Crushing Weight of the Mountain/General Constrict Clarification

[Angry Bob]

Is Constrict an ability that you activate with its own grapple check, or do you just do damage whenever you win a grapple check? If so, does my Imp. Natural attacking/Superior Unarmed Striking Tashalatora Psywarrior need to spend two feats to get Martial Stance(Crushing Weight of the Mountain)?

Asking because you can also just make a grapple check just to deal unarmed damage, which would be much better than CWOTM in some cases, depending on the answer.

[HunterOfJello]

SRD

Constrict

A creature with this special attack can crush an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, after making a successful grapple check. The amount of damage is given in the creature’s entry. If the creature also has the improved grab ability it deals constriction damage in addition to damage dealt by the weapon used to grab.

This confused by group too, because many monsters do their normal damage in addition to constrict damage with their grapple checks. However, this is because they have Improved Grab.

If you have Imp Grab, then you do both damage, if you don't then Crushing Weight of the Mountain might not be worth getting.

[Angry Bob]

Then no. Even then, the grappling series of articles I found states you do unarmed damage on the initial grapple check. So It's not worth it since I have better than standard unarmed ability.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Constrict
A creature that has this extraordinary special attack can crush
an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, after making
a successful grapple check to deal damage. The amount of
damage is given in the creature’s entry. If the creature also
has the improved grab ability, it deals damage from the
constrict attack in addition to damage dealt by the weapon
used to grab.

Constrict damage is dealt when:
A. You make a successful grapple check to use the Improved Grab ability;
B. You make a successful grapple check to damage your opponent in a grapple.

Constrict damage doesn't occur on just any grapple check that you win. You have to spend the appropriate actions (a standard action attack or a full attack action) to use the damage your opponent action on the If You're Grappling list. Note that creatures with Improved Grab deal damage with the natural attack that grabbed the opponent instead of unarmed strike damage when using this action.

Also note that either of those damage sources is considered a melee weapon, so Power Attack would add a damage bonus to it without penalizing your grapple check, since a grapple check is not an attack roll. This is the primary threat of the Frost Giant Mauler monster in Frostburn, though WotC has officially stated that this trick shouldn't work because you get something for nothing.

[Angry Bob]

Okay, let's see If I've got this right.

I'm squishing someone, it's the beginning of my turn. I flip on Crushing weight of the mountain.

If I want to deal damage, I can choose to

a) make a grapple check to deal only unarmed strike damage or
b) make a grapple check to deal only constrict damage or
c) If I'm an idiot, grapple check to draw a weapon and swing at -4.

Constrict is its own action, not triggering off of anything else, correct?

I really want to clear this up before I get it in game and it's really late and I'm going to bed before I forget what I'm here for.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

No, Constrict damage automatically occurs in addition to whatever damage you deal when making a grapple check to deal unarmed strike damage.

[SiuiS]

Hm. I liked constrict much more when it was
"a snake grabs you! Take this much damage.
You fail to escape the snake's clutches! Take this much damage."