Grappling and Armor Spikes - calculating damage?

[ksbsnowowl]

Armor Spikes

You can have spikes added to your armor, which allow you to deal extra piercing damage (see Table: Weapons) on a successful grapple attack. The spikes count as a martial weapon. If you are not proficient with them, you take a -4 penalty on grapple checks when you try to use them. You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case. (You can’t also make an attack with armor spikes if you have already made an attack with another off-hand weapon, and vice versa.) ...

Okay, so assume a 5th level Human fighter with Str 18.

Without armor spikes he can make a grapple check at +9 to deal 1d3+4 nonlethal damage

With armor spikes he can make a grapple check at +9 to deal damage, but is the damage:
A) 1d3+4 nonlethal plus 1d6 lethal damage
B) 1d3 nonlethal plus 1d6+4 lethal damage
C) 1d6+4 lethal damage

?

Presumably you could also decide to attack with the armor spikes, but at a -4 (because you are "attacking your opponent," so you'd attack at +5, for 1d6+4 lethal damage, correct?

[Unbeliever]

C) seems the most straightforward.  I don't know if it's right by RAW, but it seems the most reasonable.

[SneeR]

I've always done C), but I think that B) is correct now that I actually think about it. Can't complain about it helping mundanes, either.

[Kremti]

Armor Spikes

You can have spikes added to your armor, which allow you to deal extra piercing damage (see Table: Weapons) on a successful grapple attack. The spikes count as a martial weapon. If you are not proficient with them, you take a -4 penalty on grapple checks when you try to use them. You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case. (You can’t also make an attack with armor spikes if you have already made an attack with another off-hand weapon, and vice versa.) ...

Okay, so assume a 5th level Human fighter with Str 18.
<snip>
Presumably you could also decide to attack with the armor spikes, but at a -4 (because you are "attacking your opponent," so you'd attack at +5, for 1d6+4 lethal damage, correct?

Eh...why at +5?  If you are not proficient with them, you take -4.  But since it count as martial weapon, won't fighters (who are proficient with all martial weapons) attack at +9?

-K

[ksbsnowowl]

Eh...why at +5?  If you are not proficient with them, you take -4.  But since it count as martial weapon, won't fighters (who are proficient with all martial weapons) attack at +9?

-K

Because that's what the grapple rules state:

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.

Note, in this instance you are attacking the creature's AC, not making opposed grapple checks.