Close Quarters Fighting and Reach

[Creat]

I don't say I don't allow him to use CQF (he hasn't taken it yet or even asked about it) but he would not get attacks against attackers using reach, no matter what. Because IMO that's not what the feat is for. He weould get the attack of course against everyone trying to grapple him while the attacker is in his reach (or if he uses a reach weapon).
My point was just that it makes someone with high str. scores almost immune against ALL grapple attacks, even from those with reach (so it nullifies reach in case of a grapple, which is just too much for just one feat, you could have another feat that has this one as a prereq that allows you to attack someone with reach trying to grapple you)

 

[Shiva]

Actually, upon re-reading the rules, I think you get an AoO regardless.
Moving out of a threatened square and performing a distracting act provoke AoO's, in these instances, from those that threaten you. This is explicit.
Starting a grapple provokes an AoO. Again, this is explicit.
Typically you don't get an AoO unless you threaten the square. But virtually all rules in DnD have exceptions and these are usually spelled out. Like Step 1 which says "You provoke an AoO". It is the very use of the phrase "provoke an AoO" that indicates to me that the character gets an attack, as provoking an AoO only occurs if an attack can actually be made. ie if an attack cannot be made, there is no provoking.

 

[Shiva]

All this talk about grappling has raised another question for me: If you attempt to start a grapple as a normal humoid, you have to move into the defenders space after establishing a hold and this moving provokes AoOs as normal. But if you only move 5 ft. due to both of you being medium size do you also provoke AoOs, since taking a 5 foot step never provokes them?

It's not a 5' step. See "Move 5ft through Difficult Terrain" (p144) for another example of moving 5' that is not a 5' step.

 

[Creat]

Actually, upon re-reading the rules, I think you get an AoO regardless.
Moving out of a threatened square and performing a distracting act provoke AoO's, in these instances, from those that threaten you. This is explicit.
Starting a grapple provokes an AoO. Again, this is explicit.
Typically you don't get an AoO unless you threaten the square. But virtually all rules in DnD have exceptions and these are usually spelled out. Like Step 1 which says "You provoke an AoO". It is the very use of the phrase "provoke an AoO" that indicates to me that the character gets an attack, as provoking an AoO only occurs if an attack can actually be made. ie if an attack cannot be made, there is no provoking.

Now that's just not true. Sunder, tripping or disarming someone and these things are another example. So someone with 10 fot reach or more doing one of the above listed things (or a grapple attempt for that matter) against you (or any creature with only 5-foot-reach) don't provoke an attack of opportunity from you, since you don't threaten them in the first place.
form the SRD:

An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you.
[...]
Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle.

Now all those listed above fall into that category - just as starting a grapple (without improved grab). All say in its first step "You provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender/target", for trip it says "Make a melee touch attack. This as normal provokes an attack of opportunity fromthe defender"
All those still have to fulfill the required circumstances for an attack of opportunity. One of them beeing threatened by him!

Now you also mixed up the order I think. A normal character provokes more than one attack of opportunity in the process of starting a grapple: First, from the defender for making the touch attack, then when the grapple started successfully, by moving into his space. This provokes attacks of opportunity from everyone threatening the square(s) he leaves in the process. Now the defender does't get that attack of opportunity since he's already grappled at that point and therefore can't make AoOs (it's also explicitly mentioned in the description of the grapple).
Now the problem is that anyone with the improved grab ability pulls the opponent into his space, so the mone that moves is you (without provoking AoOs as explicitely stated).

So: No still no attack of opportunity against someone with reach trying to grapple you from outside your threatened area
I also know that you might want to allow this, if you think it's not unbalancing or too powerful for a single feat, but that would be a house rule and this is still a rules forum...

 

[Trainz]

I don't say I don't allow him to use CQF (he hasn't taken it yet or even asked about it) but he would not get attacks against attackers using reach, no matter what.

I didn't say you don't allow him to use CQF, I said you don't allow FULL usage of CQF.

 

[iwatt]

My point was just that it makes someone with high str. scores almost immune against ALL grapple attacks, even from those with reach

Different strokes I guess. I EXPECT High strength barbarians to cut through tentacles like butter.

And by the way, there's no such thing as a creature immune to grapple unless using freedom of movement . There's always something bigger and stronger out there.

My biggest problem with grapple actually comes when using escape artist, since it's so useless against larger creatures. And cinemetaically, I can see a halfling monk wiggling away from a Huge creature's grasp just as I can see a barbarian half-orc cleaving through a tentacle. But it implies taking a whole slew of specialized feats v/s CQF which erquires only 1.

Finally, taking CQF means you didn't take other feats. And for a Frenzied Berzerker, that kicks in around 9 or 12 (becasue of Prereqs and other choicier feats). Level 7 cleric....Freedom of movement.