What actions is surstaining grapple

[Max Caysey]

Hello...


I have asked this before, to no avail, and while I have done intensive seach on the matter the answer has eluded me. Therefore it is my hope, that you guys here, can help and so I bring to you some questions.


1. If no one wants to break the grapple, is a grapple check needed to maintain the grapple? (if both wishes to attack and not break the grapple)

2. When a monk with scorpion's grasp uses flurry of blows to attack and hits with his first attack, initiates grapple, succeeds, does he get to follow up at attack with his remaining flurry attacks - while grappling?

3. Can a monk flurry of blows, while grappleling?

[Firest Kathon]

I assume you are playing 3.5, since the feat you mention seems to be from a 3.5 book (Sandstorm). The answers for Pathfinder would be different.


1. If no one wants to break the grapple, is a grapple check needed to maintain the grapple? (if both wishes to attack and not break the grapple)
No, the grapple will remain until one of the opponents actively ends it (by winning a grapple or escape artist check). Fun fact: Even if both grapplers want to end the battle, they still need to win an opposed grapple check to do so.


2. When a monk with scorpion's grasp uses flurry of blows to attack and hits with his first attack, initiates grapple, succeeds, does he get to follow up at attack with his remaining flurry attacks - while grappling?
Generally yes. I do not have the book with the feat, so it may specify something else. The version I found online only speaks about armed attacks, so it uses the normal rules for unarmed attacks, where you can use your remaining attacks (with or without flurry) to either attack the opponent normally or do a grapple check to do something special (damage, pin, ...), any option (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#ifYoureGrappling) which does not require a standard action.


3. Can a monk flurry of blows, while grappleling?
Yes.

[Max Caysey]

I assume you are playing 3.5, since the feat you mention seems to be from a 3.5 book (Sandstorm). The answers for Pathfinder would be different.


No, the grapple will remain until one of the opponents actively ends it (by winning a grapple or escape artist check). Fun fact: Even if both grapplers want to end the battle, they still need to win an opposed grapple check to do so.


Generally yes. I do not have the book with the feat, so it may specify something else. The version I found online only speaks about armed attacks, so it uses the normal rules for unarmed attacks, where you can use your remaining attacks (with or without flurry) to either attack the opponent normally or do a grapple check to do something special (damage, pin, ...), any option (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#ifYoureGrappling) which does not require a standard action.


Yes.

Thanks... Yes I indeed play D&D 3.5, sorry not to point that out.

[StreamOfTheSky]

The answers pretty much covered it.

I think it's a pretty common thing at most tables that if all the parties grappling don't want to grapple any more, everyone just lets go. But yeah, there's no action required just to maintain the grapple you're in, you use grapple checks to damage, move, or pin the person you're locked up with.

As for flurry of blows while grappling, note there are two ways to deal unarmed damage in a grapple. One is to make grapple checks to deal unarmed damage. The other is to attack with a light weapon (which unarmed counts as) at a -4 penalty. Since grapple checks are not attacks, method 1 is not actually a full attack so you'd need to use method 2 to flurry, I think. Which means you're taking a whopping -6 to hit...."flurry of misses" indeed... :smallfrown:

[Crake]

The answers pretty much covered it.

I think it's a pretty common thing at most tables that if all the parties grappling don't want to grapple any more, everyone just lets go. But yeah, there's no action required just to maintain the grapple you're in, you use grapple checks to damage, move, or pin the person you're locked up with.

As for flurry of blows while grappling, note there are two ways to deal unarmed damage in a grapple. One is to make grapple checks to deal unarmed damage. The other is to attack with a light weapon (which unarmed counts as) at a -4 penalty. Since grapple checks are not attacks, method 1 is not actually a full attack so you'd need to use method 2 to flurry, I think. Which means you're taking a whopping -6 to hit...."flurry of misses" indeed... :smallfrown:

Well, grapple says that some of the actions replace attack actions, and that having a high bab means you can perform extra grapple actions. Since the opposed grapple check is made in place of an attack, you can still flurry with the grapple checks to damage an opponent, albiet at a -2 to the grapple check.

[daremetoidareyo]

Well, grapple says that some of the actions replace attack actions, and that having a high bab means you can perform extra grapple actions. Since the opposed grapple check is made in place of an attack, you can still flurry with the grapple checks to damage an opponent, albiet at a -2 to the grapple check.

This is my interpretation as well.

[Firest Kathon]

The other is to attack with a light weapon (which unarmed counts as) at a -4 penalty.
The feat mentioned by the Op removes the -4 penalty if you attack with the liught weapon with which you started the grapple - i.e. the unarmed strike.


Since grapple checks are not attacks, method 1 is not actually a full attack so you'd need to use method 2 to flurry, I think. Which means you're taking a whopping -6 to hit...."flurry of misses" indeed... :smallfrown:

Well, grapple says that some of the actions replace attack actions, and that having a high bab means you can perform extra grapple actions. Since the opposed grapple check is made in place of an attack, you can still flurry with the grapple checks to damage an opponent, albiet at a -2 to the grapple check.
The grapple options which are not a standard action do not replace the attack action but an attack, so e.g. only one attack during a full-attack action (I think this is what you meant to write, just clarifying it for readers). The "grapple as a standard action" came with Pathfinder.

Damage Your Opponent (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#ifYoureGrappling)
While grappling, you can deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike. Make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack.
Using the grapple option or attacking directly is equivalent in number of actions, so you can choose whichever you think gives you the best success chances (e.g. grapple against a weak but well-armored fighter, attack against a strong unarmored opponent).