Question on multiple attacks

[Xendria]

In the bestiary, I'm confused about which attacks can occur during a full attack action.

Heres an example:

Melee +1 vorpal unholy longsword +31/+26/+21/+16 (2d6+13), +1 vorpal flaming whip +30/+25/+20 (1d4+7 plus 1d6 fire and entangle) or 2 slams +31 (1d10+12)

Is it read as, you can use 4 attacks with the sword and 3 with the whip, or 2 slams as a full attack action?

This one also confuses me:​

Melee +1 longsword +24/+19/+14/+9 (2d6+8/17–20), 5 +1 longswords +24 (2d6+4/17-20), tail slap +19 (2d6+3 plus grab) or 6 slams +24 (1d8+7), tail slap +19 (2d6+3 plus grab)​

Any help with these would be fantastic thanks a bunch!​

 

[James Jacobs]

Correct; the use of an "or" in an attack line is in there to indicate it's a different series of attacks that isn't compatible. In the balor's case, he can either make his numerous attacks with his sword and whip as a full attack, or he can drop/put away his weapons and make his slam attacks with his bare hands.

In the case of the marilith, she can make her six sword attacks and her tail slap OR she can make six slam attacks (dropping/putting away the swords) and a tail slap.

 

[Xendria]

But what I'm confused on about the Marilith is that it seams like 9 sword attacks. It says 4 attacks with her longsword mainhand, then "5 +1 longswords +24" is that 5 more attacks?

 

[Starbuck_II]

But what I'm confused on about the Marilith is that it seams like 9 sword attacks. It says 4 attacks with her longsword mainhand, then "5 +1 longswords +24" is that 5 more attacks?

Oh, it does say +X/+X/+X/+X that is most likely an error.

 

[billd91]

Oh, it does say +X/+X/+X/+X that is most likely an error.

It wasn't an error in the 3.5 Monster Manual.
She gets her iterative attacks with the primary long sword and then, because she doesn't have the advanced forms of Two-weapon fighting (just the basic multi-armed ones) she only gets one attack with each of the secondary weapons.

Assuming you aren't meaning here that the +x/+x... shows the same number for each attack. Because that would be an error. It's just that 4 attacks with the primary and 5 more with secondary, tertiary, etc isn't an error. It's intended.

 

[Xendria]

In the case of the marilith, she can make her six sword attacks and her tail slap

I don't think its intended for her to have 9 sword attacks and 1 tail swipe, considering Mr. Jacobs said a total of 7 attacks.

 

[Nikosandros]

I don't think its intended for her to have 9 sword attacks and 1 tail swipe, considering Mr. Jacobs said a total of 7 attacks.

I don't yet have the PF Bestiary, but 9 swords attack is what is implied by the quoted text and, as billd91 said, it's how it works in 3.5.

 

[Zaister]

The marilith makes iterative attacks with her "main hand" weapon at +24/+19/+14/+9 and one attack with each of her "off-hand" weapons at +24 (no off-hand penalty due to her Multiweapon Mastery ability), plus one tail slap (a secondary natural attack) at +19.

Alternately if she's not wielding weapons, she can make natural slam attacks with her six arms at +24 (all primary attacks, as a slam is always primary unless used in addition to a weapon attack), plus one tail slap (a secondary natural attack) at +19. In this case she does not get any iterative attacks, as iterative attacks never apply to natural weapons.

Finally, if she were to take the feat Improved Multiweapon Fighting from the SRD, she could actually make a second iterative attack at +19 with each of her five "off-hand" weapons. She could then take Greater Multiweapon Fighting to get a third iterative attack at +14 on the "off-hand" weapons. Unfortunately she's not an epic creature and doesn't have Dex 25 and thus doesn't qualify for the epic feat Perfect Multiweapon Fighting, which would give her even a fourth iterative attack on each "off-hand" weapon at +9. (All these feats are from the SRD.)