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So, battle poi were changed from one-handed to light exotic weapons in an errata of the Adventurer's Armory, which makes them a little more attractive with the 'free two-weapon fighting' bit of their rules and everything. But 1d4 damage at a 20/x2 critical isn't really anything to shout about, even if it is fire damage. So the question is, what (if anything) adds to the Battle Poi's damage?
The AA text says, '... The weight of the poi is insufficient to deal physical damage, but the burning fuel deals fire damage...', but is that pure fluff text, or does it mean that you can't add your Strength modifier to the Battle Poi's damage? How about stuff like Sneak Attack or Power Attack or the like? On the one hand it seems logical that Strength damage wouldn't get added in; on the other it kinda' makes the Battle Poi into pointless novelty items if it isn't...
They don't really make any sense any way you slice it. If it doesn't matter how hard you hit your opponent, then why aren't they touch attacks? And if it does matter how hard you hit your opponent, then why wouldn't they be bludgeoning + fire attacks (or whatever)?
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I'd say that if the Poi don't have any rules text that changes the rules, the rules aren't changed. Therefore, by RAW, I'd say you'd add Strength as normal.
On the other hand, if I was your GM and you asked me about this, I'd probably just roll my eyes, because a lot of times, RAW is stupid.
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Yes, they're especially weird when compared to the using a lit torch as a weapon (which inflicts bludgeoning damage, plus a single point of fire damage) - and the poi are meant to be 'heavy fuel-soaked torch heads' on the end of chains, so you'd imagine they'd follow a similar pattern. Post-Ultimate Combat I could also imagine them as performance and/or distracting weapons too, but that's getting into house rules territory.
Mechanically 1d4 and no expanded critical range or multiplier is obviously pretty naff. The ability to basically gain TWF without needing the Dexterity pre-requisite is nice, and against certain foes (types with DR but without fire resistance or immunity) the ability to inflict fire damage could be nice too... just not a mere 1d4 fire damage...
I guess part of the issue is that in the Adventurer's Armory the descriptive and rules text is all in one, so it's not always clear where one ends and the other begins.
I suppose even if one were to take the 'no physical damage' part to mean 'no Strength modifier' (and, one would imagine, no Power Attack bonus either), I guess Sneak Attack damage would still be okay, and Piranha Strike (now the things are classed as light weapons) would seem a natural for fast-moving, twirling, poi. That sort of negates the advantage of not needing to hit the required Dexterity for the TWF Feat, of course. Still, I guess a Rogue using Battle Poi could be an interesting build (and Rogues get Perform as a class skill too, so a 'fire dancer' type character theme could be a thing).
Since they are a weapon, masterwork + magical possible?
And here I was hoping this was a thread about high-protein-infused traditional Hawaiian food.
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Since they are a weapon, masterwork + magical possible?
Hmmm... +1 flaming battle poi? Sounds reasonable. I guess you'd just be rolling 1d4+1d6+1 fire damage (from the weapon itself, plus whatever else you get to add on) in that case. What about +1 frost battle poi or something? RAW I guess it's possible (and every Magus under the sun runs about with flaming, frost, shock weapons, so I guess there's precedent for mixing and matching energy types, even when it seems illogical to do so...).
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Would Inspire Courage add to the damage?
An Inquisitor's Judgment?
Weapon Specialization: Battle Poi? Weapon Training?
Favored Enemy bonuses? Smite Evil?
Two-Weapon Rend?
Yes, to all.
And I still see no reason by the rules that Strength wouldn't add in.
+3 Unholy Keen Elf Bane Poi
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It's the bit about the weight of the poi being insufficient to deal physical damage which I'm mainly interested in, I guess. Is the Strength modifier technically always 'physical damage'?
I suppose there's three main possibilities:
1. Just add everything in as usual - high Strength boosts the battle poi's fire damage: just shrug and stop poking the game logic...
2. No physical damage means no purely physical damage bonuses... what would qualify as such would be up for debate, but one imagines Strength modifiers and Power Attack as being purely physical, at the very least.
3. The weight of the poi inflicts no base damage, but extra 'physical' damage is still added on. Such damage probably shouldn't be fire damage (even though that's all the weapon description gives us to work with...) but perhaps bludgeoning damage or something? This one is getting into house rules territory, of course. It also opens up the possibility of killing an enemy by Power Attacking with a feather or silk handkerchief or wet noodle or something equally silly...
I suspect that mplindustries is right that RAW the whole 'no physical damage' bit should probably just be ignored as fluff explaining why the weapon's damage type is 'fire' - so option 1 would be 'RAW'... but it does seem really strange... maybe a stronger guy can twirl the poi faster, and the extra air-flow increases the intensity of the fire? Yes... that must be it... ;)
Obviously a "battle" poi would have suffucient weight, much like a war-yo-yo.
Welcome to 2018, people from 2012!
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I'm surprised of the lack of mention of the best use for a battle poi: wiping out entire villages at once.
The Ifrit feat Blistering weapons allows you to deal "the weapon's fire damage" to anybody you feint.
1d4+enhancement+specialization+(1d6 flaming)+(str??) can kill quite a few commoners.
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Add Burn It Down![with 4 goblin friends] and Burn! Burn! Burn! for an additional 1d4+4 fire damage for 1d6 + 2d4 + enhancement + specialization + 4: I'm pretty sure no str.
PS: Ifrit + Mostly Human + racial heritage [goblin] allows access to both ifrit and goblin feats. ;)
PPS: add Fire Hand if you want an additional +1 to hit.
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The Distracting Cloak equipment trick allows you to feint everybody that can see you.
The Ifrit feat Blistering weapons allows you to deal "the weapon's fire damage" to anybody you feint.
Oh, come on.
Theoretically, you could use a cloak of immolation, tank the self-damage with an Ifrit's fire resist, and use improvised weapon feats.
Personally, it's cheese but not game-breaking cheese, so it's good for laughing at your own cleverness but not a whole lot else. Why not allow it?
Your foes flinch from the heat of your weapon, giving you an opportunity to slip past their defenses.
Prerequisites: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Ifrit.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on feint checks made while wielding a weapon that deals fire damage.
Compare the result of your Bluff check against the feint DC of each opponent that can see you. You can attempt a Stealth check to hide from any opponent that you successfully feint against in this manner, even if that opponent is observing you. If you do not have cover or concealment against any of these targets at the start of each of their turns, they automatically spot you at that time.
You need to 'attempt a Bluff check to feint' before you can use the Distracting Cloak effect, which means that you don't use the cape to feint. The cape is used to modify the effect of your normal feint, it is not used to actually feint.
So you'd apply any bonus to feint granted by your weapon, such as Distracting, Dueling or Deceptive. But this also means that if you are unable to feint, as from lacking an enemy within your melee range, then you can't use the Distracting Cloak effect.
TL;DR: You are using the Battle Poi to feint, so Blistering Feint would trigger with Distracting Cloak.
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As for viability. A build centered around this has some glaring weaknesses, and will hit a brick wall sooner or later.
1) Resistance/Immunity to fire
You encounter a Fire Elemental. Good luck.
While DR can be overcome by silver/adamantine/weapon enhancement bonus/etc, there is no such thing for the Battle Poi.
2) Enemies lacking an intelligence score.
Unless you're a lv 10 Mesmerist with the Greater Mesmerizing Feint feat, then (as far as I'm aware) it's impossible to feint against mindless creatures.
So, this means that you're worthless against:
Constructs, Oozes, many Plants, many Undead and Vermin.