Draconic claws and AoO

[ohako]

so, in the description of the draconic claws bloodline ability, it doesn't say what it takes to activate them for a round. Can you do so as a free action on someone else's turn, as a surprise AoO? And then, since you've got 'em out there, you could attack with them when your turn came around?

[Davi The Eccentric]

I always assumed they were always on, if you want to put it that way. You know, part of your fingers and all that.

[kyrt-ryder]

They SHOULD be unlimited, but regretably they are not. They're limited use.

That said, they are indeed a free action to activate, activation/attacking with them does not provoke an AoO, and you can make AoO's with them if they are active when the AoO is provoked. (Remember free actions can only be done on your turn.)

[Quandary]

Claws (Ex): Starting at 1st level, you can grow claws as a free action. These claws are treated as natural weapons, allowing you to make two claw attacks as a full attack action using your full base attack bonus. Each of these attacks deals 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small). At 5th level, these claws are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR. At 7th level, the damage increases by one step to 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if you are Small). At 11th level, these claws deal an additional 1d6 points of damage of your energy type on a successful hit. This is a supernatural ability. You can use your claws for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Free actions happen on your turn ("while taking another action normally").
The reference to ROUNDS means exactly that, the claws persist for an entire round (allowing AoO's).

...Actually, I JUST noticed something wonky:
It's listed as (Ex) but the text then says it is a supernatural ability!? I don't even know why the text should re-hash it's Ability Type if that's given in the parenthesis after the Ability Name...? Errata?

[Davi The Eccentric]

Hmm. I missed the "rounds per day" bit. Shoot.

[Quandary]

Sorry to burst your bubble. Seriously.

[kyrt-ryder]

Quandary, look again. The energy is the supernatural part.

[Quandary]

yeah, I think that's the intention...
It's a bit confusing, jumbled all together with 'supernatural' in it's own sentence right next to the round limit at the end.

[kyrt-ryder]

Quote:

At 11th level, these claws deal an additional 1d6 points of damage of your energy type on a successful hit. This is a supernatural ability.

Seems clear to me lol.

[James Risner]

Quandary wrote:

[ooc]Claws (Ex) ... At 11th level, these claws deal an additional 1d6 points of damage of your energy type on a successful hit. This is a supernatural ability.

Ex is short hand for free action, so unless otherwise specified all Ex abilities are free actions to activate.

The additional energy damage is a Supernatural ability, not the whole Claws ability (which is an Ex ability.)