[PATHFINDER] Clarification on Pounce+Rake+Grab rules interaction

The interaction of the pounce, rake and grab abilities is very confusing. This is especially relevant to Big Cats.

I am very confident that the following is true, and this is the ruling we use at my table.


Use a leopard as an example, with one bite (plus grab) and 2 claw attacks. Its rake applies to the 2 claws.

• Regarding pounce: if you pounce, you get rake attacks automatically. That means the leopard will get one bite and 4 claw attacks.
• Whenever the leopard manages to land a bite attack, it can automatically attempt to grapple.
• If the leopard succeeds at the grapple check, it still does not get to rake, because it did not start its turn grappling.
• Attempting a grapple does not interfere with the rest of your attacks this turn.
• On any turn where the leopard is already grappling, it can immediately do its rake attack of 2 claws as well as any other grapple actions it so chooses.

Important note: When a monster lands a grab attack, it has to choose between grappling normally or with only the body part that was part of the attack (mouth/bite in the leopard example).

If the leopard grapples normally, it cannot do a full-round attack next round (but it does not interrupt what happens this round). That is because it requires a standard action next round to maintain the grapple.

If it grapples with only the grabbing body part it takes a -20 penalty to the grapple check but it can still do a full-round attack next round (it does not gain the grappled condition) (the full-round attacks would exclude the grabbing body part, which deals damage as part of the grapple check and not an attack).

On any round where the leopard starts out grappling, it will automatically attempt the rake attacks (2 claws) for free against the target independent of any other events.

After the grapple has started, each successful grapple check will also do its bite damage (the grappling body part) automatically.