Animal Companion and IUS?

[Felix Gaunt]

I've heard a few times that Animal Companions (regardless of intelligence) can't wield weapons in PFS, and looking at the FAQ I believe it's due to this sentence "Animal companions of any type may not use manufactured weapons." So my questions is if my AC is smart enough (i.e. above the default Intelligence) would it be able to learn IUS and from there something like Feral Combat Training? It's most definitely not a manufactured weapon.

[Bbauzh ap Aghauzh]

That is one of my greatest laments, that Improved Unarmed Strike is not disallowed explicitly from Animal Companions.

Ok, perhaps calling it one of my greatest laments might be a bit strong...

But I think it absolutely silly that some of us think it is perfectly within common sense and reason to teach an animal to use an attack form that is completely alien to them. I mean its like asking a horse to headbutt you instead of hoof and bite. Animals have natural attacks, and its natural for them to use those attacks.

To teach an animal to box (unless you are a kangaroo) seems silly to me.

And then you get guys who have mounts that take Improved Unarmed Strike so they can take Dragon Style, so they can charge through allies and over difficult terrain.

I think its silly that an animal can learn kung fu.

But sure, if that floats your boat, there are no rules that say you can't.

[Felix Gaunt]

How about having an ape learn monkey style! :-P

I don't have any grand plans to use it, was just curious. I don't think people read the faq since I've seen people with club wielding apes. Which actually makes more sense to me than your dragon style example, which I agree is a bit ridiculous.

[Robert Matthews 166]

Animal companionsis can only take the feats listed under the animal companion section as per the AC rules. They are not allowed to take any other feats. There are feats in animal archve that they are allowed to take as well but that's it.

[Bbauzh ap Aghauzh]

nice... chuckle... ;b

I wonder what a Boar using Boar Style would look like.

[Bbauzh ap Aghauzh]

Robert Matthews 166 wrote:

Animal companionsis can only take the feats listed under the animal companion section as per the AC rules. They are not allowed to take any other feats.

Not true.

If at 4th level they take their extra stat bump and add it to Int and get an Int of 3 or better, they can take any feats that they qualify for.

[Quandary]

There is indeed the question whether non-humanoid/fey/outsider/monstrous-humanoid types can even possibly make UAS attacks,
based on bestiary description of UAS under Natural Attack heading, which even makes it dubious whether UAS is available to those types if they DO have natural weapons, e.g. Tengu... although class/alt-racial/other abilities that ADD natural weapons to a character don't have anything suggesting they take away pre-existing abilities... I would say that Monk always lets you use punches/kicks/elbows/knees to make UAS though (if you have those body parts, obviously), even if you normally didn't have access to UAS (e.g. Tengu or Outsider with Slam Natural Attacks, etc).

but regardless of that, the IUS feat doesn't seem to have any pre-req of actually having/being able to use UAS attacks,
so per RAW it's legit to take (at minimum, to qualify for other things, even if the animal can't make UAS attacks)

[James T Boyd]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cfMzamIWXA