatically Grabs the target until the end of the monster's next turn. The creature is grabbed by whichever body part the monster attacked with, and that body part can't be used to Strike creatures until the grab is ended.

Using Grab extends the duration of the monster's Grab until the end of its next turn for all creatures grabbed by it. A grabbed creature can use the Escape action to get out of the grab, and the Grab ends for a grabbed creatures if the monster moves away from it.

That takes an action but no roll. Improved Grab is free.

Quote:

Knockdown ONE ACTION
Source Bestiary pg. 343
Requirements The monster’s last action was a success with a Strike that lists Knockdown in its damage entry. Effect The monster knocks the target prone.

Also an action with no roll. Also has an Improved Knockdown version which is free.

Assuming that something means the same thing it meant in the previous edition is an easy way to go wrong, and not recommended.

[egindar]

By default, it costs an extra action after the Strike resolves, but succeeds without requiring a check. So an enemy might Strike once (miss), Strike a second time (hit), and then use its third action on Knockdown (target of the 2nd Strike is knocked prone without a check).

There are Improved versions of these abilities, e.g. Improved Knockdown and Improved Grab, where the ability is a free action rather than a single action.

[Stavross]

Thank you so much! I assumed this, but having such competent and experienced people at hand, it is always better to ask. You are great.