Fist flavoured Stomach ache: IE How do I punch worms from the inside?

[Unclemancer]

Let's say an angry monk get's swallowed whole by a purple worm. Seeing as the purple worm's grapple check is +40 and my monk's grapple is at best 24, this is a piece of cake (hehe) for the worm.

Being swallowed whole does it's damage routine on my monk, and then it's his turn. He does have a "slashing weapon", but he just really, really hates the worm.
With the intelligence that is 6, he simply decides to do a full-attack-action on the worm with his fists within the stomach, unflinched by the stomach acids and whatnot.

And here's where things get interesting. According to the swallow whole rules, you are considered grappled while the worm isn't. However, you can also cut your way out with a sharp weapon, rolling a normal attack action against the worm's stomach, for which the AC is given in the Worm's stats.


*However*. You are also considered grappled. Normally, if you want to punch someone in a grapple, you roll opposed grapple checks instead of an attack.

My question is, how does this work by your interpretation of RAW:

1) Is the stomach AC only intended for rogues trying to escape the stomach with a knife?
2) Does dealing damage to the stomach deal damage to the worm itself?
3) Do you need to roll a grapple check against the worm to make this attack with a knife?
4) What if I just want to punch things? Do I need to roll opposed grapples against the worm to punch it?
5) My monk has the opportunity to deal slashing damage with his fists. He also has the ability to life steal 1d6+2 with his fists. Can he try to keep sustaining himself inside the stomach
by repeatedly dealing damage to the worm's stomach wall?

 

[delericho]

*However*. You are also considered grappled. Normally, if you want to punch someone in a grapple, you roll opposed grapple checks instead of an attack.

Per the SRD, there are two ways to damage someone while grappled: you can either make an attack (using an attack roll with a -4 penalty), or do unarmed strike damage (using a grapple check). This is obviously important if your opponent has a much better grapple check than you!

1) Is the stomach AC only intended for rogues trying to escape the stomach with a knife?

It's only for creatures trying to escape, yes. They don't need to be rogues, though, and don't need to be using a knife.

2) Does dealing damage to the stomach deal damage to the worm itself?

I'm not sure there's a definitive answer on this one, but I'd say "no" - not least because you're attacking a different AC.

(But if you're inside the worm and you're just trying to damage the worm, rather than escape, then you can do that by attacking the worm's usual AC, and that damage does carry over. But again, and crucially, I may be wrong on this one.)

3) Do you need to roll a grapple check against the worm to make this attack with a knife?
4) What if I just want to punch things? Do I need to roll opposed grapples against the worm to punch it?

See above: you can make a grapple check or an attack roll with a -4 penalty.

5) My monk has the opportunity to deal slashing damage with his fists. He also has the ability to life steal 1d6+2 with his fists. Can he try to keep sustaining himself inside the stomach
by repeatedly dealing damage to the worm's stomach wall?

Sure.

 

[Unclemancer]

Per the SRD, there are two ways to damage someone while grappled: you can either make an attack (using an attack roll with a -4 penalty), or do unarmed strike damage (using a grapple check). This is obviously important if your opponent has a much better grapple check than you!

Damn. I had stopped reading the grapple rules after I'd seen the opposed grapple version. TIL.

Thanks mate!

I'll talk the AC thing over with my DM when this comes up in our next session, and let him make that decision.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

1) Is the stomach AC only intended for rogues trying to escape the stomach with a knife?
2) Does dealing damage to the stomach deal damage to the worm itself?
3) Do you need to roll a grapple check against the worm to make this attack with a knife?
4) What if I just want to punch things? Do I need to roll opposed grapples against the worm to punch it?
5) My monk has the opportunity to deal slashing damage with his fists. He also has the ability to life steal 1d6+2 with his fists. Can he try to keep sustaining himself inside the stomach
by repeatedly dealing damage to the worm's stomach wall?

1) The listed AC is the target for all attacks made while inside the worm. You don't have to go through the worm's carapace while you're inside.
2) Damage dealt to the worm's stomach carries over exactly the same as if you'd dealt damage to its tail or head. It's damage, and it's to the worm.
3,4) Make an attack roll at -4, because your unarmed strike counts as a light weapon.
5) You only need to deal slashing damage if you want to escape. Otherwise, go ahead and keep draining it until it dies.

Note that you won't be able to drain its life after it dies, but you'll still be in its stomach and taking acid damage every round.

 

[Grogg of the North]

The stomach's AC is intended for how you can escape when you get swallowed. But, rule of cool says you should totally be able to pull an Agent K and attack it on the inside. (I had a wizard once start using touch spells on the inside of a monster!)

If you're attacking the worm to get out though, the damage doesn't carry through.

I've never had characters roll grapple checks while inside the gullet. You're not really wrestling, you're getting squeezed and digested. Besides, the reason you're in the stomach is because you had no hope of beating that grapple. I can see why you could argue for grapple checks in the stomach but you're doubly punishing the player at that point. If he had half a chance of beating that grapple he wouldn't have been in the stomach to begin with!