One of my player talked to me about a way to boost his monk: Using an allying weapon to improve his unarmed strikes.
RAW, it seems to work, but I don't want to overlook something.
With quick calculation, it's pretty neat: To gain a +5 equivalent bonus on his unarmed strikes (the AoMF cap), you make 53k of benefits.
- +5 Allying weapon: 72k
- AoMF alone: 125K
Now come 3 things I'm note totally sure to understand:
1. Can you give your special abilities (virtual enchantment bonus as flaming) to someone else with Allying ?
My player think so, but I don't. I'd like to confirm this.
2. Can you still gain benefits from special abilities (flaming, etc...) from an amulet of mighty fists while receiving bonus from an allying weapon on your unarmed strikes ?
I feel it's a yes, but it feels strong.
You don't have to take a +1 on an amulet of mighty fists to take special abilities, and it can go up to +5. Potentially an interesting way to get your +10 weapon in the end. Cost even a little less than a real +10 weapon.
3. What does "at the start of her turn before using her weapon" from the allying special ability means ?
Are you forced to make an attack with your allying weapon to use this ability ? I think so, but I want to confirm.
Thank you!
I believe that the language of when the decision must be made, is only there to ensure that the allying weapon cannot receive the bonus during the same round I. Which another weapon is also receiving it. That is - your Halfling Fighter PC cannot full attack with his +5 allying longsword, and then transfer the weapon's +5 enhancement bonus to his Kobold Barbarian friend's tail blade, so that he had the bonus when he goes next on the initiative order.
Until there is a specific rule against it in this case, there is a general rule (via FAQ response) that you can be considered your own ally. Therefore you can transfer the allying weapon bonus to another weapon of yours. That's great if you have a +5 Allying war hammer, and you are facing something with DR 20/Slashing... You can transfer the bonus over to your Alchemical Silver Battle-ax back up weapon.
But why stop there? Why not get a Barbazu beard and throw the allying property on it. No you can transfer it to anything including two handed weapons without needing QuickDraw feat to switch out the weapons.
Additionally, there is nothing in the rules text of the allying property, that says you must use the allying weapon that round.
That said... The one blip you may run into via RAW, is the fact that the AoMF may not be a valid target. The Allying Special Property says it "allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the weapon's enhancement bonus to one weapon being used by an ally of the wielder."
The amulet of mighty fists is NOT a weapon. It is a wondrous item. That said, "unarmed Strike" is a weapon. It is listed in the table of weapons as such. So you might be able to target the Unarmed Strike, itself.
Now - if the player is just a monk who is unarmed striking and that's it - he's golden. But if he is going for the unarmed strikes + a TON of natural attacks as well... Then I think he is out of luck, BY RAW. He could make the allying weapon affect the Unarmed Strike OR the claw(or slam, or bite, or tentacle... You get the point) but not Both (or all) of them - as the AMULET OF MIGHTY FISTS is not a WEAPON.
I just saw I totally forgot to link the reveling rules.
For reference: Allying weapon
Allying: An allying weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the weapon's enhancement bonus to one weapon being used by an ally of the wielder. The wielder must have line of sight to the intended ally. As a free action, at the start of her turn before using her weapon, the wielder chooses how to allocate her weapon's enhancement bonus. The bonus to the ally's weapon lasts until the allying weapon's wielder's next turn. The enhancement bonus from the allying weapon does not stack with the enhancement bonus on the ally's weapon (if any).
Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, magic weapon; Price +1 bonus.
I believe that the language of when the decision must be made, is only there to ensure that the allying weapon cannot receive the bonus during the same round. [...]Additionally, there is nothing in the rules text of the allying property, that says you must use the allying weapon that round.
I didn't see it like that, and I can understand your view. But I did dig up a little more, and found something that feels like an end point: The FAQ about the defending weapon, which have the same "at the start of her turn before using her weapon" in the description.
We're totally on the same page about the AoMF not being a weapon and on the natural attack stuff, but I'm a bit less convinced about the "unarmed strike" being only one weapon. The unchained monk introduced the idea of kicks, head-butt and stuff, and you can two-weapon fighting with unarmed strikes (Well, that last one does not affect the monk anyway, as he can "TWF" a two-handed weapon).
Sidenote: I answered myself about my point 1 (no, you can't give special abilities, they're not enhanced bonuses). I'm still interested about a confirmation for my second point.
2nd point is a yes, as long as the total amount of bonuses doesn't go over 10 you're good.
Pretty sure the "rule as they now want it to be" is that you'd have to attack with the weapon to transfer it. Because they don't want a generic cheap way to get a +10 weapon without getting a +10 weapon.
Also unarmed strike is all one weapon, regardless of what part of the body you attack with. here is the FAQ that says so.
2nd point is a yes, as long as the total amount of bonuses doesn't go over 10 you're good.
Hmmm... It wouldn't surprise me you're right, but just in case, do you have any rule on that ? (I just began to be interested on that topic)
Also unarmed strike is all one weapon, regardless of what part of the body you attack with. here is the FAQ that says so.
Great catch, thank you. I didn't remember that one.
The FAQ under the one I linked talks about the +10 HARD cap for weapons.
And this situation is similar to someone casting greater magic weapon on somebody's unarmed strikes and they had a flaming AoMF. They'd have both effects.
Ho, I should have take the time to read. Thank you.
I'll be a little greedy and ask what is supposed to be the last question:
Are the enhancement bonuses given after you make an attack roll with the weapon ?
To give an example, I have a monk with a +3 allying cestus and she can make 3 attacks with his FoB.
At the start of her turn, as the allying property indicate, she uses the weapon to give her unarmed strikes the +3 enhancement bonus, and uses her cestus only on the second attack, while her first, and third attack are unarmed attacks.
1. She only gains the +3 bonus on her fourth attack ?
2. She benefits from the +3 on all her unarmed strikes ?
IMHO, the first answer is the right one, but I'm not sure RAW can answer.
You decide where the bonus is going before any attacks and all attacks you make that round are effected by that choice.
So before any attacks you make the +3 to unarmed instead of the cestus. You make any unarmed strikes all with the +3, then whenever you make your cestus attack it has no + on it.
My view:
1) you are your own ally, so you can indeed transfer from one weapon you use to another.
2) Only an enhancement bonus can be transferred, other enhancements (fixed cost or enhancement equivalents) cannot.
3) Most weapon enhancements are USE activated, so your allying weapon must actually be used just as a defending weapon must actually be used.