Feral Combat Training: How Many Claws?

[Mergy]

I've been looking at Feral Combat Training lately, and I'm beginning to think a lot of people (me included) have been reading it incorrectly.

Feral Combat Training (Combat):

You were taught a style of martial arts that relies on the natural weapons from your racial ability or class feature.
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus with selected natural weapon.
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.
Special: If you are a monk, you can use the selected natural weapon with your flurry of blows class feature.

At first glance, I was under the impression that a character with claws could apply this to both claws, but it doesn't say 'one type' it says 'one weapon'. A similar ability is the summoner's reach evolution:

Reach (Ex): :

One of an eidolon's attacks is capable of striking at foes at a distance. Pick one attack. The eidolon's reach with that attack increases by 5 feet.

The FAQ on that one clarified that it applies to only one of the eidolon's attacks, not an attack type. Therefore:

Question: If my character has two claw attacks and takes Feral Combat Training, does it apply to both claws? What if my character has four claws? Twenty claws?

[Asgetrion]

Yeah, I think so. If I understand the feat correctly, you could even use Stunning Fist and similar abilities with your regular claw attacks.

[Sir Culer]

Use Martial Versatility and it applies to all your natural attacks.

[Lord_Malkov]

Well... you see the same language of "the seleceted weapon" in feats like weapon specialization. So I would have to assume it works like that feat.

This is backed up in a way by the way that improved natural attack works. Any other functionality would be singular to FCT.

[Mergy]

It's obviously not singular to FCT, because the reach revolution has the same language. I think it would apply to only one claw as written.

[Atarlost]

If you're using eidolons as a precedent you're making a mistake. They're such a mass of unexplained special cases they really aren't part of the same rule set.

Weapon Focus is the correct precedent. If you take weapon focus dagger you can use it on two daggers. If you take quickdraw and the TWF tree you can use it on up to seven daggers. And then a completely different set of seven daggers the next round.

References to specific weapons in feats are never to an instance of a weapon but to a weapon type.

[Mergy]

All we have for precedents are FAQs. The two abilities both describe natural attacks, and use the same language. I don't think it's a stretch, but I would be happy to have more than only my own FAQ on it.

[pauljathome]

I think that it should apply to both claws. Suggesting otherwise is probably parsing wording too precisely.

This is especially true since "unarmed strike" is one thing despite representing punches, kicks head butts, etc.

That said, I agree its unclear and clicked the FAQ button:-)

[Alexander Augunas]

Its not unclear at all because the language is totally different.

Feral Combat Training 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.

Reach Evolution wrote:

One of an eidolon's attacks is capable of striking at foes at a distance. Pick one attack. The eidolon's reach with that attack increases by 5 feet.

The Feat instructions you to "choose one of your natural weapons." The evolution instructs you to "pick one attack." The difference lies in attack vs. weapon. An attack is an action you make while a weapon is something you wield in order to make an attack. If you pick Feral Combat Training (claws) you receive the feat's benefit on all attacks made with your claw weapon, and since claws come in pairs, it applies to both of them.

[mplindustries]

I don't understand why it matters how many claws it applies to. Isn't the main benefit to allow iteratives (via flurry) with a natural weapon (a T-Rex/Druid Monk, or a White Haired Witch, for example)? If you have lots of natural weapons, flurrying isn't really beneficial.

[Lurk3r]

mplindustries wrote:

I don't understand why it matters how many claws it applies to. Isn't the main benefit to allow iteratives (via flurry) with a natural weapon (a T-Rex/Druid Monk, or a White Haired Witch, for example)? If you have lots of natural weapons, flurrying isn't really beneficial.

Or Brawler fighters who want to use natural attacks.

[Mergy]

It would also allow a character with Dragon Ferocity to deal 1.5x strength on a great number if attacks, if shifted correctly.

[Zwordsman]

also new errata for the ultimate combat (I think) allows you to apply the unarmed strike damage instead of claw. If I am remembering
correctly.Limited usage but great for the specific character builds

http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1g1#v5748eaic9rbe is the eratta