[PF] Grab vs Pull

[Maquise]

I was looking at the Roper monster in Pathfinder, and I'm a little confused by the difference between Grab and Pull, and how they fit together. Could I get a general explanation, along with a roper-specific one?

[Keneth]

I'm not sure what you're asking here. Grab allows you to grapple appropriately sized foes as part of the attack, grapple is then resolved as normal. Pull allows you to pull an enemy towards you with a certain attack and for the set length of space.

Ropers are tricky though, when they hit you with one of their strands, you take strength damage and are pulled 5 ft. if the roper makes a successful combat maneuver check.

The real questions arise in the following rounds however. The strands likely stay attached, otherwise there's no point explicitly saying that they can be severed. Keeping that in mind, the roper can likely make a combat check every round to pull you closer as long as the strand is attached to you. So far so good, but what about Strength damage? Do you take the damage every round? What kind of condition is affecting you while being held by the strand? Are you entangled and immobilized? Can you move around and towards but not away from the roper? Can a roper release any of the strands once they hit a target? Since they're not actually flesh it seems unlikely but it doesn't say anywhere.

Ropers are horrifying and so are their ability descriptions.

[Maquise]

So, normally Pull is just like Push in reverse, and the Roper is badly written?

[Keneth]

They're not completely the same, but yeah basically the reverse of Push.

You can view the descriptions of all the abilities here: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules