What? A Grapple Question? no!

[Wellby]

It seems to me that a monk can attempt to 'grab' and start a grapple as many times as she can otherwise 'attack', but that once this grab is successful, and the opposing grapple check has been won by the monk, with damage caused, that monk's turn is over. Yes?

*I understand that in the next round, the monk can flurry of blows unarmed strikes on the person they are grappling (why grappling is a CRUCIAL weapon of the monk).

 

[Wellby]

AND, can a Rogue sneak attack an opponent pinned by an ally? this seems to be every bit as good as flanking someone, if not better.

 

[Wellby]

And one more (lot of grappling last night)

monk successfully began grappling with a mounted horseman. we ruled she basically climbed up on to him. Next turn, she attempted to 'move' him, or 'make him prone', and we did this by an opposed grapple check, with a +4 mod for him due to his being in saddle. sound reasonable?

 

[Herzog]

It seems to me that a monk can attempt to 'grab' and start a grapple as many times as she can otherwise 'attack', but that once this grab is successful, and the opposing grapple check has been won by the monk, with damage caused, that monk's turn is over. Yes?

No. Why would it be over? You are now grappling, and one of the things you can do while grappling is damaging your opponent by making a grapple check in place of an attack. The remaining attacks can thus be used to damage your opponent. (or to pin him, if you would like to)

can a Rogue sneak attack an opponent pinned by an ally? this seems to be every bit as good as flanking someone, if not better.

Yes. Which is why you don't want to encounter enemy NPC groups composed of both grapple specialists and rogues.

 

[Wellby]

So this monk is even more powerful? If the 11th level monk has three base attacks (I know flurry of blows doesn't count here), she can attempt to pin THREE times per round?

 

[irdeggman]

*I understand that in the next round, the monk can flurry of blows unarmed strikes on the person they are grappling (why grappling is a CRUCIAL weapon of the monk).

I don't think so.

Flurry of blows is a full attack action.

Every round you must "maintain the grapple" and subsequent checks to do so (each one taking one of your "attack action" from your BAB).

 

[frankthedm]

It seems to me that a monk can attempt to 'grab' and start a grapple as many times as she can otherwise 'attack', but that once this grab is successful, and the opposing grapple check has been won by the monk, with damage caused, that monk's turn is over. Yes?

No. There is a rules kink that could prevent a creature from taking any more Natural attacks, but this won't affect monks since monk unarmed attack operate via BAB.

AND, can a Rogue sneak attack an opponent pinned by an ally? this seems to be every bit as good as flanking someone, if not better.

In 3.5 just being grappled causes this. Possibly one reason why Pathfinder and 4E both make being grappled less of a problem.

monk successfully began grappling with a mounted horseman. we ruled she basically climbed up on to him.

I would have ruled a warhorse would have taken an AoO [hoof] pursuant to Starting a grapple ^{step 4}

Next turn, she attempted to 'move' him, or 'make him prone', and we did this by an opposed grapple check, with a +4 mod for him due to his being in saddle. sound reasonable?

I think it would have been reasonable to use their ride skill in place of their grapple bonus, similar to trying to trip a rider, with a +2 bonus if they have the military saddle

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Being grappled IS worse for your health if other enemies are around than merely being flanked. This is one thing the 3E rules absolutely got right. Look at any self defense system or martial art. They will all tell you, if there's a group attacking you, AVOID going to the ground. Once you're there grappling one guy, the others can just stomp the hell out of you. Grappling also makes it harder to run away, which is the ideal solution to being outnumbered anyway.