Unarmed Maneuver


Rules Questions

Scarab Sages

The facts:
Ok there are official ruling for using Weapon Finesse for CMB and they state that you can only apply it to maneuver in which you are actually using the weapon, usually Trip, Disarm and Sunder but there are exception like the Polearm master that can use the a Polearm for Bull-rush and a feat that allows a whip to Reposition and another that allows to Grapple and suches...
Also, Unarmed Strike are considered light weapon and are Weapon Finessable and a monk may do unarmed strike with any parts of his body, not just his hands.

The issue:
My friends claims that since his Monk is using his body for all combat maneuver he should be allowed to use his Dex on all combat maneuver.

Do you agree with him?


Two things
1. There's a feat specifically to use dex for CMB
2. WF would work only on maneuvers that the unarmed strike is actualy used as a weapon to make the attack.


No, it's the strange disconnect that maneuvers not using a weapon are basically not using anything at all. That's why there's brawling enhancement for weapons, the agile maneuvers feat, and other such things to get around that.


I think there is overlap, actually.

1) In the case of maneuvers that use a weapon, the unarmed strike is a weapon, and weapon finesse applies - so dissarm, trip, etc. would work off Weapon Finesse.

2) In the case of grappling, or other maneuvers where no normal weapon grapples, Agile Maneuvers is applied instead if you want dexterity to this instead of strength. But as Agile Maneuvers applies to ALL maneuvers, you can also apply it to dissarm and trip, and other maneuvers that use a weapon.

In short, no he can't use it all ALL maneuvers, but I think you can let him use it on some of them. If he wants all maneuvers covered, though, he needs Agile Maneuvers.

In the suggested changes for the monk I'm working through, I let the monk use wisdom bonus for their attack and CMB rather than strength for maneuvers and monk weapons (including the unarmed strike).

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