Gauntlets, only lethal damage or both?

[Hama]

Can you do nonlethal damage while wielding gauntlets and being in possession of the Improved unarmed strike feat?
Or, are you limited to dealing only lethal damage?

[Brotato]

This scenario came up with one of my players prepping for Rise of the Runelords. I honestly have no RAW to back up my decision, as it's incredibly vague. I did decide that you can only deal lethal damage with a gauntlet. However, since UAS is not limited to just fists, the character in question (a monk) could deal nonlethal with other parts of his body.

In the end this ruling does make it harder to deal nonlethal to creatures with DR, but I couldn't see any reason to justify allowing a gauntlet, which is there to change a person's damage from nonlethal to lethal, could deal nonlethal without penalty.

YMMV, and someone may have more info that invalidates my stance.

[Happler]

From the Core book in combat under Nonlethal damage:

Quote:

Nonlethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Lethal Damage: You can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll.

gauntlets are weapons that do lethal damage, thus you can do non-lethal damage with them, at a -4 to hit.

You can, of course, also attack without the gauntlets (kick them for example), and do nonlethal, but you would gain none of the benefits that you may have on the gauntlets (for example magic enhancements, etc) or feats that require the gauntlets (improved critical - gauntlets).

[Godwyn]

Happler wrote:

From the Core book in combat under Nonlethal damage:

Quote:

Nonlethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Lethal Damage: You can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll.

gauntlets are weapons that do lethal damage, thus you can do non-lethal damage with them, at a -4 to hit.

You can, of course, also attack without the gauntlets (kick them for example), and do nonlethal, but you would gain none of the benefits that you may have on the gauntlets (for example magic enhancements, etc) or feats that require the gauntlets (improved critical - gauntlets).

Or, as is more often the relevant case when using a gauntlet as a weapon, gain the benefit of using a weapon and being armed. Provoke attacks of opportunity, and no taking attacks of opportunity.

[Rickmeister]

What Happler said!

Gauntlet =/= Improved Unarmed Strike