Does Whip Proficiency grant use of ALL whips?

[Rannan]

As a bard I have Whip Proficiency, and I see under the Scorpion Whip if I have Whip Proficiency I can use it. However, does this apply to any other whip type weapons or do I need to invest in more feats to use any other whip weapons?

Additionally, is there a way that I can trip someone and then attack them if I have the feat to provoke an AoO?

[TwoWolves]

Without Exotic WP: Scorpion Whip, you can use it as a whip, meaning non-lethal damage, trip/disarm etc etc.

As for #2, I don't have the books in front of me, but no, with the right feats your trip would provoke anyone else threatening them, but not yourself, if I remember correctly.

[LazarX]

It grants proficiency with the whip.... period. Other forms of whips MAY require other proficiencies as noted in the weapon description.

[blahpers]

1. Nope. Weapon proficiency only counts for a single kind of weapon unless another rule specifically overrides this. The scorpion whip text overrides this behavior and allows you to use it (as a whip, not a scorpion whip) if you have whip proficiency.

2. Yup.

Greater Trip wrote:

You can make free attacks on foes that you knock down.

Prerequisites: Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, base attack bonus +6, Int 13.

Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to trip a foe. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Trip. Whenever you successfully trip an opponent, that opponent provokes attacks of opportunity.

Normal: Creatures do not provoke attacks of opportunity from being tripped.

Combine with Vicious Stomp for more fun. However, remember that you have to threaten the enemy to do this, so you'll need to be within 10 feet and have Improved Whip Mastery.

If you're using a scorpion whip, you already threaten, but only when using it as a scorpion whip--you'd incur the usual -4 nonproficiency penalty to attack when using it in this manner unless you're proficient with scorpion whip.

In general, though, I find it more effective to skip the entire trip feat chain and just make sure I'm out of reach when I trip the opponent, unless I'm specializing in trip specifically and need the CMB check bonuses.

[Rannan]

Well I was going to use whips to do damage (Nine-Section Whip), however, it appears that that will not work without a heavy feat investment. I originally thought about picking up Weapon Focus and then Dazzling Display with the whip, but I'm not sure if there are other feats that will be better for me. I'm really going with a buff/debuff bard for control, while also focusing on skills. My str is 14, dex is 12, and cha is 18. I wanted to use whips to trip and disarm people, especially in front of our Monk or Barbarian so they could attack them, or in the off chance that an enemy was approaching our casters and that our melee wouldn't be able to reach them.

I still have tricks up my sleeves (Grease, caltrops, etc.) but I was really hoping to make trip and disarm viable. It seems like I will have to invest heavily into whip feats or trip/disarm feats to make it worth it.

I mean if I really wanted to make tripping and disarming work with whips, I'm looking at 5 feat. Weapon Focus, Dazzling Display, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Greater Trip at least. Another two if I want to make disarming work. And if I want to use Vicious Stomp I need to invest in Improved Unarmed Strike. Seeing as how we stop at 12 typically, this isn't going to work.

I was going to keep strength up because I thought (hoped) I would be able to use the Nine-Section Whip, but as it stands now I should probably drop my str down and increase my dex and just use a bow. I'm not happy about it, but it's likely the best route to allow me to do some damage and still control the battlefield.

Any suggestions on anything I'm overlooking or overthinking?