My gut instinct is that since the number attacks he gets increaces with BAB then he does not get x1.5 damage.
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The monk's unarmed strike doesn't qualify for the increased bonus from Power Attack.
The reason is simple: The only way it can qualify is if it's specifically "a primary natural weapon that adds 1.5 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls".
It's not enough to simply be a primary natural weapon.
Since the monk doesn't normally add 1.5 times his Strength modifier to damage rolls with his unarmed strike, he also doesn't qualify for Power Attack's bonus damage.
No.
A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
Getting strength and a half to damage is not a spell or an effect. Barring some special feat or archetype, a monk gets full strength bonus for all his unarmed strikes. Not halved for off-hand, because for a monk's unarmed strikes there is no off hand. Not plus half again (unless you're using a feat) because there's no two-handed unarmed strike.
EDIT: blasted ninjas
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He's wrong:
1) Monks: A monk's unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
Since an attack with one hand isn't a two-handed attack, and the monk also doesn't have only one natural weapon attack (his maximum is higher), the bonus does not apply.
Edit: ninja pileup.
A guy in my group insists that since a monk's unarmed attacks are considered natural weapons that they get time and a half damage on power attacks...
Power Attack: "This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls."
Monk Unarmed Strike: "There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes."
Your unarmed strike is not a two-handed weapon, it's not a one handed weapon using two hands, and it's not a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls, so it does not get the extra 50% damage from power attack.
On the plus side for the Monk he/she does get the 2:1 return from Power Attack on all of his attacks... Where as the poor TWF gets 2:1 & 1:1.
Wrong, that was the rule in 3.5. In Pathfinder light weapons gain the same damage as one-handed weapons on power attack.
You are referring to light weapons, right?
No, he is referring to off-hand weapons which in Pathfinder only gain 1:1 from PA, rather than 2:1. Because monk unarmed strikes are never considered off-hand, they get 2:1 on all their unarmed strikes. Because monks are often not very good at getting a high bonus to hit, it is almost never a good idea to use power attack and I never bother with it when running monks.
No, he is referring to off-hand weapons which in Pathfinder only gain 1:1 from PA, rather than 2:1. Because monk unarmed strikes are never considered off-hand, they get 2:1 on all their unarmed strikes. Because monks are often not very good at getting a high bonus to hit, it is almost never a good idea to use power attack and I never bother with it when running monks.
I understand that he is referring to offhand weapons :-)
He stated "2:1" and "1:1",though. I concluded that he was talking about an off-hand attack with a light weapon and utilizing power attack.
To be precise, he stated: "On the plus side for the Monk he/she does get the 2:1 return from Power Attack on all of his attacks... "
Though it is true that the strength bonus usually is halved (unless you have double slice or are a monk), power attack is not halved. That was a change from 3.5 to PF.
No, he is referring to off-hand weapons which in Pathfinder only gain 1:1 from PA, rather than 2:1. Because monk unarmed strikes are never considered off-hand, they get 2:1 on all their unarmed strikes. Because monks are often not very good at getting a high bonus to hit, it is almost never a good idea to use power attack and I never bother with it when running monks.I understand that he is referring to offhand weapons :-)
He stated "2:1" and "1:1",though. I concluded that he was talking about an off-hand attack with a light weapon and utilizing power attack.
To be precise, he stated: "On the plus side for the Monk he/she does get the 2:1 return from Power Attack on all of his attacks... "
Though it is true that the strength bonus usually is halved (unless you have double slice or are a monk), power attack is not halved. That was a change from 3.5 to PF.
Sorry, checked again. I mixed it up with the light weapon.
Yeah, off-hand gets reduced, except for the unarmed strikes of monks...
No, he is referring to off-hand weapons which in Pathfinder only gain 1:1 from PA, rather than 2:1. Because monk unarmed strikes are never considered off-hand, they get 2:1 on all their unarmed strikes. Because monks are often not very good at getting a high bonus to hit, it is almost never a good idea to use power attack and I never bother with it when running monks.I understand that he is referring to offhand weapons :-)
He stated "2:1" and "1:1",though. I concluded that he was talking about an off-hand attack with a light weapon and utilizing power attack.
To be precise, he stated: "On the plus side for the Monk he/she does get the 2:1 return from Power Attack on all of his attacks... "
Though it is true that the strength bonus usually is halved (unless you have double slice or are a monk), power attack is not halved. That was a change from 3.5 to PF.
Sorry, rechecked: Off-hand gets reduced. Mixed it up with light weapons.
Unarmed strike monks are fine here though since there are no off-hand attacks with unarmed strikes ;-)
I'd suggest taking hammer blow after power attack. It doesn't increase the overall damage per round but what it does do is put all the extra damage on the first attack. For example, a level 10 monk sitting on hammer blow 2 takes the -2 to attack as per power attack, since he is making three attacks on a flurry at a bab of +5/+5/+0, the damage for his 2nd and 3rd attack do not change but he gets +6 to damage on the first attack. Just thought I'd throw that in. (Really awesome feat for hitting through DR). Example used is from 3.5. The pathfinder monk is flurrying on a greater number of attacks if i'm not wrong. Just thought i'd throw that in there.
Can't find Hammer Blow in Pathfinder, is it a 3.5 feat or an unofficial one? and if so, how is it relevant?
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As a side note, if he does want to add more Strength damage to the unarmed strikes, Dragon Style -> Dragon Ferocity will do that. It's an awesome feat for high strength monks and the Dragon style to charge through difficult terrain/allies is a nice little bonus.
I'm fairly certain that with these feats the Monk does not get the 3:1 return on Power Attack inspite of now being able to do 1.5 x STR with his unarmed strike.
And I'm also fairly certain you weren't inferring that, but I was thinking maybe this is where the OP's friend was coming from?
Might be 'Hammer the Gap'....
Can't find Hammer Blow in Pathfinder, is it a 3.5 feat or an unofficial one? and if so, how is it relevant?
Can't find Hammer Blow in Pathfinder, is it a 3.5 feat or an unofficial one? and if so, how is it relevant?
I'm pretty sure that no such feat existed in 3.5, sounds like 3rd party or homebrew to me.
Might be 'Hammer the Gap'....
No, what he describes is almost the opposite of Hammer the Gap, which is extra damage based on the number of attacks that you have already hit in the round, not extra damage upfront in exchange for not adding that damage to iterative attacks.
What about the Sansetsukon? (Three-Section Staff) ( http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/sanse tsukon-three-section-staff )
I understand that you would only get your str bonus on damage, but how does Power attack intact with it? Do you get the 1-to-3 because you have to wield it with 2 hands or does flurry of blows (and similarly worded abilities) override it back down to 1-to-2?
He'd be able to do 1.5 Power Attack if he had Dragon Ferocity, since at that point he'd have a natural attack that adds 1.5x Str to damage.