Grapple Cheat Sheet

Everything on this page is from d20srd.com, Grapple and Improved Grab, unless otherwise noted.

Grapple (ignoring Improved Grab)

• Grapple modifier: Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier

• To start a normal grapple (without Improved Grab):
  • AOO from target you're trying to grapple (skip this with Improved Grab)
  • Successful melee attack roll
  • You make a melee touch attack to grab the target (skip this with Improved Grab)

Comment

Improved Grab changes this workflow: rather than "Move into square, make touch attack to initiate grapple," it becomes, "Make an attack as normal, if damage is done choose whether or not to initiate grapple for free"

--Slitherrr 15:09, 7 February 2011 (EST)

• • Make an opposed grapple check as a free action. If successful, deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.

• Opponents keep dex bonus for attacks from opponents who are grappling them, but lose it for attacks from anyone else.
• You don’t threaten any squares while grappling.
• You can attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling, but you take a -4 penalty on such attacks. (For IG, the grappler who initiated the grapple deals damage on each successful grapple check, and can also (I'm pretty sure, since the grapple check is done as a free action) make this -4 attack.)

Comment

I read this as, "Improved Grab guy automatically succeeds the attack roll to do damage while grappling", not, "Improved Grab guy gets free damage every turn while grappling, THEN an attack", but it could go either way, so you might have to ask Jones.

--Slitherrr 15:09, 7 February 2011 (EST)

I also took it as you describe. Not free damage + an attack, but an automatically successful attack with regular damage. -gm

• Can cast spells while grappling, but only spells whose casting time is no more than 1 standard action and that have no somatic component. Requires a DC 20+spell level concentration check.
• You can move half your speed (bringing all others engaged in the grapple with you) by winning an opposed grapple check.

Improved Grab

• A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold.

• When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space.

• Touch attack is not necessary to start a grapple.

Al As A Brown Bear

Improved Grab

Natural Weapons

Speed: 40
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+18 (gets +2 over normal bear because of lizardman tattoos on arms)
Full Attack: 2 claws +15 melee (1d8+10), bite +5 melee (2d6+4)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 14
Space/reach: 10/5
Saves: Fort +10, Reflex +4, Will +10
Abilities: 
  * Physical (standard brown bear): Str 27 (+8) / 31 (+10) when attacking with claws, Dex 13 (+1), 
Con 19 (+4)
  * Mental (from Al's character sheet): Int 14 (+2), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 10 (+0)