It specifically states that it only works with unarmed strikes to prevent shenanigans like Martial Versatility. It's extremely rigid about this.
Pummeling Style only works with Unarmed Strikes by its design (and future printing descriptions). They clarified this in the FAQ.
This is so people couldn't throw in craziness like using 1 keen kukri during a Flurry, so that you have a high chance of crit'ing every time you use it, thus getting even more absurd damage than you already do with it.
---
Anyway, they don't work together because of how they're written:
Pummeling Style is a feat which default only works with Unarmed Strike, and you don't make a choice in that.
Martial Versatility makes you choose a feat which ITSELF makes you choose a specific weapon when you take it (like Weapon Focus - Longsword). MV then effectively alters the selected feat to be the same feat, but affecting every weapon in that weapon's category (so [Weapon Focus - Longsword] + [Martial Versatility - Weapon Focus] = [Weapon Focus - Heavy Blades]).
Martial Versatility is probably best broken by going "Martial Versatility - Exotic Weapon Proficiency (X)" and thus gaining access to tons of Exotic Weapons in one go.
Heavy Blades with EWP would give you Katanas, Bastard Swords, Khopeshes, Temple Swords, etc.
Martial Versatility is not designed to work with stuff like Cornugon Shield, either. The intention is to work on feats like Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization where you choose a specific weapon to apply the effects to, not one that only applies to a specific weapon at base.
Martial Versatility and Martial Mastery are also meant to be the Fighter's trump cards - Weapon Focus & Secialization, all the other "choice" combat feats all become general feats that apply to everything the Fighter touches.
The Fighter is SUPPOSED to be a Man-At-Arms, able to pick up any weapon and start chewing asses and kicking bubblegum. They would have, on top of their Weapon Training and Armor Training, +2 to hit and +2 to damage on basically everything they touch.
Martial Versatility & Mastery were meant to solidify this even more (up to an including Martial Mastery making you proficient with EVERY Exotic Weapon in the game), but Versatility ended up not affecting how deep into Fighter many people already dipped, and Mastery is a homegame-only feat because it requires Fighter 16 to take.
Not disagreeing, but citation? All I see is "Choose one combat feat you know that applies to a specific weapon." Nothing about the feat originally allowing a choice in what weapon it applies to. Weapon Focus is just an example.
Weapon Focus Applies To a Specific WEAPON
Pummeling Style affects a specific type of ATTACK - i.e. Unarmed.
Unarmed ATTACKS and Unarmed Strike the WEAPON are actually two entirely different things, and you can't make any ATTACKS with Pummeling Style except for UNARMED ATTACKS.
MV doesn't work with Cornugun Shield, either.
The point of Martial Versatility is to turn a Feat which has the requirement of choosing a specific weapon when you take the Feat into a feat which affects every weapon in that group.
As said before:
Weapon Focus (Longsword) becomes Weapon Focus (Heavy Blades)
Feral Combat Training (Bite) becomes Feral Combat Training (Natural)
Weapon Focus (Unarmed) becomes Weapon Focus (Close) AND Weapon Focus (Natural), because Unarmed is both Close and Natural.
Not disagreeing, but citation? All I see is "Choose one combat feat you know that applies to a specific weapon." Nothing about the feat originally allowing a choice in what weapon it applies to. Weapon Focus is just an example.
Martial Versatility: "Choose one combat feat you know that applies to a specific weapon (e.g., Weapon Focus). You can use that feat with any weapon within the same weapon group."
Weapon Focus: "You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon."
Weapon Specialization: "You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon."
Rapid Reload: "The time required for you to reload your chosen type of weapon is reduced to a free action (for a hand or light crossbow), a move action (for heavy crossbow or one-handed firearm), or a standard action (two-handed firearm). Reloading a crossbow or firearm still provokes attacks of opportunity."
All of those feats work on any weapon, but require you to select a specific one for the benefits.
Cornugon Shield: "When wielding a spiked chain, you gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC. When you are fighting defensively or using the total defense action, this shield bonus increases to +2."
This does not apply to any weapon, it applies only to Spiked Chains. Martial Versatility won't matter, because it doesn't change any of the feat's text.
Let me try and make it more clear. Let's take Weapon Focus again, and say you chose Spiked Chain. That now looks like this:
Weapon Focus (Spiked Chain): "You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon."
Now, what happens when you apply Martial Versatility?
Weapon Focus (Flail Group): "You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon."
How about Cornugon Shield? Let's apply Martial Versatility to it:
Cornugon Shield (Flail Group): "When wielding a spiked chain, you gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC. When you are fighting defensively or using the total defense action, this shield bonus increases to +2."
Ok, I'm using battle poi. Do my feats work? I get a +1 bonus to attack rolls with the selected weapon, and my selected weapon is the flail's group, which battle poi are a part of, awesome! It works!
Now, Cornugon Shield. When I'm wielding a spiked chain...hmm, no, I'm not wielding one, I'm wielding a battle poi...doesn't work.
Look, I'm not saying Martial Versatility couldn't have been worded better, but I think intent is really blatantly obvious here. You expand the weapon you chose for a feat to a weapon group. You don't get to suddenly make weapons work differently than they normally do. I mean, are you suggesting I could Martial Versatility my Sling Flail feat and use a Poison Sand Tube, Lasso, or Dagger as a Flail? Or holy crap, Martial Versatility my Juggle Load to reload a Poisoned Sand Tube as a free action. That's a lot of poison.
<snip>
Weapon Focus (Unarmed) becomes Weapon Focus (Close) AND Weapon Focus (Natural), because Unarmed is both Close and Natural.
And Weapon Focus (Monk) too! You get three weapon groups out of a single focus, which is all kinds of crazy bang for your buck.
Well, this discussion largely predates the current revison of ACG, if you read the text on Pummeling style you would see this "This ability works only with unarmed strikes, no matter what other abilities you might possess."
So RAW is clear.
|
Well, this discussion largely predates the current revison of ACG, if you read the text on Pummeling style you would see this "This ability works only with unarmed strikes, no matter what other abilities you might possess."
So RAW is clear.
Okay, now that is a sufficient amount of RAW, however You forgot the link I requested, so here we are:
Pummeling Style.