Flying monster holds hero, flying monster drops hero

[Selyss]

I wonder... imagine you have a big flying monster (with Improved Grab (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Improved_Grab)) that just snatched a poor hero off the ground and is now grappling with him.

1) How far can it fly upward now in the next round, assuming it has "fly 60ft / poor"?
Poor maneuverability means half vertical speed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/movement.htm#movingInThreeDimensions), so in free flight it could do 30ft vertical per round (or 120ft if it does a full-round "running" fly). But what's the situation when it has that hero in its claw/tail/whatever? Does it have to make a grapple check like a landbound monster, just to move (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Grapple#Move) at all? If so at what speed? Would it mean it ends up at 60ft * 1/2 (because vertical) * 1/2 (because grappling) = only 15ft? Or even immobile if the check fails? Which for poor flyers means "fall out of the sky"...

*scratches head* If that is true, then it seems the only sensible way to keep the monster flying would be to use the added "loose grip" option that ImprovedGrab offers (take -20 on your grapple checks, but monster itself is not considered grappled or grappling and can move freely).

2) Assuming it used a full-round "run" action movement to fly up, would it be able to release the hero in the same round?
Point being - would "opening your claw/unwinding your tail" be a free action or a move action in this context?

Any opinions?

[Geddy2112]

For the first, you are right. It is a poor maneuverability flyer, so it must continue to go upward, and if it cannot maintain the grapple it would fall with the creature it has. So long as it passes checks, it can continue to fly upward at 15ft. If it had greater grapple, it could take 2 checks to grapple and then move 30 ft per round.

For the second, the creature who initiated and is in control of the grapple can break it as a free action. However, it has to maintain the grapple as a standard action, unless it has the ability to do so as a free action.

[Raezeman]

Remember, with the improved grab, you can take a -20 on the grapple to not be considered grappled yourself when you succeed, so you can move freely.

Also, the (improved) snatch feats are also interesting.

[Magma Armor0]

Make sure that if it's grabbing mr. Heavily armored frontline fighter that the monster doesn't become encumbered or anything.

[Psyren]

I'd say half (move while grapple) and half again (vertical flight with poor man) for a total of quarter. That doesn't include potential encumbrance penalties if it grabs the heavy dwarven fighter in full plate. This movement would also be a standard action in both 3.5 and PF. (In PF, Greater Grapple would let it double-move.)

[Troacctid]

Also remember that with poor maneuverability, you can only climb at a 45° angle—if you want to fly straight up, you need good maneuverability or better.