Grappling Monsters/Familiars & Mounts

[Kirowan]

I have two questions and I was hoping someone here could help me out.

1. If a monster wishes to take a full round action and grapple, how many grappling attacks can he make? Say the creature's attack routine is 2 claws +6 and 1 bite +1. Would he get three grappling attacks?

2. Do the benefits a familiar receives as the sorcerer/wizard advances in level stack? It seems that bonus HD, natural armor, and str. adjustment do, but Int doesn't. Is that right?

Thanks everyone for the help.

Nick

 

[Shayuri]

1. If a monster wishes to take a full round action and grapple, how many grappling attacks can he make? Say the creature's attack routine is 2 claws +6 and 1 bite +1. Would he get three grappling attacks?

-- In theory, yes. However, most monster (unless otherwise specified in their descriptions) can only grapple one being at a time. Thus, if Grapple Attempt 1 succeeded...well, no more for him. Further, efforts to pin, swallow, etc...those can't be done with iterative attacks.

2. Do the benefits a familiar receives as the sorcerer/wizard advances in level stack? It seems that bonus HD, natural armor, and str. adjustment do, but Int doesn't. Is that right?

-- Familiars don't get bonus HD (their HD is always considered to be equal to their master's), nor do they get strength adjustments. I have a feeling you're confusing familiars with a paladin's mount. While similar in concept, they do have some differences.

However, that said, you're correct in noting that most familiar abilities and level upgrades stack, with the exception of intelligence raises. At each level the familiar's intelligence is set to the number in the appropriate place on the table. There is no "bonus" per se...the ability score simply changes. If the familiar's Int is already equal to or greater than that number (often the case if one takes Improved Familiar) then there is no intelligence benefit for that level.

Hope this helps!

 

[shilsen]

1. If a monster wishes to take a full round action and grapple, how many grappling attacks can he make? Say the creature's attack routine is 2 claws +6 and 1 bite +1. Would he get three grappling attacks?

-- In theory, yes.

Actually that's not the case. The number of grapple attempts is based off BAB, not the creature's appendages. So, for example, a carrion crawler (with an attack routine of 8 tentacles at +3 and 1 bite at -2) would only get one grapple attempt in a round even with a full attack, since it only has a +2 BAB.

 

[Shayuri]

Agh! You're right, of course. I wasn't paying attention.

Thanks!