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Whirlwind Attack Feat Description

"The Whirlwind Attack feat (Core Rulebook, p.136) says:

Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, base attack bonus +4.

Benefit: When you use the full-attack action, you can give up your regular attacks and instead make one melee attack at your full base attack bonus against each opponent within reach."

The key phrase here is that you make one melee attack against each opponent within reach.

The feat does not say you are making a series of attacks or a full-attack action with different weapons, but rather that you make “one melee attack” at your full base attack bonus against all targets within reach.
This is typically understood as being with whatever weapon (or unarmed strike) you are currently using to perform your melee attack.

General Rules for Full-Attack Actions- In a normal full-attack action, a character can make multiple attacks, and they can switch weapons between attacks (as long as they have the necessary actions to do so).
However, Whirlwind Attack is a specific type of full-attack action, and it only allows one melee attack per target within reach, rather than a normal sequence of iterative attacks.

Switching between weapons: Pathfinder rules don’t explicitly prevent switching weapons between attacks during a full-attack action (if you have the actions available to do so, such as a free action to drop a weapon or a swift action to switch grips), but Whirlwind Attack doesn’t follow the same rules as a standard full attack.

Unarmed Strikes and Reach Weapons- If you’re using a reach weapon (like a glaive or long spear), your reach is typically 10 feet or more, and your melee attacks for Whirlwind Attack will use that reach.

If you attempt to switch to Improved Unarmed Strike during the same Whirlwind Attack sequence, the problem arises because unarmed strikes typically have only a 5-foot reach (unless you’re using something like a Monk’s Ki Reach or a similar ability).

This means the two attacks would have conflicting reach ranges, making them impractical to combine in the same Whirlwind Attack.

No Explicit “One Weapon” Rule, But the Mechanics Imply It

There isn’t a written rule that explicitly states “you must use the same weapon for all Whirlwind Attack strikes.” However, the mechanics of how reach, weapons, and unarmed strikes work imply that you cannot effectively mix attacks in this way without specific feats or class abilities allowing it. Without the ability to combine different weapon types in a single attack routine (which Whirlwind Attack does not provide), the feat effectively limits you to using one type of attack for all enemies within reach.

Summary Whirlwind Attack allows you to make one attack against each target within your reach.

By default, this attack uses the same weapon (or unarmed strike) for all enemies because it’s treated as one series of melee attacks in one full-attack action.
There’s no explicit rule saying “only one weapon can be used,” but the mechanics of reach weapons vs. unarmed strikes and how full-attack actions work make it impractical to mix the two types of attacks in this case.

If a sadist vitalist used the astral construct power, does the astral constructs attacks include the vitalist class ability to apply bleed?

Thank you for the correction.

The ability states:
Lingering Pain (Su)
A sadist of 3rd level learns to make wounds more painful than usual. Any time the sadist inflicts hit point damage on a creature and the sadist is maintaining psionic focus, it also causes bleed damage equal to half the sadist’s level unless the target makes a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the sadist’s class level + the sadist’s Wisdom modifier).
This ability replaces the power known normally gained at 3rd level; the sadist does not learn a new vitalist power until 5th level.

The hit point damage can be from any action that inflicts hit point damage? Melee weapon or power or spell?
Also since it is not stated, the bleed affect does not stack with its self?

Here is where my mind takes this and it seems over powered.

With Explosive Power [Metapsionic]

Your powers that normally only affect a single creature explode on impact.
Prerequisite: Manifester level 3rd
Benefit: To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus. You can cause a power you manifest that deals hit point damage and has a direct target or targets (not an area effect) to explode upon impact, dealing its damage to all creatures adjacent to the target of the initial power. A successful Reflex save halves the damage from this explosion, even if the original power did not allow a save, such as energy ray, in which case calculate the save based upon the level of the power manifested. Using this feat does not increase the power point cost of the power if only a single creature was targeted by the initial effect. For powers that allow the direct targeting of multiple creatures, such as energy missile, each additional target of the initial power increases the cost of the power by 2 power points. Creatures cannot be affected by both the initial power and the explosion, nor by overlapping explosions.

With these feats allowing for a Psionic focus to be active.
Psicrystal Affinity and/or Deep Focus

Does this allow for a ranged small AOE-damage + Bleed attack?

Thank you for the feedback.

I have a questions about the feat:

Ascetic Style (Combat, Style)
You blend arms and martial arts, using weapons with the same ease as unarmed strikes.
Prerequisite(s): Weapon Focus with the chosen melee weapon; base attack bonus +1 or monk level 1st.
Benefit(s): Choose one weapon from the monk fighter weapon group. While using this style and wielding the chosen weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as effects that augment an unarmed strike, as if attacks with the weapon were unarmed attacks.
Special: A 5th-level monk or character with the weapon training (monk) class feature can use Ascetic Style with any monk weapon, in addition to the chosen melee weapon.

Style Feats rule: As a swift action, you can enter the stance employed by the fighting style a style feat embodies. Although you cannot use a style feat before combat begins, the style you are in persists until you spend a swift action to switch to a different combat style. You can use a feat that has a style feat as a prerequisite only while in the stance of the associated style.

The wording in Ascetic style states, “you can apply the effects of feats”, which seems different than a character actually using the feat that generates the effect. Ascetic style adopts the effect of a feat though not the limitations or application requirements of a fighting style feat.

Question: Does this wording imply that when using Ascetic Style, the requirement to be in a fighting style in order to use a feat from that style is over written. Allowing for style feat effects to be used without the character having to be in that fighting style to use the feat?

Example: Panther Claw (Combat)

You unleash a rapid series of blows on foes that attempt to attack you when you move.
Prerequisite: Wis 15, Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike, Panther Style.
Benefit: While using Panther Style, you can spend a free action, instead of spending a swift action, to make a retaliatory unarmed strike. You can make a number of retaliatory unarmed strikes on your turn equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Or
Jabbing Dancer (Combat)
You’ve learned to bend and shift your body to avoid attacks and reposition yourself advantageously.
Prerequisite(s): Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Jabbing Style, Mobility; base attack bonus +9, brawler level 5th, or monk level 5th.
Benefit: Each time you hit with an unarmed strike while using Jabbing Style, you can move 5 feet without provoking an attack of opportunity as long as you move to a space adjacent to the opponent you hit with the unarmed strike. If you use this feat, you cannot take a 5-foot step during your next turn.

Thank you.