Need some help about "Fearsome Grapple" spell

[Leo_ASF]

Hi everyone I want to use a spell from spell compendium "Fearsome Grapple" but I got some doubts:

First, here is the spell description:

FEARSOME GRAPPLE
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

Two short, otyughlike tentacles sprout from
under your arms to hang limply at your
sides. When you think of grappling, the
tentacles twitch to life and wave about as
if seeking a foe.

You grow two tentacles that grant you
a +4 circumstance bonus on grapple
checks. These tentacles cannot attack,
hold objects, manipulate items, or perform
any action other than grappling.
If your caster level is at least 9th, you
grow four tentacles instead, and the
circumstance bonus increases to +8.


My doubts:

Tentacle’s reach?
Grappling with these tentacles provoke attack of opportunity?
These tentacles start grappling on their own or the caster needs to use a standard action?


Thanks everyone

 

[Wyvernhand]

The tentacles don't do anything they don't say they do. They don't give you reach, so they would use your natural reach (5' for a vanilla medium sized humanoid). They don't give you free attacks, so you must make grapple actions to use them. They don't give you Improved Grab, so you have to start a grapple just like any other human, suffering AoOs if you don't have the Imp Grapple feat.

Basically, they just give you a +4 to +8 bonus on grapple. That's it. It's basically Grip of Iron (the psionic power) with a little bit of tentacle flavor. Cause everything is better with tentacles!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I've understood this to mean your reach is no different than before you grew the tentacles, and all they do is provide a grapple bonus.

Ignore the "Grew Tentacles" thing, and think of the spell as granting a +4 bonus to Grapple, a +8 bonus at caster level 9.

Than think, "oh, and it's because of tentacles. Somehow."

 

[Leo_ASF]

It's basically Grip of Iron (the psionic power) with a little bit of tentacle flavor. Cause everything is better with tentacles!

tentacle flavor ... thks !!!