Do attacks with claws = unarmed attacks?

[Wiggz]

Specifically addressing the compatibility with the claws granted by any number of Sorcerer bloodlines and the trait Heavy Hitter (shown as RAW below).

Heavy Hitter
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls made with unarmed attacks.

[blackbloodtroll]

No.

If you have the Feral Combat Training feat, then it would apply to the chosen Natural Attack.

[LazarX]

Natural attacks are not unarmed attacks.

[Tarantula]

Attacks with claws are natural attacks, which are not unarmed attacks.

Feral combat would not help, as it lets you apply feats for unarmed to your natural weapons. Heavy hitter is a trait, not a feat.

[blackbloodtroll]

Sorry Tarantula, but Feral Combat Training does more than that.

[Tarantula]

"Benefit: Choose one of your natural weapons. While using the selected natural weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as effects that augment an unarmed strike."

I'm sorry, but where does it say you can apply a trait bonus to it? "effects that augment an unarmed strike" reads to me that spell effects, or other effects that can augment unarmed would apply, but a "trait bonus" is not an "effect". If you think it is, please show me where the rules back that up.

[blackbloodtroll]

So, the bonus provided by the trait, is not an effect?

This means it does not effect unarmed strikes?

Is it augmenting the unarmed strike?

What is it doing to the unarmed strike?

[Tarantula]

I think that spells and magic items have effects. I would not consider a monks unarmed strike bonus damage to be an effect. I would not allow a monk to increase the damage of his natural attacks because he has an "effect" which augments his unarmed strikes. Trait bonuses are no different.

[blackbloodtroll]

I think you might be right on this one.

Seemed to make sense in my head at first though.

[David_Bross]

Tarantula wrote:

"Benefit: Choose one of your natural weapons. While using the selected natural weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as effects that augment an unarmed strike."

I'm sorry, but where does it say you can apply a trait bonus to it? "effects that augment an unarmed strike" reads to me that spell effects, or other effects that can augment unarmed would apply, but a "trait bonus" is not an "effect". If you think it is, please show me where the rules back that up.

You bolded the wrong section

"Benefit: Choose one of your natural weapons. While using the selected natural weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as effects that augment an unarmed strike."

Anything which improves your unarmed strike, will also improve the natural attack specified by feral combat training. See effect under any dictionary, as anything which "effects" your unarmed strike, will similarly "effect" named natural weapon.

[blackbloodtroll]

That's what I was figuring.

The thing is, as I asked before, is if the bonus from the trait is considered an effect that augments the unarmed strike.

[David_Bross]

The trait bonus to your unarmed strike is an effect augmenting ... unarmed strike . So yes.

[blackbloodtroll]

Hmm.

The trait itself is not an effect, but it creates an effect, that augments the unarmed strike.

This is why it works.

I knew I was right the first time, I just forgot why.