Bite Attack Strength bonus

[Bront]

from WoTC

Natural Attack: A darfellan has a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage. If fighting without a weapon, a darfellan uses his bite as a primary attack, adding 1-1/2 times his Strength bonus to damage. If armed with a weapon, he can use his bite or weapon, as he chooses. When making a full attack, a darfellan normally uses the weapon as his primary attack along with the bite as a natural secondary attack (at -5 attack). If the darfellan gets extra attacks by virtue of a base attack bonus of +6 or higher, he gets them only with his primary attack.

So, when it's a primary attack, you 1.5 Strength. What about when it's a secondary attack? What about if it's the only attack while you are holding another weapon?

Basicly, is it always 1.5 strength regardless?

 

[Staffan]

Secondary attacks pretty much always only get half Strength bonus. I wouldn't make holding another weapon reduce it to half Strength, but if you're using the bite to get multiple attacks I would.

 

[frankthedm]

The general rule is, a monster that only has one natural attack built into it gets to apply it’s STR bonus x 1.5 to the damage bonus of that weapon*. It never gets additional attacks based on BAB when using this.

It cannot do so if it is wielding a manufactured weapon. When it wields a manufactured weapon, the rules for said manufactured weapon take over. It can however on a full attack using said weapon make an attack with it’s natural weapon as a secondary attack[usually at -5], provided that limb was not involved in wielding the manufactured weapon. On such an attack, it gets only half its STR bonus to damage.

Here is how the minotaur’s stat block looks like when it uses Its great axe;

Greataxe +9/+4 melee (3d6+6/×3) and gore +4 melee (1d8+2)

Initial and secondary BAB based attack
Used STR 1.5 on the great axe damage because it is a two handed weapon
The gore to hit is the full to hit -5.
The STR bonus to damage on the gore is only 0.5.

*BTW This does NOT count as a 2 handed weapon for the 2 for 1 power attack trade off.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Frank's got it 100% correct.

 

[Infiniti2000]

It never gets additional attacks based on BAB when using this.

I agree with everything, but it's interesting to note that druid animal companions gain a second attack when they gain the multiattack animal companion ability. Never having played a druid myself, I had not noticed that since about a week ago.

 

[Bront]

That's what I thought, but I wanted to clarify. Thanks.

 

[ken-ichi]

I agree with everything, but it's interesting to note that druid animal companions gain a second attack when they gain the multiattack animal companion ability. Never having played a druid myself, I had not noticed that since about a week ago.

The animal companion second attack is pretty much a unique special ability that you won't see with standard monsters.
The only other occurance of something similar that I can remember is with the warforged second slam feat in Races of Eberron.