Artoomis
First Post
Repeatedly in a grapple, a combatant needs to make opposed grapple checks against an opponent. A grapple check is something like a melee attack roll.
A combatant's attack bonus on a grapple check is: Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier
So, is that an attack or isn't it? That is the question.
Let's go through a Grapple an dsee where the +2 applies:
Step 1: Grab:
The combatant makes a melee touch attack to grab the target. If the combatant fails to hit the target, the combatant fails to start the grapple.
Obviously it applies here.
Step 2: Hold:
Make an opposed grapple check. If the combatant succeeds, the combatant has started the grapple, and the combatant deals damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.
If the combatant loses, the combatant fails to start the grapple. The combatant automatically loses an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than the combatant is (but the combatant can still make an attempt to grab such a target, if that's all the combatant wants to do).
This looks like a mechanic for attacking - in fact, if you succeed you do damage. I'd say the +2 applies, as this is part of the attack. A grapple is an attack, after all.
Step 3 and 4 involve no rolls, so we needn't review them.