Can a toad familiar attack?

[Rob C]

The toad familiar doesn't have any natural attacks listed. I'm not sure if there are other creatures like this, but if something doesn't have any attack method listed, can it actually attack? An unarmed strike perhaps?

[Bob Bob Bob]

All creatures can unarmed strike. Most don't because it's worse than whatever natural weapons they possess, but all creatures can do it.

[ryric]

As a Diminutive creature, a toad's unarmed strike would do 1+Str mod, so 1+ -5. This amounts to 1 nonlethal even on a crit.

[Rob C]

I can't find anything in the RAW that says all creatures can unarmed strike. I mean, it makes sense to me and I agree with it, but is there some reference for it?

The closest I have is from the Equipment section: "All characters are proficient with unarmed strikes and any natural weapons possessed by their race."

[Bob Bob Bob]

Unarmed Attacks wrote:

Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except for the following:

Does a toad have a head?

I can't find anything more concrete with a quick search, but at the same time all the rules seem to assume it. Improved Unarmed Strike just says "Without this feat, you are considered unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike, and you can deal only nonlethal damage with such an attack." for the normal line. Without the feat it assumes you can make unarmed strikes. You can't "wield" it in the proper sense, you either have it or you don't, and as quoted, most things have arms, legs, and a head.

[Cayzle]

How about incorporeal creatures? Does my shadowdancer's shadow companion get a head-butt too?

[Imbicatus]

Cayzle wrote:

How about incorporeal creatures? Does my shadowdancer's shadow companion get a head-butt too?

Yes, but they can only use it if they have a ghost touch amulet of mighty fists.

[Rob C]

Cayzle wrote:

How about incorporeal creatures?

Quiet you! You're the reason I'm asking the question :)

[Murdock Mudeater]

Magic touch attacks are also considered armed.

[Devilkiller]

This kind of makes me want to build an Eldritch Guardian with a toad Mauler familiar and Improved Unarmed Strike to get a mansized kung-fu toad. Watch out for his jump kick!

[Murdock Mudeater]

There is a toad animal companion.

[Imbicatus]

Pretty much all Eldritch Guardians with a mauler familiar should take improved unarmed strike and TWF. A familiar shares your BAB, so using unarmed strikes allows it to take iterative attacks, which it couldn't with natural weapons.