I'm having tons of fun playing with the race builder in the ARG, but I've run into an issue.
I'm trying to build a monstrous humanoid race that possesses a long tail with a bony barb at the end that they use as their main means of offense. Looking at the trait Slapping Tail's wording, it reads as though it's only usable for attacks of opportunity, and the Natural Attack trait doesn't offer Tail Slap, just Talon, Hoof, Gore, Slam, and Wings. How do I portray this somewhat integral part of this race mechanically using the race builder? Am I reading Slapping Tail too literally? Or should I simply skin it as a different Natural Attack, like Talon?
Thanks!
Two options
Use the natural attack 1RP to gain a tail as a secondary natural attack
Or
Have a look at pg 154, ratfolk can use a tail blade to turn their tail into a natural attack.
I'd say you could use slapping tail as a base on your race and then offer tail blade as a way of letting a character make normal attacks with it instead of just AoO's
although you could just as easily say the race comes with a tail 0RP but are proficient with the tail blade weapon that will turn it into a natural weapon and ignore the slapping tail
If the creature has only one natural attack, it's actually a primary attack and deals 1-1/2 strength mod to damage.
Natural Attacks Most creatures possess one or more natural attacks (attacks made without a weapon). These attacks fall into one of two categories, primary and secondary attacks. Primary attacks are made using the creature's full base attack bonus and add the creature's full Strength bonus on damage rolls. Secondary attacks are made using the creature's base attack bonus –5 and add only 1/2 the creature's Strength bonus on damage rolls. If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always made using the creature's full base attack bonus and adds 1-1/2 the creature's Strength bonus on damage rolls. This increase does not apply if the creature has multiple attacks but only takes one. If a creature has only one type of attack, but has multiple attacks per round, that attack is treated as a primary attack, regardless of its type. Table: Natural Attacks by Size lists some of the most common types of natural attacks and their classifications.
Some creatures treat one or more of their attacks differently, such as dragons, which always receive 1-1/2 times their Strength bonus on damage rolls with their bite attack. These exceptions are noted in the creature's description.
Creatures with natural attacks and attacks made with weapons can use both as part of a full attack action (although often a creature must forgo one natural attack for each weapon clutched in that limb, be it a claw, tentacle, or slam). Such creatures attack with their weapons normally but treat all of their natural attacks as secondary attacks during that attack, regardless of the attack's original type.
So drop the 1 RP on a tail slap and let it be a primary attack.
Thanks for the help, folks! Greatly appreciated.