Can you grapple multiple targets?

[Bagpuss]

How many opponents can you grapple at one time? If you have multiple attacks, can you grapple two or more opponents?

 

[frankthedm]

Multiple Grapplers
Several combatants can be in a single grapple. Up to four combatants can grapple a single opponent in a given round. Creatures that are one or more size categories smaller than you count for half, creatures that are one size category larger than you count double, and creatures two or more size categories larger count quadruple.

When you are grappling with multiple opponents, you choose one opponent to make an opposed check against. The exception is an attempt to escape from the grapple; to successfully escape, your grapple check must beat the check results of each opponent.

 

[Bagpuss]

That doesn't answer my question, in fact I read that first before asking.

That covers many onto one, I asking about one onto many.

Like an giant octopus for example, as written it doesn't seem clear too me if it can grab only one opponent or eight.

 

[Hussar]

Hrm, I would think that since you no longer threaten around you, you couldn't actually reach out and attack someone else. To do so, you would have to take -20 on your grapple check to be treated as not grappling.

 

[phindar]

That is my understanding as well. I'd be tempted to make an exception for certain creatures like giant squid and krakens, which seem to be made to grapple with multiple opponents. I'd be tempted to make each tentacle it's own grappler, most likely considering each tentacle a Medium creature (or two sizes smaller than the base creature).

 

[Bagpuss]

I think as written you can only grapple one opponent and once you've grappled them you can't attack (and therefore can't grapple) anyone else, you can only attack the opponent you have grappled.

But there are countless examples of creatures that seem to break the grappling rules without any special rules to say how or why.

Grappling Consequences

While you’re grappling, your ability to attack others and defend yourself is limited.
No Threatened Squares
No Dexterity Bonus
No Movement

Yet the Octopus, Giant discription states.

An opponent can attack a giant octopus’s tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. A giant octopus’s tentacles have 10 hit points each. If a giant octopus is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a giant octopus’s tentacles deals 5 points of damage to the creature. A giant octopus usually withdraws from combat if it loses four tentacles. The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days.

But if it's grappling it doesn't threaten so can't make an attack of opportunity.

Technically while an octopus has 8 tentacles, as soon as it successfully grapples someone with one of them he can only attack that person, since the list of actions available while grappling only list attacks on grappled opponents, not other enemies.

This doesn't really fit with the traditional fantasy view of a giant octopus attacking a ship.

 

[Legildur]

Hrm, I would think that since you no longer threaten around you, you couldn't actually reach out and attack someone else. To do so, you would have to take -20 on your grapple check to be treated as not grappling.

That's exactly what I had in mind.

 

[irdeggman]

I'd say only 1 opponent at a time.

Because when grappling (regardless of who started the grapple the actions that can be taken are limited to the following):

If You’re Grappling
When you are grappling (regardless of who started the grapple), you can perform any of the following actions. Some of these actions take the place of an attack (rather than being a standard action or a move action). If your base attack bonus allows you multiple attacks, you can attempt one of these actions in place of each of your attacks, but at successively lower base attack bonuses.

Activate a Magic Item: You can activate a magic item, as long as the item doesn’t require a spell completion trigger. You don’t need to make a grapple check to activate the item.

Attack Your Opponent: You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling. You take a –4 penalty on such attacks.

You can’t attack with two weapons while grappling, even if both are light weapons.
Cast a Spell: You can attempt to cast a spell while grappling or even while pinned (see below), provided its casting time is no more than 1 standard action, it has no somatic component, and you have in hand any material components or focuses you might need. Any spell that requires precise and careful action is impossible to cast while grappling or being pinned. If the spell is one that you can cast while grappling, you must make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or lose the spell. You don’t have to make a successful grapple check to cast the spell.

Damage Your Opponent: While grappling, you can deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike. Make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If you win, you deal nonlethal damage as normal for your unarmed strike (1d3 points for Medium attackers or 1d2 points for Small attackers, plus Strength modifiers). If you want to deal lethal damage, you take a –4 penalty on your grapple check.
Exception: Monks deal more damage on an unarmed strike than other characters, and the damage is lethal. However, they can choose to deal their damage as nonlethal damage when grappling without taking the usual –4 penalty for changing lethal damage to nonlethal damage.

Draw a Light Weapon: You can draw a light weapon as a move action with a successful grapple check.

