Grapple clarifications

[Max Caysey]

Hi...

I know this has been asked many times before, and although I have looked and read what I can, Im still unsure about some of the things convcerning grapple.

Now assuming that two characters are grappeling. The choises are limited, and one of these are attacking.

The rules does not specifically say that a succesful grapple check is needed to attack, so I assume that this is not needed... Correct? Ofc one cound assume that the target of the grap would try every round to break free, and thus one grapple check per round would be needed to maintain and thus attack, but the attack itself does not need one... Right?

Another question of mine is, whether or not one can let go while grappeling or only while pinning?

I have read the PHB rules, and the Skip Williams articles on the matter. Skip says one can, but how much value should be applied to this?

[Crake]

There are two methods for attacking in a grapple. One is using a grapple check to deal unarmed damage (or in the case with creatures with constrict and/or improved grab to deal the damage of their natural weapon and/or constrict), the other is to simply perform a natural attack at a -4 bonus. The number of times you can do this is limited by your BAB, so even if you have 3 natural attacks, if you only have 5 BAB, you can still only attack once with one of them (at a -4 penalty). Rake is an exception to this rule, in that you gain them as extra attacks while grappling, and they are not subject to the -4 penalty.

As for letting go of a grapple, you can break a grapple as a free action if you are pinning your opponent, but otherwise, you must spend a standard action to escape a grapple, and it requires an opposed check, though if the opponent doesn't want to be in a grapple, they can just choose to let you go.

[Diarmuid]

Clarification, your attack options do not only have to be with natural weapons:

Attack Your Opponent: You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling. You take a –4 penalty on such attacks.
You can't attack with two weapons while grappling, even if both are light weapons.

Damage Your Opponent: While grappling, you can deal damage to your opponent equivalent to an unarmed strike. Make an opposed grapple check in place of an attack. If you win, you deal nonlethal damage as normal for your unarmed strike (1d3 points for Medium attackers or 1d2 points for Small attackers, plus Strength modifiers). If you want to deal lethal damage, you take a –4 penalty on your grapple check.
Exception: Monks deal more damage on an unarmed strike than other characters, and the damage is lethal. However, they can choose to deal their damage as nonlethal damage when grappling without taking the usual –4 penalty for changing lethal damage to nonlethal damage.

[Crake]

Clarification, your attack options do not only have to be with natural weapons:

Correct, I did neglect to mention that you can also use light weapons, or hell, if you're in that one stance in tome of battle, any weapon.

[Max Caysey]

THank you all for youclarifications...

I have more questions that relate too grapple though.

1: If no one wants to break the grapple, is a grapple check needed to maintain the grapple? (if both wishes to attack as discussed above?)

2: When a monk with scorpion's grasp uses flurry of blows to attack and hits with his first attack, initiates grapple, succeeds, does he get to follow up at attack with his remaining flurry attacks - while grappling?