2 questions: trip, and flurry of blows

[Wolfix]

I just started playing in a new grim & gritty campaign with a lvl 1 human monk, and in last night's first session we had our first encounter (tavern fight! Yeah!) in which I wanted to make a trip attack against a thug. Does this provoke an attack of oppertunity? The rules in my 3.0 phb aren't really clear about it... I personally think it doesn't provoke one (as it doesn't metion it like it does for disarm for example) but I'm not sure.
As for my second question: the monk's flurry of blows ability: at first level this would give me 2 attacks at -2 each, right? Is this ability usable whenever? As many times as I would like? Or is it limited like stunning attack or something?
As long as I'm at it, is it possible to use attacks like tripping during a flurry of blows (like trip & then hit immediately afterwards both at -2) ? Assuming I don't have the Improved Trip feat...

I apoligize in advance if these seem like dumb questions you could just look up in the phb, but for me the ruling isn't clear, so I figured I'd just ask you guys, as I've discovered over the last few months people here know a lot

 

[DanMcS]

I wanted to make a trip attack against a thug. Does this provoke an attack of oppertunity? The rules in my 3.0 phb aren't really clear about it... I personally think it doesn't provoke one (as it doesn't metion it like it does for disarm for example) but I'm not sure.

As a monk, you have improved unarmed strike, so you are considered armed, and do not provoke an AoO for tripping. Similarly, someone with Improved Trip, or using a tripping weapon like a spiked chain, do not provoke AoOs. Otherwise, they do provoke an AoO.

As for my second question: the monk's flurry of blows ability: at first level this would give me 2 attacks at -2 each, right? Is this ability usable whenever? As many times as I would like? Or is it limited like stunning attack or something?
As long as I'm at it, is it possible to use attacks like tripping during a flurry of blows (like trip & then hit immediately afterwards both at -2) ? Assuming I don't have the Improved Trip feat...

Yes, whenever you do a full attack, you can flurry. This includes using the first to trip and then the second to hit the guy if he's down, or trip him again if the first one failed.

 

[Hypersmurf]

As a monk, you have improved unarmed strike, so you are considered armed, and do not provoke an AoO for tripping. Similarly, someone with Improved Trip, or using a tripping weapon like a spiked chain, do not provoke AoOs. Otherwise, they do provoke an AoO.

Trip in 3E didn't provoke an AoO, so Improved Trip didn't make any difference.

You're right for 3.5, though.

-Hyp.

 

[DanMcS]

Oh, damn. I swear they put a list of rules on a dartboard and threw at it to determine which rules to randomly change, just to catch me up like that.