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Weapon Adept 2nd level ability, Way of the Weapon Master, states:
At 2nd level, a weapon adept gains Weapon Focus as a bonus feat with one of his monk weapons. At 6th level, the monk gains Weapon Specialization with the same weapon as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
For the purposes of this skill, is a monk weapon one of the original monk weapons in which you automatically gain proficiency, or any weapon with the monk weapon quality? It would be nice to fit Katana into this archetype, not just for optimization purposes, but flavor as well.
Edit: ok, brain fart, Katana not a monk weapon, but the question still stands with regard to nine-ring broadsword and similar weapons.
From the FAQ for Ultimate Combat:
Monk Weapons: If a weapon is specified as a monk weapon, does that mean that monks are automatically proficient with that weapon?
No. It means that they can use this weapon while using flurry of blows. It does not mean that it is added to the list of weapons that a monk is proficient with, unless the weapon description says otherwise.
So monks are proficient only with the weapons that specifically say so.
Basically, the ability would have to be with one of your starting weapons or with one you spent either your bonus first or second level feat to learn to use. And because it says "monk weapon" and not "any weapon", I would say that it only works with a weapon listed as a monk weapon. So yes, spend a feat to learn nine-ring broadsword, if it is not a free one, and you can use it with this ability.
Basically, the ability would have to be with one of your starting weapons or with one you spent either your bonus first or second level feat to learn to use.
I don't see anything in the Way of the Weapon Master that says you must be proficient.
I think it applies to any monk weapon, which should be any weapon with the monk special feature, or any weapon which is treated as having the monk special feature.
Well, one thing I just noticed yesterday, is that the perfect strike feat that weapon adepts get apparently only applies to monk weapons that a core monk is automatically proficient with:
Perfect Strike (Combat)
When wielding a monk weapon, your attacks can be extremely precise.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). You must use one of the following weapons to make the attack: kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, and siangham. You can roll your attack roll twice and take the higher result. If one of these rolls is a critical threat, the other roll is used as your confirmation roll (your choice if they are both critical threats). You may attempt a perfect attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round.
Special: A weapon master monk or zen archer monk receives Perfect Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt an perfect strike attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.
So it would seem that even if other Monk weapons count for the archetype, you wouldn't get to use your improved Perfect Strike with them that the archetype grants.
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Interzone is correct. This is more a flaw with the feat 'Perfect Strike' then with the arcetype - but being that the feat is what it is it kind of ruins the archetype IMHO.
So, to answer the OP... A Weapon Adept could select 'Temple Sword' and gain Weapon Focus & Specialization with that weapon - and he could 'Flurry' with it. He would not however be able to use his Temple Sword in conjunction with 'Perfect Strike'.
The way I read the archetype these bonus feats would be in addition to the normal bonus feats as they replace 'Evasion' and not the bonus feats... So on the upside you get more bonus feats...
Depends on what defination of monk weapon you are using, Nezthalak. Fighter weapons groups, for their Weapon Training class feature, include unarmed strikes in the monk weapons group. I would certainly allow unarmed strikes to be considered a monk weapon in my game, even if they are not.
Master Arminas
Depends on what defination of monk weapon you are using
It's odd.
Monk: A monk weapon can be used by a monk to perform a flurry of blows (see Classes).
This defines a monk weapon as one which can be used with flurry, yet "unarmed strike" in the weapons table does not have the 'monk' special feature.
Under Flurry of Blows it says "using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with a special monk weapon" which implies the unarmed strike is not a special monk weapon.
I think by RAW (and by fluff) the Weapon Adept monk is not focused on unarmed strikes.