Can you grapple during flurry of blows?

[dreaded_beast]

I told a newbie PC that she could try using grapple attacks when she used flurry of blows. Now I am not so sure.

 

[zarberg]

You can. The 3.5 SRD says the following about Flurry of Blows:

"When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round . . . "

This simply means the monk gets an extra attack each round, as if that monk has the extra attacks to begin with (albiet at the penalty)

The only caveat is that a monk must take a full attack action to use flurry, but a 6th level fighter (for example) could make a grapple attempt on his first attack and then deal damage from the grapple on his second attack.

 

[Camarath]

From SRD

'When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham).'

An attempt to start a grapple is not an unarmed strike or an attack with a special monk weapon. I am not sure if use of the Damage Your Opponent grapple option should be considered equivalent to an unarmed strike since it states "While grappling, you can deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike. Make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack." but is not actually an attack. I believe one could use flurry of blows with the Attack Your Opponent grapple option which is an attack that can be make with an unarmed strike or a special monk weapons albeit at a -4.

 

[zarberg]

The quote you posted says only what a monk can or can not attack with. Your quote specifically applies to weapons he/she may or may not use, not if they can start a grapple which takes an attack action.

 

[Camarath]

The quote you posted says only what a monk can or can not attack with. Your quote specifically applies to weapons he/she may or may not use, not if they can start a grapple which takes an attack action.

Yes it does since to make a flurry of blows you can only attack with an unarmed strikes or a special monk weapons a touch attack is not an attack with either so you can not use it as part of a flurry of blows.

 

[Wycen]

In a related vein, a 5th level monk using a quarterstaff in a flurry of blows would get how many attacks? The chart in the PHB says 2, but what about the fact the quarterstaff is a double weapon? Thus enabling an extra attack. Or not.

 

[Camarath]

In a related vein, a 5th level monk using a quarterstaff in a flurry of blows would get how many attacks? The chart in the PHB says 2, but what about the fact the quarterstaff is a double weapon? Thus enabling an extra attack. Or not.

I believe that nothing in the rules as they are written prevents from TWF and FoB from stacking as long as you are using monk weapons. The sage however has said that TWF and FoB do not stack.

Edit: here is a link to an old thread on this issue in which I posted links to a few more indepth discussions of the issue Flurry of Blows and Two-Weapon Fighting

 

[Wycen]

Ok, but what if you don't have the two weapon fighting feats?

 

[Camarath]

Ok, but what if you don't have the two weapon fighting feats?

You would take a higher penalty -4/-8 instead of -2/-2.