Drakos Viren
2015-02-19, 09:42 PM
Hello everyone,
I have some questions I was hoping you all could shed light on. I am currently a player in the Midnight campaign setting (LoTR where Sauron wins, basically), and I have the ability to shapeshift into a bear. In this case, a dire bear. Please let me know if I have a handle on the following, or if I'm getting it wrong, or help out if you can:
1) As a Dire Bear, I will have improved grab. This ability means that if I hit with one claw, I will have the option of using a free action to immediately make a grapple check without provoking. The standard routine is claw, claw, bite. If I successfully grapple after either claw, the remaining attacks are forfeit. The taking advantage of Improved Grab on a hit is optional.
2) Standard Improved Grab rules state that upon successfully grabbing, you deal no extra damage, unless you have constrict (which I may have at some point). On each successful grapple check after the initial grab, you deal damage with the natural weapon that started the grapple. In this case, 2d4+10 Str for a claw. Is this on EVERY grapple attempt, including ones my opponent makes? Do I shred them if they try to escape and fail?
a) Does this also mean that if I choose the "Deal damage to your opponent" option and succeed, I would get 1) Constrict damage, 2) Claw damage for succeeding on a grapple check with improved grab active, and 3) claw damage for the action I was taking? (1d8+10)+(2d4+10)+(2d4+10)? 1d8+4d4+30 seems a bit much. And potentially twice on my turn. We're around level 8.
3) With improved grab, I also have the option to conduct the grapple with the offending claw alone, for which I would take a -20 penalty on grapple rolls, not be considered in a grapple myself, and could then use my remaining attacks. Does this mean that, unlike in a full grapple, I could potentially grapple 2 separate enemies, getting 1 grapple attempt on each for the appropriate claw, and be able to bite someone as well? I cannot find rules on this bit anywhere.
4) I also have improved grapple. Since I am a sentient bear, I may very well opt to just make a grapple attempt on a high AC target that I cannot otherwise hit. If I do so,
a) Do I do damage with the natural attack that I am sacrificing to get the grapple attempt, or is it unarmed damage for a large creature (this would be rather nonsensical)? If this is the case, it would just be better to do this forever and attack touch AC, no? (This seems abusable, based on the encounter types our DM has. But I roll low with statistically impossible frequency.)
b) Can I conduct the grapple at -20 if I do use this method?
c) I am assuming that constrict would activate on each successful grapple check. Is that correct? What about claw damage, would that also be only for Improved Grab cases, or any form of grapple?
Any and all help/clarification/confirmation would be MUCH appreciated. If you can confirm or are unsure about something specific, can you call out specific locations or note what would be a DM call? SRD is fine!
Thank you all!
I have some questions I was hoping you all could shed light on. I am currently a player in the Midnight campaign setting (LoTR where Sauron wins, basically), and I have the ability to shapeshift into a bear. In this case, a dire bear. Please let me know if I have a handle on the following, or if I'm getting it wrong, or help out if you can:
1) As a Dire Bear, I will have improved grab. This ability means that if I hit with one claw, I will have the option of using a free action to immediately make a grapple check without provoking. The standard routine is claw, claw, bite. If I successfully grapple after either claw, the remaining attacks are forfeit. The taking advantage of Improved Grab on a hit is optional.
2) Standard Improved Grab rules state that upon successfully grabbing, you deal no extra damage, unless you have constrict (which I may have at some point). On each successful grapple check after the initial grab, you deal damage with the natural weapon that started the grapple. In this case, 2d4+10 Str for a claw. Is this on EVERY grapple attempt, including ones my opponent makes? Do I shred them if they try to escape and fail?
a) Does this also mean that if I choose the "Deal damage to your opponent" option and succeed, I would get 1) Constrict damage, 2) Claw damage for succeeding on a grapple check with improved grab active, and 3) claw damage for the action I was taking? (1d8+10)+(2d4+10)+(2d4+10)? 1d8+4d4+30 seems a bit much. And potentially twice on my turn. We're around level 8.
3) With improved grab, I also have the option to conduct the grapple with the offending claw alone, for which I would take a -20 penalty on grapple rolls, not be considered in a grapple myself, and could then use my remaining attacks. Does this mean that, unlike in a full grapple, I could potentially grapple 2 separate enemies, getting 1 grapple attempt on each for the appropriate claw, and be able to bite someone as well? I cannot find rules on this bit anywhere.
4) I also have improved grapple. Since I am a sentient bear, I may very well opt to just make a grapple attempt on a high AC target that I cannot otherwise hit. If I do so,
a) Do I do damage with the natural attack that I am sacrificing to get the grapple attempt, or is it unarmed damage for a large creature (this would be rather nonsensical)? If this is the case, it would just be better to do this forever and attack touch AC, no? (This seems abusable, based on the encounter types our DM has. But I roll low with statistically impossible frequency.)
b) Can I conduct the grapple at -20 if I do use this method?
c) I am assuming that constrict would activate on each successful grapple check. Is that correct? What about claw damage, would that also be only for Improved Grab cases, or any form of grapple?
Any and all help/clarification/confirmation would be MUCH appreciated. If you can confirm or are unsure about something specific, can you call out specific locations or note what would be a DM call? SRD is fine!
Thank you all!