Style feats benefits and stance

[cyberbougret]

Hi there,

I have a quick question about the benefits of several style feats : for example, for Crane style, it says that you take only a -2 penalty for fighting defensively, but it doesn't say that you have to USE the crane style.
What I undestand is that several style feats give you a little something even if you don't use their stance !
Am I right ?

Thanks !
cyberbougret

[BigNorseWolf]

Page 78

"You can use a feat that has a style feat as a prerequisite only while in the stance of the associated style"

They have caveats that "while using this style you get...." so you do need to burn the swift action to get into the style.

[submit2me]

If that was true, then there wouldn't be a Master of Many Styles archetype.

[cyberbougret]

Hi, thx for your answers.

But still, something strikes me : why is it that in the Crane Style Feat Description, the benefit is split in two parts : one passive bonus that doesn't say that you have to use the crane stance, and one active bonus that says that you have to use the crane stance.
Likewise, there's a bunch of style feats that add additional use per day of stunning or elemental fists : are those extra uses per day available only when you are using the stance ?
And by the way, the Crane Style has no "Style feat" as prequisite ;-)

cyberbougret

[submit2me]

I'll answer your question with another question. Why would you want to take any of the Style feats if you aren't benefiting from the full effect of at least one of them at any given time? Are you really going to go through all the trouble of getting Elemental Fist, then take the genie Style feats just to get one extra use of Elemental Fist?

To actually give you an answer about Crane Style, according to RAW you are correct. It seems that you only take a -2 penalty to fighting defensively as long as you have the feat, but in order to get the extra +1 dodge bonus you would still need to activate Crane Style as a swift action. Same with the other two in the feat chain. You don't have to do anything other than have the feats to take only a -1 penalty to fighting defensively, but you need to spend a swift action to be in Crane Style to benefit from anything else it provides you. Again, I don't know why you would go through all the trouble of getting all three feats if all you want is a -1 penalty to fighting defensively. I guess that's not really your point, though.

[The Chort]

I agree: you get the benefit of the feat listed before the "When using this style" part at all times.

I know why this could be a great boon:

Combat Style Master (Combat):

You shift between combat styles, combining them to increased effect.
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, two or more style feats, base attack bonus +6 or monk level 5th.
Benefit: You can switch your style as a free action. At the start of combat, pick one of your styles. You start the combat in that style, even in the surprise round.
Normal: It takes a swift action to begin or switch your styles.

Use one style during your turn, fighting defensively. Then switch off to crane style as a free action. Then you gain the AC bonus, and the negate attack and AoO abilities. (With all of the crane feats) With combat style master, master of many styles might not be necessary. You can use 2 styles effectively (possibly more) with this feat.