3.5 grapple question

[Sophismata]

Hey, at least you didn't pick the behir as an example. It's probably the most complicated (and most dangerous) grappling monster.

Behir is much easier once you decide on how to handle natural attacks vs grapple checks - ie, Damage your Opponent and Attack your Opponent. Unlike a few other monsters (such as the chuul), it doesn't have quirky grapple exceptions.


Round 1, behir threatens fighter.

* Standard Action Attack
* Behir bites fighter.
* Behir hits.
* Improved Grab gives a free grapple check. Behir succeeds.
* Constrict damage applies. Fighter is dragged into Behir's space. This movement does not provoke. Behir and fighter now grappling, no longer threaten an area and lose dex to AC.
* Behir has 6 rake attacks, but cannot use them for two reasons. One, he has no target, as he was not grappling anything at the start of his turn. Two, he did not make a full attack.
* Behire takes a move action, running off with the fighter.

* Fighter makes a full attack (Full Round Action).
* Level 9 Fighter gets 2 attack actions.
* Tries to escape on both. Second check at -5.
* Fails both checks.
* Does not take constrict or grab damage for failing checks.


Round 2

* Full Round Action - behir does his natural attack routine.
* Behir has 7 natural weapons - his bite and 6 claws from rake.
* Behir bites fighter.
* Attack is at -4 (attack a grappled creature). Attack hits.
* Free action grapple check.
* Check succeeds. Behir does constrict damage.
* Rake attack. This attack does not take -4. Primary weapon (iffy, but makes sense).
* Behir gets 6 of these.
* 5ft step.

Alternatively

* Full Round Action - standard attack routine.
* Behir has BAB of +9, this gives two attack actions.
* Behir attempts to swallow whole (treated as a pin).
* Fails the first check at +25.
* Second check at +20 succeeds.
* Fighter takes bite damage and constrict damage (grapple check). He takes bite damage again from the swallow (swallow whole).
* Behir is no longer grappling. He threatens and gets dex to ac.
* Behir cleaves. He gets another bite attack (at -5) to a threatened or grappled creature.

* Fighter's turn - he takes 2d8 +8 bludgeoning damage and 8 acid damage.