Do natural attacks with reach count as reach weapons?


Rules Questions

Sovereign Court



Phalanx Formation

You are trained to use long weapons in tight formations.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: When you wield a reach weapon with which you are proficient, allies don’t provide soft cover to opponents you attack with reach.

Normal: Attacking a target that is beyond another creature, even an ally, can result in the target having soft cover from you.

Would this also help a monster with claws with 10ft reach?

Liberty's Edge

PRD wrote:


When making a melee attack against a target that isn't adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks.

and

PRD wrote:


Big Creatures and Cover: Any creature with a space larger than 5 feet (1 square) determines cover against melee attacks slightly differently than smaller creatures do. Such a creature can choose any square that it occupies to determine if an opponent has cover against its melee attacks. Similarly, when making a melee attack against such a creature, you can pick any of the squares it occupies to determine if it has cover against you.

So most creature with reach aren't hindered by the soft cover provided by medium sized creatures.

About your question, the reply is in the ability description:

PRD wrote:


Benefit: When you wield a reach weapon with which you are proficient,

The creature with natural reach is wielding a reach weapon?

If it is using a appropriate size longspear, whip and so on, the reply is yes and benefit from the ability.
If it is attacking with his claw, bite or a non reach weapon, the reply is no and the ability doesn't apply.


A reach weapon is one that extends your reach. Your natural weapons do not extend your reach.

Sovereign Court

So likewise, if you used a Long Arm spell and a shortsword, you'd be operating at 10ft reach, but wouldn't benefit from the feat.

Hmm. This will influence my build choices a bit.

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