Crocodile grabbing - no AoO?

[Ketolos]

Last session I used Visejaw crocodiles and Lizardfolk to ambush my players inside the swamp. And it all went smooth until I grabbed warlock. He didnt want to escape from grab ("I dont have enough str or dex to get out."), so he tried to fry my poor croc with his encounter power. And we ran into problem.
from pg. 45 in MM

Bite (standard; at-will)
+10 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage, and the target is grabbed (until
escape). The visejaw crocodile cannot make bite attacks while
grabbing a creature, but it can use clamping jaws.

and

Clamping Jaws (standard; at-will)
If a visejaw crocodile begins its turn with a target grabbed in its
jaws, it makes an attack against the grabbed creature: +10 vs.
AC; 2d8 + 4 damage. Miss: Half damage.

So, with this 2 powers in front of my eyes, I was kinda confused, if I could even use AoO. So I decided not to (they were all running low on hp, so it would need some other fudging, this was as good as anything else). But if I ever use crocodiles again (and I will, swamps are all around them now), I want to know your oppinions about AoO.

Is it possible to use Clamping Jaws if Bite is disabled?

 

[jedrious]

looking at it, no the visejaw couldn't make an OA, unless of course it was willing to end the grab(hey look free action) and then make the OA

 

[thatdarnedbob]

You can only make a basic attack as an opportunity attack, so clamping jaws is right out.

 

[Oompa]

Yup, cant use clamping jaws for AO, so if the player who was grabbed did an power, he does provoke an AO, but the crocodile needs to lose his grap to make the AO..

EDIT:

Not all powers get an AO so its just the question wich one does..

 

[Ketolos]

OK, thx for advise. Poor croc has lost his beauty in immoblizing and gnawing guy in the robe.

 

[bardolph]

You ruled correctly. However, it would probably have been better for the croc to release the grab to get an opportunity Bite. If it hit, then Clamping Jaws on the Croc's turn would have been a world of hurt.

 

[kanvil]

Clamping Jaws is not a basic attack (no circle around the melee attack icon), so you can't use it for an OA. And you can't do Bite if you have something grabbed.

However, you can release the grab as a free action (which you can do at any time), and then make your OA with Bite. I think you're always better off doing this, although a crocodile may not be that smart.

 

[The_Fan]

My interpretation is that it could make a bite attack, at risk of dropping the warlock. If the bite attack succeeds, the warlock is grabbed again and nothing changes, but if it fails then the warlock is free and the spell works.

 

[liberofurore]

IMHO you ruled correctly.