Natural Weapons in a Grapple (new RotG article)

[shilsen]

In the newly modified RotG article posted by WotC here, the section on the Attack Your Opponent option says: "If you have multiple natural weapons, however, you can use all of them while grappling."

Is this a new addition or was this always part of the RotG article?

 

[Legildur]

What does the FAQ have to say on the issue? I was pretty sure you could only make iterative attacks based on BAB........

In short, no, I don't know what it originally said. Although I note that the articles appeared a long time apart...

 

[Christian]

In the newly modified RotG article posted by WotC here, the section on the Attack Your Opponent option says: "If you have multiple natural weapons, however, you can use all of them while grappling."

Is this a new addition or was this always part of the RotG article?

I'm pretty sure it wasn't, because we looked that up during one of our games just a few weeks ago to clarify what a PC with multiple natural attacks was and wasn't able to do in a grapple. I don't remember the exact wording, but I remember it was quite clear that RotG said that such a character did not get all of their natural attacks. What's more, someone had an older FAQ or version of the RotG article that said that they did, so this doesn't look like the first time they've changed their mind on this.

(The player of that character, just today, finished a long rules summary for grappling. I'm gonna tell him that he needs to start over. )

 

[Pinotage]

I seem to recall that being the case. I thought the original article had stated that you could either go according to BAB or use all your natural weapons in the grapple, but not both. It seems that they've listed all the changes they've made there, so one would assume it was always there.

Pinotage

 

[shilsen]

(The player of that character, just today, finished a long rules summary for grappling. I'm gonna tell him that he needs to start over. )

You are a mean, mean man !

 

[frankthedm]

Anything that makes it a Bad Idea to grapple something with fangs and claws is a Good Thing in my book. Wotc should get rid of that -4 to hit on natural weapons as well.


Say! This option is kind of cute! Insanely strong though! Sometimes the Big Bad grappler wants out of grapple with no where it can fit.

Throw Your Foe to the Ground: This works just like a trip attack except that you don't make an initial touch attack (because you're grasping your foe already) and you and your foe make opposed grapple checks to resolve the trip attack. If you win, you and your foe fall prone in the space you both share, but you're still grappling. At your option you can take a -4 penalty on the opposed check; if you win you break your foe's hold on you and you throw your foe to the ground in a space adjacent to the space you formerly shared. (You stay on your feet.) Your foe's movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, nor does it count against her movement for the current turn (or her next turn).

Combine this with the improved grabber's ability to move the grapple as they see fit and there is much potential for throwing victims into pits and worse.

 

[Nail]

That's cool!

I've always houseruled that all natural weapons can be used in a grapple in place of iterative attacks. I view the grapple rules hidden in the Rake(Ex) ability as optional.

 

[Jhulae]

That's one of the things that makes grappling with a Totemist very dangerous. Some of the enemies who tangled with mine found that out...