What are your guys thoughts on removing the "This ability works only with unarmed strikes, no matter what other abilities you might possess." line? It was my understanding that this was placed in pummeling style to balance it out when you could make a single massive crit. But they have since removed that part but still kept the thing that sort of (not really) balanced it. Keep in mind you would still have to get your attacks to count as unarmed strikes like with Feral Combat Training
Running it by you guys before I ask the GM.
I would be more worried about aesthetic style myself. I am not to date on how well you can combine styles like that... but still, they likely did not want to both release free pounce and to make it a stupidly long feat line (due to the two styles).
But yes, this might be a grandfathered clause for the crit thing they eventually took out. Honestly, when the feat is still great even when you cut it in half, that seems like a problem (since this is unarmed version of cluster shot, and a prerequisite for a pseudo pounce).
Honestly, feral combat training is such a side issue that I can't really imagine them even considering that effect when putting in that line, nor can I imagine them altering it later in favor of FCT.
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It allows pounce and clustered shots. Because Ascetic Style is a thing, you can get that with several different very nice weapons such as the Urumi and sansetsukon. Even Feral combat training lets you use it with Druid/monks with crystal ooze flurries of 7d8 slams.
The limitation is there to stop that from happening, even without the crit feature.
So is it still there because melee clustered shots is too powerful, or they don't want to give pounce on a feat chain?
Both, most likely. Pummeling style is a REALLY good style chain. It was designed as a 'solving the monk problem' style, and it does wonders for unarmed strike builds.
hmmm, do you guys know of any other feat or class ability that can give clustered shots to a melee weapon? Its really all i wanted out of the feat chain
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hmmm, do you guys know of any other feat or class ability that can give clustered shots to a melee weapon? Its really all i wanted out of the feat chain
Nope - Pummeling Style has the limitation for a reason.
Admittedly, melee weapons usually have less of a need for cluster shot. It is great since you don't need to golf bag cold iron/silver stuff (and thus you can keep your nice, shiny enhanced weapon), but you can do without it... unless you use unarmed strikes.
Can't very well have an adamantine fist, now can you? ...ok, I can name my luchador inspired brawler that, but that is a separate issue. Unarmed strikes often suffered from DR severely. So cluster shot was a nice first step in the 'fix unarmed strike' style.
Pounce was another great advantage, of course. That is likely the main reason for the ban on other weapons, besides the dummied out crit stuff (...if you could use a TWF style with a high crit weapon, you could full attack with your whole full attack 94% of the time based off of the original rules; at least at high levels).