Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MrPowell82 08-27-07, 11:56 PM	I was DMing a game last week and this came up, tell me if I handled this correctly: An Owlbear uses it's Imporved Grab ability to grapple a character that it had just hit with its claw attack. The initial grapple check succeds. Now the Owlbear cannot move and it doesn't threaten any squares. The now grappled character gets his turn, first, he tries to escape the grapple by making an opposed grapple check, he fails then he uses his dagger (light weapon) to make an attack. He cannot move because he is being grappled, so his turn is over. All the other characters get a turn and now I am back to the Owlbear, first he must make another grapple check to maintain his grapple, he fails. Because he failed his grapple check, he is now unable to make a standard action, he moves 10 feet back and his turn is now over. The rest of the combat proceeds as normal. Did I handle that correctly? If the Owlbear fails his continuation of the grapple check, does that mean he cannot attack that same round? What else could the Owlbear have done if it had succeded its continuation of the grapple check besides attack? Thanks for everyones help in advance.
ScipioX 08-28-07, 03:45 AM	first he must make another grapple check to maintain his grapple This part is wrong. A grappler need only make a check to maintain a PIN. A normal grapple continues until one member makes a successful escape check or both grapples decide to stop. Thus the owlbear should have been able to either attack with his natural weapons at -4 or attempt to damage with grapple checks based on BAB.
Orenmir 08-28-07, 11:17 AM	A grappler need only make a check to maintain a PIN. Even that part is wrong. No need to make a grapple check to maintain a pin. Else, the rule about moving a pin would not make sense. You can use a standard action to move a pin, but if you have to make another grapple check to maintain a pin, you'd never be able to move the pin.
Orenmir 08-28-07, 11:20 AM	IWhat else could the Owlbear have done if it had succeded its continuation of the grapple check besides attack? He can attack with a natural or light weapon as normal with a -4 pentaly (since his in a grapple). He can make grapple checks to inflict unarmed damage with his natural attack. He can make a grapple check to pin. He can make a disarm attempt. He can make a trip attempt. He can make a grapple check to end the grapple. (as stated before, he need not make a grapple check to continue a grapple)
InkBlot 08-28-07, 06:23 PM	Even that part is wrong. No need to make a grapple check to maintain a pin. Else, the rule about moving a pin would not make sense. You can use a standard action to move a pin, but if you have to make another grapple check to maintain a pin, you'd never be able to move the pin. It's not wrong. A pin only lasts one round, so if you want to pin a foe for multiple rounds then you have to make a new check on each round. You can't move while pinning your foe. The "move as a standard action" option only works when you're not pinning someone.
Orenmir 08-28-07, 07:01 PM	From the SRD: You get a +4 bonus on your grapple check to move a pinned opponent, but only if no one else is involved in the grapple. How can use a standard action for a grapple check to maintain the pin and move a pinned opponent using a standard action in the same turn? Yes, it takes a standard action to move a grapple or a pin. Answer: you don't need to make the grapple check to continue the pin. The "one round" which you are referring to only applies to mobility. The pinned opponent cannot move for one round, but will remain pinned until he escapes it, or the pinner releases.