Escape from Grapple: You can escape a grapple by winning an opposed grapple check in place of making an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you so desire, but this requires a standard action. If more than one opponent is grappling you, your grapple check result has to beat all their individual check results to escape. (Opponents don’t have to try to hold you if they don’t want to.) If you escape, you finish the action by moving into any space adjacent to your opponent(s).
Move: You can move half your speed (bringing all others engaged in the grapple with you) by winning an opposed grapple check. This requires a standard action, and you must beat all the other individual check results to move the grapple.
Note: You get a +4 bonus on your grapple check to move a pinned opponent, but only if no one else is involved in the grapple.

Retrieve a Spell Component: You can produce a spell component from your pouch while grappling by using a full-round action. Doing so does not require a successful grapple check.

Pin Your Opponent: You can hold your opponent immobile for 1 round by winning an opposed grapple check (made in place of an attack). Once you have an opponent pinned, you have a few options available to you (see below).
Break Another’s Pin: If you are grappling an opponent who has another character pinned, you can make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If you win, you break the hold that the opponent has over the other character. The character is still grappling, but is no longer pinned.

Use Opponent’s Weapon: If your opponent is holding a light weapon, you can use it to attack him. Make an opposed grapple check (in place of an attack). If you win, make an attack roll with the weapon with a –4 penalty (doing this doesn’t require another action).
You don’t gain possession of the weapon by performing this action.

Now a creature might have a special ability that allows more than 1 creature to be grappled at a time, but that is a special ability and not part of the normal grapple rules.

 

[Hussar]

In the case of the Giant Octopus, since it's specifically called out, I would say that it exists as an exception, not a rule. Giant Octopi can make multiple grapples, whereas, say, a Stone Giant cannot, unless the Stone Giant takes -20 on its attacks. Considering that the Octopus' tentacles can be targetted, making it very much an exception, I would consider it a sort of hydra rather than a standard monster.

Granted, I am not backing this up with RAW, just my own observations, so, if someone knows better, feel free to correct me.

 

[irdeggman]

In the case of the Giant Octopus, since it's specifically called out, I would say that it exists as an exception, not a rule. Giant Octopi can make multiple grapples, whereas, say, a Stone Giant cannot, unless the Stone Giant takes -20 on its attacks. Considering that the Octopus' tentacles can be targetted, making it very much an exception, I would consider it a sort of hydra rather than a standard monster.

Nope Giant Octopus doesn't specifically list that it can grapple more than one opponent at a time. Remember that it is only a "large" creature and not a Huge or bigger one, unlike the movies.

OCTOPUS, GIANT
Large Animal (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 8d8+11 (47 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15
Attack: Tentacle +10 melee (1d4+5)
Full Attack: 8 tentacles +10 melee (1d4+5) and bite +5 melee (1d8+2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (20 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict
Special Qualities: Ink cloud, jet, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 3
Skills: Escape Artist +12, Hide +12, Listen +4, Spot +6, Swim +13
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Hide), Toughness
Environment: Warm aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Advancement: 9–12 HD (Large); 13–24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

These creatures are aggressive and territorial hunters, with arms reaching 10 feet or more in length. Their tentacles are studded with barbs and sharp-edged suckers.

Combat
An opponent can attack a giant octopus’s tentacles with a sunder attempt as if they were weapons. A giant octopus’s tentacles have 10 hit points each. If a giant octopus is currently grappling a target with the tentacle that is being attacked, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing one of a giant octopus’s tentacles deals 5 points of damage to the creature. A giant octopus usually withdraws from combat if it loses four tentacles. The creature regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days.

Constrict (Ex): A giant octopus deals 2d8+6 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a giant octopus must hit an opponent of any size with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Ink Cloud (Ex): A giant octopus can emit a cloud of jet-black ink 20 feet high by 20 feet wide by 20 feet long once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the octopus normally uses to escape a losing fight. All vision within the cloud is obscured.

Jet (Ex): A giant octopus can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 200 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.

Skills: A giant octopus can change colors, giving it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. A giant octopus also can squeeze and contort its body, giving it a +10 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks. A giant octopus has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Granted, I am not backing this up with RAW, just my own observations, so, if someone knows better, feel free to correct me.

I listed the RAW on what can be done while grappling. Now you can make more than one grapple attempt, until considered grappling though. But once grappling (that is the defender lost on the opposed grapple check) . Both parties are considered "grappled" and are now limited in their choices of actions until the "condition" changes.