How many times can this monster constrict?

[Wyvernhand]

Unless a foe has Combat Reflexes, then they can claim an AoO each time the foe tries to grab them, assuming the foe doesn't have Imp Grab or Imp Grapple. Assuming no Combat Reflexes, a useful trick to grab someone if you don't have Imp Grapple is to walk past them, provoking an AoO, and then turning around and grabbing them. If they don't have Combat Reflexes, they used their AoO on swinging at you as you walked past, and you can freely molest them unmolested.

Constrict applies every time you win a grapple check. If you make a grapple check to damage your foe and win, you get constrict damage. You make a grapple check to move the grapple and win? You get constrict damage. You make a grapple check to pin your foe and win? You get constrict damage. You make a grapple check to attack a foe with his own weapon and win? You get constrict damage. YOUR FOE MAKES A GRAPPLE CHECK TO ESCAPE THE GRAPPLE, BUT LOSES? YOU WIN AND GET CONSTRICT.

Yes, against some foes, struggling WILL only make things worse. Much worse.

 

[frankthedm]

Constrict applies every time you win a grapple check. If you make a grapple check to damage your foe and win, you get constrict damage. You make a grapple check to move the grapple and win? You get constrict damage. You make a grapple check to pin your foe and win? You get constrict damage. You make a grapple check to attack a foe with his own weapon and win? You get constrict damage. YOUR FOE MAKES A GRAPPLE CHECK TO ESCAPE THE GRAPPLE, BUT LOSES? YOU WIN AND GET CONSTRICT.

Yes, against some foes, struggling WILL only make things worse. Much worse.

While constrict CAN be read that way, I don't think that is a reasonable way of running constrict. { I used to, but the damage output is simply too high ]

YMMV, but I'll mention that in the Rules Compendium, Improved Grab & constrict basically replace the critter's unarmed strike damage in "Damage Your Opponent" attempts, rather than being bonus damage if the critter decided to Pin the victim or use another 'grapple option'.

Successful Pin: Victim is pinned
Successful 'Damage Your Opponent': [Grab damage]+[Constrict Damage]

I think the Rules Compendium is quite reasonable on the matter.

 

[Empirate]

Frank's right, you have to limit constrict damage to grapple checks you make to actually damage your opponent. Improved Grab plus Constrict gets pretty sick damage rather fast anyway. Add in Rake, and that monster WILL basically kill whatever it can successfully grapple. No need to also add Constrict damage on grapple checks made to pin, made to resist a weapon being drawn, made to resist an escape attempt etc.

Ultimate grappling monster: Behir. It has Improved Grab, Constrict, SIX Rakes, and Swallow Whole. It's also huge and has Str 26. Ouch. That Half-Fiend Behir in Red Hand of Doom actually caused the only PC death in the whole campaign before the bossfight...

 

[Wyvernhand]

Awww, that makes getting constrict much less appealing for PC grapple builds. I had a really nice Half Giant Tashalatora Monk/PsyWar build that could get like, a +40 grapple by about ECL9, and grapple anything gargantuan or smaller. Used Shape Soulmeld for Kraken Mantle + Open Lesser Chakra for arms to gain constrict by ECL12 to get an extra +1d8+Str to her already impressive 6d6 UAS damage. That basically...makes it a pointless expenditure of feats.

I could probably redo it as Martial Study/Martial Stance for Crushing Roots of the Mountain, since thats not explicitly Constrict, but then you have to be touching the ground...

 

[Herzog]

Sidenote: if the lamia takes a -20 on its grapple checks, it isn't considered grappled and thus keeps its dex bonus against the rogue...