Clarifying the use of weapons and combat maneuvers

[Mercurial]

Clarifying the use of weapons and combat maneuvers:

I've seen it stated that if your weapon does not have the 'trip' property that you can not use the weapon to trip, that you are presumed to being attempting the trip unarmed by using a free hand or foot. That makes sense considering that without the Improved Trip feat you are presumed to be provoking an AoO with the attempt.

Now if follows if that's the case that when attempting a Trip, then you don't gain any of the bonuses associated with your weapon if your weapon does not have the Trip property, i.e. no enhancement bonuses, Weapon Training or Weapon Focus benefits and so on. My question is, what about combat maneuvers where the weapon property doesn't exist?

If I have a Fighter with a +1 Halberd and Weapon Focus: Halberd and I attempt a Bull-Rush or a Dirty Trick, do I get the benefit of those bonuses? What about Sunder? Sunder would seem a no-brainer that yes and Dirty Trick a no-brainer no, but I'm looking on some definitive rules clarification as to when you can add weapon bonuses and weapon feat bonuses to combat maneuvers...

[Knight Magenta]

You can trip with any weapon and you gain the bonuses, like weapon training that apply to it. Same with disarm and sunder.

The trip property just lets you drop the weapon if toy fail by 10 or more instead of going prone yourself.

[Jiggy]

Start by reading the FAQ on trip weapons.

[Gauss]

Additionally, there is THIS blog.

- Gauss