Post/Author/DateTime	Post
subvertisement 06-20-04, 01:30 AM	regarding the 3.5 monster manual After a medium squid makes it's initial arm attack and takes it's free grapple attempt and deals damage what does it do on following rounds? Make an opposed grapple check to do bite damage again? Make a natural weapon attack with the -4 penalty to bite again? Can the squid use its arms to attempt a pin on the opponent and still bite or can natural attacks not be traded for grapple actions? (as extra attacks from base attack bonus can be). any help would be great (and page numbers/quotes if you have them handy)
Walter Russ 06-20-04, 03:36 AM	The Medium Squid is special in a few different ways. One, with a successful hold, it automatically does bite damage (normally only the constrict ability does extra damage on a hold). Two, it can grab any sized creature (normally only creatures smaller than the creature with Improved Grab can be grabbed). See "Improved Grab" MM 3.5 page 310. And three, it gets a +4 racial bonus on all grapple checks. As for subsequent rounds, it has a number of choices, the only really likely ones being: Attack with bite: At -4 to hit (see "Attack Your Opponent" page 156 PHB 3.5). Note that it can deal 1d3 (for Medium) nonlethal damage with a grapple check at no penalty. Pin opponent: With a grapple check. This in itself won't do much, but see the next options. As for your question, it is stated on page 157, you cannot use a weapon (including natural ones) against a pinned opponent. Drag opponent (Presumably underwater to drown the victim): As a standard action a grapple check moves the squid and the opponent at half it's swim speed, but extremely heavy opponents may be too much weight. See page 156 "Move" and page 162 "Carrying Capacity". Note if the victim has allready been pinned, the grapple check to move is at +4. Holding your breath is covered under "Swim" on page 84 PHB 3.5. And a few more unlikely options: Use opponents light weapon against him!: If the squid wins a grapple check, it can make an attack roll at it's own base attack with a -4 penalty and damage the opponent with his own weapon. That would suprise your players! See "Use Opponents Weapon" page 156. Both the grapple check and the attack are considered to be part of the same action. Disarm Opponent: Only if opponent is pinned. Make a disarm check (opponent gets +4 however) success means opponents weapon is disarmed or grabbed (squid's choice). See page 157. It's theoretically possible for a squid to pin an opponent, grab his weapon and then release the pin and start attacking him with his own weapon! Very unlikely though, since the squid would have -4 to hit because it is not proficient in any manufactured weapons. Still, it is a provacative idea and would certainly surprise most players!