Neutromancer's page

IF we were to use real physics, AND somehow managed to transfer the entire amount of kinetic energy from the small bolt to the enlarged bolt striking the target, it wouldn't even do the same damage as the bolt.

Bolts/arrows/bullets rely on a small contact surface to cause penetration. The same force used in a punch wouldn't cause the same wound, not even bludgeoning, as it wouldn't penetrate the skin. If it was "boulder size", at most, it would shove the target slightly back.

Even a ballista-bolt-sized projectile hitting with the force of a normal-sized crosbow bolt would probably have problems penetrating leather armor.

Just my two cents, as I'm aware we're not arguing real world physics here.

PRD wrote:

Flurry of Blows (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When doing so, he may make on additional attack, taking a -2 penalty on all of his attack rolls, as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. These attacks can be any combination of unarmed strikes and attacks with a monk special weapon (he does not need to use two weapons to use this ability). For the purpose of these attacks, the monk's base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.

It is very much opposite RAW. It's spelt out in flurry, and in combat manoeuvers it is expressly only when calculating CMB, not for any other purpose.

I would probably not allow it at my table either. It sets a precedent that could cause problems.

My point is not that the "improved BAB" should be used to qualify for any feat. My point is that the "Monk 9th level" requirement could be interpreted as requiring the "improved BAB" from the monk in this specific feat.

I'm not sure what's the problematic precedent you refer to, other than "other feats that also ask for Monk level instead of BAB can be used this way." How many feats do that, and why is that a problem if this would also apply to them? Seems kinda tame to me.

Clearly, you think that this contradicts RAW and that's more or less what I suspected too, I just don't understand the logic of it setting a bad precedent. This is not some sort of stealthy houserule that will allow all monks everywhere to take every feat in the book they don't qualify for that lists BAB as a prereq.

Hello,

I'm sorta new to Pathfinder and have a passing understanding of RAW/RAI debates and stuff. I'm finishing the details on a level 6 Monk (of the Sacred Mountain but that's besides the point) with 4 Fighter levels (Brawler archetype) and trying to get this feat but I'm not sure if my interpretation of the prerequisites would fly.

Rapid Grappler (Combat)

You are a quick hand at grappling.

Prerequisite: Dex 13, Greater Grapple, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +9 or monk level 9th.

Benefit: Whenever you use Greater Grapple to successfully maintain a grapple as a move action, you can then spend a swift action to make a grapple combat maneuver check.

If I were to read it "RAW" with a literal mind, then it's either BAB +9 or Monk 9th, so a Fighter4/Monk6 can't get it (BAB 8 or so). But my alternate interpretation (that already applies to other Monk stuff, like Flurry, but more specifically "Maneuver Training" where the Monk levels replace the BAB for CMB calculation... which is what people use to Grapple, and thus, could arguable be what this prerequisite means...?) is that I should be able to add Monk Levels instead of Monk BAB to my total BAB (so in this case for this specific feat, my "fake monk BAB" should be 6 plus the 4 BAB from the Fighter.

Does this make sense? Would you veto this (in your own table, obviously) or even consider it opposite to RAW at all? Just seems odd to me that you can be a Level 9 monk or a level 9 fighter and get this, but if you mix monk and fighter levels, you ignore the "monk" part completely and need to be level 11 or whatever needed for the +9 BAB.

Thanks for the help.