D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Monster natural attacks question

[zoroaster100]

I have a question I want to ask of anyone who is good at interpreting the 3.5 rules.

If a creature makes a regular attack (not a full attack) only with an attack that is usually considered a secondary attack in the creature's full attack routine, such as a lion attacking only with its bite, does the creature still incur the penalties of a secondary attack (-5 to hit, or -2 if it has multiattack, and half streghth bonus to damage only)?

 

[gfunk]

No.

If it only attacked once, it would be at its highest BAB and at full strength.

The same holds true for a Ranger using the TWF feat. For instance, they could choose to strike with their offhand weapon only and get their full BAB strength with it.

Sometimes this is preferable if you opponent's AC is particularly high or the weapon you are striking with has some special property (e.g. like a Lion's bit being able to Improved Grab).

 

[Targos]

Thats not correct although I think it was in 3.0.
Check out MM pg312, natural weapons.
"This penalty [-5 hit] aplies even when the creature makes a single attack with the secondary weapon as part of the attack action or as an attack of opportunity."

 

[zoroaster100]

Targos, thanks for pointing out the text on p.312 of the MM3.5. I guess that answers the question pretty clearly as to the penalty on the attack roll. But does a creature using only its secondary attack in a normal (not full) attack also get only half its strength bonus on damage? That doesn't seem clear either way from the text on p. 312, unless I'm missing something.

I notice this has some pretty significant consequences for some monsters and animals. A leopard, for example, is free to use its most powerful attack, its bite, which does 1d6+Str bonus, and has improved grab, as a standard action. A lion, on the other hand, can only use its puny claw for 1d4+Str bonus damage and no improved grab, unless it wants to get the secondary attack penalty on its bite, since unlike the leopard, the lion has claw, not bite, as its secondary attack (why that is I have no idea).

Any thoughts on whether the half Str bonus limit applies to a secondary attack natural weapon used single as a standard attack?

 

[AGGEMAM]

Any thoughts on whether the half Str bonus limit applies to a secondary attack natural weapon used single as a standard attack?

It does. Just as it does if you use your off-hand to attack.