[Sage Advice] Mind Flayers Improved Grab/Extract Abilities

[Ristamar]

Straight from the horse's mouth...

Skip,

I was wondering if could clarify the Mind Flayer's Grapple/Extract procedure. This is the way our group had originally played it:

- On the first round, it hits with one or more tentacles.

Correct.

- In the second round, if it successfully hit with at least one of its tentacles and the victim hasn't escaped, it makes another grapple check to attach any and all remaining tentacles.

Correct.

- On its third round it can automatically extract the brain (standard action?) to kill the victim.

Correct, but only of it has all four tentacles attached at the beginning if its turn.

Is this correct,

Yes.

or does the Mind Flayer get a free attempt to attach all remaining tentacles in the first round (instead of the second round) if any of his tentacle attacks hit?

No.

Does the Flayer get a free attempt (to attach all remaining tentacles) after any tentacle hits, or is the check made only once after all the tentacle attacks have been made?

No.

If the Mind Flayer starts a round with one or more tentacles attached, does he get two grapple checks (+8/+3) since it has a +8 BAB, or does it only get a single attempt at +8?

One attempt for all the tentacles, it's grapple bonus is +7 and it adds a +2 circumstance bonus to the check for each tentacle that was attached at the beginning of its turn (so the bonus could be +2, +4, or +6).

No creature gets interative attacks with natural weapons (except for some creatures with slam attacks).

Is the Extract ability a free action or a standard action?

The mind flayer makes one grapple check (using its +7 bonus) and extracts the foes brain if the check succeeds.

Does the extraction take place at the beginning or end of the Mind Flayer's turn?

When the check succeeds the extraction happens.

Thanks for your time and assistance.

Anytime. And to those doubting foo's at EN World, The Skip has gotz three words for ya -- 1 0wn j00!!!

Skip Williams
RPG R&D

A few comments:

1) He says +7 for the attack/grapple bonus, yet the SRD says +8. Has there been some errata on the 'Flayer?

2) It seems the extraction isn't quite as automatic as the text may imply. Standard action after a successful check.

3) I obviously made that last part of the quote up. Too bad, really. I wish Skip would be a bit more light-hearted and humorous in his replies, though I suppose that may cause problems and confusion in the context of rule discussions.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Anytime. And to those doubting foo's at EN World, The Skip has gotz three words for ya -- 1 0wn j00!!!

Skip Williams
RPG R&D

 

[IceBear]

In all fairness to Skip, it must be hard to have a sense of humor with the thankless job he seems to have - no matter which way he rules there's someone right there to call him an idiot.

IceBear

 

[kreynolds]

Re: Re: [Sage Advice] Mind Flayers Improved Grab/Extract Abilities

It would have been a thousand times funnier had he actually said that.

 

[BlackBart]

1) He says +7 for the attack/grapple bonus, yet the SRD says +8. Has there been some errata on the 'Flayer?

He doesn't get his weapon finesse for the grapple check, only for a melee attack with the tentacle.

 

[Marauder]

Thanks for posting that Ristamar - it is very clear how it works now.

 

[0-hr]

With a BAB of +6, shouldn't a mind flayer be able to make two grapple checks in a round?

 

[kreynolds]

With a BAB of +6, shouldn't a mind flayer be able to make two grapple checks in a round?

See starter post...

If the Mind Flayer starts a round with one or more tentacles attached, does he get two grapple checks (+8/+3) since it has a +8 BAB, or does it only get a single attempt at +8?

One attempt for all the tentacles, it's grapple bonus is +7 and it adds a +2 circumstance bonus to the check for each tentacle that was attached at the beginning of its turn (so the bonus could be +2, +4, or +6).

No creature gets interative attacks with natural weapons (except for some creatures with slam attacks).