D&D 3E/3.5 Monsters Grappling in 3.5 (question)

[gilthan3]

I'm sure this has been discussed, but I could not find it and I don't have access to the search engine on here. So sorry if it has.



My group and I are very confused on monsters in a grapple in 3.5
The rules are great for player to player, but doesn't give a good explanation on monsters with multiple attacks, constrict, and improved grab.

I always think a detailed example explains best. So here's a hypothetical situation:


A Marilith has improved grab(with tail) and constrict. But it also has 9 additional attacks a round, 4 b/c of base attack and 5 for extra arms.

It attacks a player with its tail first and hits the opponent. It has imp grab and does a grapple check. It wins and does tail + constrict damage.

Can it now make additional attacks on the player with all of its 9 other attacks?

If so does it have to do them at -4 to attack rolls, or are they simply grapple checks? If these succeed, do they do constrict damage as well?


Would this be any different for a creature like a giant squid or octopus? It has all natural attacks, imp grab, constrict, and multiple appendages.


Thanks in advance!

 

[FEADIN]

Constrict damage is with the tail only and the other attacks are supposed to be with her arms/weapons but as in the case of an humanoid fighter getting one grapple check for 5 points of BAB may be you can rule that her BAB gives her 4 grapple checks but in this case she can't make others attcks.
1 attack with tail and 3 more grapple checks to keep squeezing.
Not sure at all, the tail is a secondary attack and may be you can't make more than one even with a great BAB applying it only to primary.

 

[Jimlock]

RULES COMPENDIUM page 60.

all your questions will be answered.

 

[gilthan3]

One of our players owns the rules compendium, I'll get him to bring it.
Thanks

 

[Pergentile]

A marilith hits with tail attack.
She then grapples for free without provoking an AoO.
She then has the option of performing attacks, damage (grapple checks that deal unarmed damage, and in her case, constrict damage), etc.
Normally, a lone Marilith, if it is capable of challenging the group alone, would most likely make continued grapple checks at -20 so she is considered not grappled herself.
Common sense would dictate that she grabbed the caster at an opportune moment, and is not worried about him getting out of her grapple, even at a -20 penalty.
The marilith would then make a grapple check each round on her turn, success dealing constrict damage. She would also be free to cast spells, make all attacks, make AoO's etc, since she herself is not considered grappled. The opposed grapple check she must make against the wizard on his turn would also deal her constrict damage (poor wiz with low fort save against the unconsciousness).
If she were a marilith specialized in grappling, she might decide to grapple EVERYONE (up to a max of her number of iterative attacks because of BAB, which is 4 in this case) at -20 modifiers, so she can grapple them all without being grappled herself, and just flay them each, every round, and deal insane damage with her constrict because of the huge number of opposed grapple checks she will be making every turn (minimum 8, +more for every additional action her prey take while grappled).

If this Marilith was for some reason, retarded (contolled by someone who isn't the swiftest...), and decided to grapple against, say, the fighter, in a battle where she was obviously going to die, she might decide to use her entire BAB (+1 attack for every 5 points of BAB) to do "In grapple actions" like the attack, deal unarmed damage, etc, but would not be able to make extra attacks because of her extra arms, and would provoke AoO's like you wouldn't believe.

FUN HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION!
Let us say a Marilith is fighting a typcial group of four. She is specialized in grappling, and is a bit conceited, and not the brightest, so is going to try and take them on solo.

She makes her first tail attack, against person #1, grapples for free, but decides to take a -20 to keep from being grappled. If she wins, she can go ahead and repeat this for each other person. Lets say she is either lucky, or everyone in the group has +10 or smaller grapple modifier. She is now UNGRAPPLED, and all of the four opponents ARE grappled. They have limited options, due to being grappled. The marilith however, can cast spells, and flay her prey freely, as long as she can continue winning the grapple checks at a -20 penalty against each person she is grappling without being grappled.

 

[Dandu]

My group and I are very confused on monsters in a grapple in 3.5

I suggest you pretend that grappling does not exist.