Suppose a new foe (that the PC's don't yet realize is a foe) meets the PC's in a fashion where it would be expected in society to help someone up, say for example, the PC's are climbing out of the muck of a swamp's edge. The foe offers a hand to one of the PC's, and they grab onto eachother's wrists as the foe pulls the PC out of the mud. As soon as the PC is free, the foe wants to start grappling the PC.
Q 506: What steps of the grappling proceedure, if any, does the foe get to by-pass? He is already clasping the arm of his target. Would he ignore the AoO and the touch attack, and just proceed with the grapple check?
Q 507: (A) Same situation, foe and PC clasping arms, but the foe wishes to draw a dagger and attack the PC once (to get some blood on the knife), and proceed with grappling. What steps does the foe need to go through? (B) Draw and attack (move and standard actions), but then would the PC need to make a grapple check to get released, even though they aren't technically "grappling?" (C) Draw weapon (move action), initiate grapple check (standard action), and wait until next round to attack and draw blood?
I think (C) is probably best, as it gives the PC's a chance to react before the knife actually punctures skin.
Q 508: Where would you place the initiative checks in all of this? Allow the PC's a Spot check to see if they notice him about the draw a knife, and those that succeed can make initiative checks for the surprise round? But then that throws off the drawing a dagger and grappling together in one turn, which brings us right back to the problem of two people clasping hands, yet neither has actually made a grapple check yet; if the PC wants to disengage, does he need to make a grapple check to do so, even though they aren't technically "grappling?"
Q 509: Lastly, suppose the foe is a vampire or some other undead that deals energy drain on a natural attack. Each successful offensive grapple check is going to inflict 1 or 2 negative levels, correct? Can the vampire forego the inflicting of the negative levels if his goal is simply to get the blood on the knife and leave?