Pinner or Pinee

[ogre]

I just read through the grapple section and have a question.
I noticed that if you're a grappler, most likely you'll want to obtain a 'pin' on your opponent. However, the way it is written it seems the pinner has it worse than the one being pinned. They list a number of things you can't do while you're pinning someone, but they don't list those things for when you are being pinned. You can't for instance, draw a weapon or retrieve a spell component, two thing it seems you could do if you were being pinned. What exactly is being 'held immoble' (rules-wise) besides the -4 to AC.
Am I just mucked in 3.5 confusion, or is there something I'm missing here?

 

[Xarls Taunzund]

Read the next section entitled "If you are pinned by an oppenent."

When an opponent has pinned you, you are held immoble (but not helpless) for 1 round. While you're pinned, you take a -4 penalty to your AC against oppnents other t han the one pinning you. At your opponent's option you may also be unable to speak. On your turn you can try to escape the pin by making an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you want, but this requires a standad action. If you win, you escape the pin, but you're still grappling.

 

[ogre]

yes, I read that part.
What I'm wondering is why it lists what you can't do under "if you're pinning an opponent", but it doesn't list these things under the "if you're pinned by an opponent". Also, it states "... you can try to escape the pin by making an opposed grapple check in place of an attack" (emphasis mine), which means you could make an attack instead. So, if you can make an attack couldn't you also do other things that are attack-like? It doesn't specifically prohibit actions like the "if you're pinning your opponent" sections does. It also doesn't blatantly state that you can do nothing else, except try and escape the pin, which is what I would have assumed being pinned would invoke.
The reason I ask this is because, once my PC has pinned someone, the DM will look at the section "if your pinned by an opponent" and see what actions he can do. Well, as it reads, if doesn't effectively limit everything, and even allows an attack to be made, supposedly.

 

[Xarls Taunzund]

No, you cannot make an attack instead. In place of an attack means that if you have multiple attacks, you may attempt to escape once per attack. Other than that, you are immobilized, so you can do nothing else.

 

[Darklone]

Is this a troll?

Just asking... Common sense would say: you're pinned, you can't do nothing but get out. That's what the rules say too. So where's the problem?

 

[ogre]

nahhh, this ain't a troll. If I were trolling I'd at least try to be more clever and witty.
Thanks for the clarification. I guess the whole thing just wasn't black and white enough for me and was wondering if there was any room for wrong interpritation. I guess not and common sense rules the day! That whole "in place of an attack" kinda threw me, I didn't know that that had a hidden meaning, but it makes sense now.
... I'll crawl back to my cave now.