grappling creatures

[durath]

I am looking for clarifications concerning grappling creatures, such as a bear, with the improved grab ability. I'm referencing pages 137-138 in the PHB and page 9 in the MM.

What I want to know:

1. How many grapple checks can such a creature make each round?

2. How much damage does each attack do?

It seems that when you are wrestling a creature with the improved grab ability rather than a humanoid that the grappling rules change a bit.

Assume that the PC and bear are already grappling. A bear gets 2 claws and a bite attack normally. Does that translate into 2 attacks or 3 when grappling? The grappling rules state that you can make an opposed grapple check as an attack, yet they also say that multiple checks are at successively lower base attack bonuses.

A bears base attack bonus is not high enough to grant more than one attack but do they still get more than one becuase of the claw/claw/bite routine?

If you are damaged by the bear does it do its normal claw or bite damage or does it follow the grapple rules of doing a 1d4+strength(due to its large size)?

 

[Someone]

Originally posted by durath
I am looking for clarifications concerning grappling creatures, such as a bear, with the improved grab ability. I'm referencing pages 137-138 in the PHB and page 9 in the MM.

What I want to know:

1. How many grapple checks can such a creature make each round?

As many as hits it score with the listed attack. For example, the bear has improved grab with the claws; each time it hits a creature of a size at least one step smaller, he can start a grapple check.

2. How much damage does each attack do?

Only claw damage, unless it also has constriction.

It seems that when you are wrestling a creature with the improved grab ability rather than a humanoid that the grappling rules change a bit.

Yep. The attack that triggers the improved grab replaces the touch attack.

Assume that the PC and bear are already grappling. A bear gets 2 claws and a bite attack normally. Does that translate into 2 attacks or 3 when grappling? The grappling rules state that you can make an opposed grapple check as an attack, yet they also say that multiple checks are at successively lower base attack bonuses.

When the grapple has already started, any grappler can use natural attacks or light weapons. The bear can shred and chew you while you use your short sword...

The bear also can try to pin you. I´m not sure about this, but it can make a grapple check for each attack, so it can try 3 times if it wants to.

A bears base attack bonus is not high enough to grant more than one attack but do they still get more than one becuase of the claw/claw/bite routine?

I think so.

If you are damaged by the bear does it do its normal claw or bite damage or does it follow the grapple rules of doing a 1d4+strength(due to its large size)?

Again, when grappling you can use natural attacks and light weapons, no matter if you have improved grab or not. The improved grab ability is only useful to start the grapple; unlike constriction, it´s not used any more once the grapple is sucessfully started.