Question
If a Magus took Improved Unarmed Strike , would he be able to spell combat or spell strike while not holding anything i.e. 2 free hands ?
or must he have at least one brass knuckle on his fightn' hand to appease the require of a "light or one handed melee weapon" ?
subsequent question can you wear a brass knuckle on one hand only ? since your other hand must be free for spell combat ?
Yes he could wield unarmed strike as a light melee weapon. And yes, you can wear only one brass knuckle.
He could not, however TWF while employing spell combat / spell strike.
heh that's fine I'm not looking to pull some TWF shenanigans ;)
Yes he could wield unarmed strike as a light melee weapon.
Improved Unarmed Strike does not turn your fist into a light or one-handed melee weapon.
For example, "You can make attacks with natural weapons in combination with attacks made with a melee weapon and unarmed strikes"
So you cannot unarmed spell combat, but you can technically unarmed spellstrike, though that doesn't really do very much other than let you punch during the round you cast the spell (Any caster can unarmed strike to deliver a held charge).
One could argue that a monk's unarmed strike works for Spell Combat, though I don't know that Spell Combat really "enhances or improves" the strike, rather than being a requirement.
But yes, brass knuckles and gauntlet work, but you have to make your Spell Combat iterative attacks using that weapon. (You can't wear the knuckles to use SC, then make your attacks with an unarmed strike elbow or bite or something)
Unarmed attacks are always light.
Yes, it's "considered" light, but it's still not a melee weapon.
Equipment: "The damage from an unarmed strike is considered weapon damage for the purposes of effects that give you a bonus on weapon damage rolls."
If it was a weapon, that line would be irrelevant.
Essentially, you just need to be considered "armed" in at least one hand to be able to use Spell Combat or Spell Strike.
Spell Combat specifies that you must be wielding a melee weapon in the other hand. Your (improved or not) fist is not a melee weapon. A gauntlet is.
Spellstrike works for any weapon you are wielding. You can Spellstrike through a bite attack, for example, or an unarmed strike. (Again, this is only relevant for the free attack you get as part of casting, as once you've held the charge, anyone can deliver it with a natural weapon or unarmed strike)
Uh... Grick? How is something explicitly listed on the weapons chart not a weapon?
There's a very absurd idea going around the Paizo boards that natural weapons are not weapons.
Despite the fact that they have "weapon" in the title.
Because they're not designated as a "melee weapon" instead.
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Uh... Grick? How is something explicitly listed on the weapons chart not a weapon?There's a very absurd idea going around the Paizo boards that natural weapons are not weapons.
Despite the fact that they have "weapon" in the title.
Because they're not designated as a "melee weapon" instead.
Oh, I'm aware natural weapons count as well (I mean, they're called weapons FFS), but I'm attacking the EXTRA ludicrousness of saying that something on the weapons list and chart of the CRB is not a weapon. Seeing as how that's how we know something is a weapon and all.
Uh... Grick? How is something explicitly listed on the weapons chart not a weapon?
I don't see lines like this anywhere: "The damage from a longsword is considered weapon damage for the purposes of effects that give you a bonus on weapon damage rolls."
Why? Because a longsword is a melee weapon.
but it's there for an unarmed strike...
SKR said, in the thread about gauntlets/cestus/brassknuckes: "Making all of these weapons act 100% like weapons and not refer to unarmed attacks at all"
If you have weapons permanently attached to each of your limbs, how can you be unarmed?
If every unarmed strike is a weapon, why do monk's get called out as treating them that way for certain effects?
"Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon..."
When the town guard demands you drop your weapons, they don't cut off your hands and feet.
Under Natural Attacks it mentions "melee weapon and unarmed strikes" twice.
Magic Weapon: You can't cast this spell on a natural weapon, such as an unarmed strike (instead, see magic fang). A monk's unarmed strike is considered a weapon, and thus it can be enhanced by this spell.
Yes, it's mentioned on a table, (a table which is in error - see SKR's post) and because it's a handy place to have the damage to compare to, say, a gauntlet or sword. It's also mentioned under Nonlethal damage "You can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead" which bundles unarmed in with weapons.
I don't believe the intent was for a fist to be a melee weapon. Why bother with Amulet of Mighty Fists when you could just enchant your fists directly?
There's a very absurd idea going around the Paizo boards that natural weapons are not weapons.
Even if natural weapon are weapons, that doesn't affect unarmed strikes.
Equipment: "Unarmed strikes do not count as natural weapons (see Combat)."
If you have weapons permanently attached to each of your limbs, how can you be unarmed?
Because you take a feat to do so.
Likewise, with Caught Off Guard you are always considered armed while holding a chair.
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Uh... Grick? How is something explicitly listed on the weapons chart not a weapon?I don't see lines like this anywhere: "The damage from a longsword is considered weapon damage for the purposes of effects that give you a bonus on weapon damage rolls."
Why? Because a longsword is a melee weapon.
but it's there for an unarmed strike...
SKR said, in the thread about gauntlets/cestus/brassknuckes: "Making all of these weapons act 100% like weapons and not refer to unarmed attacks at all"
If you have weapons permanently attached to each of your limbs, how can you be unarmed?
If every unarmed strike is a weapon, why do monk's get called out as treating them that way for certain effects?
"Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon..."
When the town guard demands you drop your weapons, they don't cut off your hands and feet.
Under Natural Attacks it mentions "melee weapon and unarmed strikes" twice.
Magic Weapon: You can't cast this spell on a natural weapon, such as an unarmed strike (instead, see magic fang). A monk's unarmed strike is considered a weapon, and thus it can be enhanced by this spell.
Yes, it's mentioned on a table, (a table which is in error - see SKR's post) and because it's a handy place to have the damage to compare to, say, a gauntlet or sword. It's also mentioned under Nonlethal damage "You can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead" which bundles unarmed in with weapons.
I don't believe the intent was for a fist to be a melee weapon. Why bother with Amulet of Mighty Fists when you could just enchant your fists directly?
There's a very absurd idea going around the Paizo boards that natural weapons are not weapons.Even if natural weapon are weapons, that doesn't affect unarmed strikes.
Equipment: "Unarmed strikes do not count as natural weapons (see Combat)."
There must be some mighty upset rabbits on these boards, because you my friend are splitting some mighty fine hares.
See what I did there? And for the record, I believe that you are reading entirely too much into this circumstance. An unarmed attack is a weapon that always counts as light. Story over.
Likewise, with Caught Off Guard you are always considered armed while holding a chair.
If you mean Catch Off-Guard, that just removes the -4 penalty and lets you treat unarmed folk as flat-footed. Everyone threatens with a chair used as an improvised weapon.
If you're striking with a hand it's not free.
He means using his empty 'primary' hand as a weapon, and his equally empty 'off-hand' to cast. Two empty hands. So instead of cast/stab it's cast/punch.
Well then can you wear a brass knuckle on one hand only which is a light melee, leaving the other hand free
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Grick, open your book to the equipment chapter. Check under simple light weapons. See that entry there, that says "Unarmed Strike"? Yeah, that means unarmed strike is a weapon, and can therefor be used with anything that demands a melee weapon. This includes feats, magic, class abilities, etc.
Heck, things NOT on that list can be a weapon too, all you have to do is say "I'm using this chair as an improvised weapon" and it's suddenly a weapon. Have fun taking Weapon Focus (Chair).
I admit, Unarmed Strike is a strange weapon that has to repeat many times over that it is treated as a weapon, but it is still a weapon.
EDIT: If you have IUS you can never be unarmed unless you are also immobile. Unarmed Strike is the exception to the rule that you are considered "armed" by default when you have the weapon out, but the feat restores that status.
