Druid in whirlwind form using vine strike; what happens?

[Nimius Fulmen 2]

So I got myself a sylph storm druid which will, once it reaches appropriate level, spend most of his life in elemental body (air elemental).

I wanted to use vine strike, but am uncertain if this would combine with whirlwind. Vine strike should work with unarmed/natural attacks, and whirlwind sure SOUNDS like a natural attack. I asked 2 DM's but neither knew for certain.

Can people clear this up for me?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules /#TOC-Whirlwind-Su-

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/v/vine-strike/

[dragonhunterq]

Whirlwind attack is neither a natural attack nor an unarmed strike. It is an effect of a supernatural ability - much closer to an AoE spell attack.

Whirlwind attack doesn't require an attack roll, doesn't use a limb and it tells you that you can't use your normal attacks.

[Nimius Fulmen 2]

Ok. Then it seems I need to give my druid claws first it I want to use vine strike..

[WagnerSika]

You don't necessarily need claws, air elementals have slam attacks. Vine strike works with them just fine.

[Nimius Fulmen 2]

Air elementals do, but wildshaping into an elemental form works like elemental body. And elemental body doesn't mention I get a slam attack. It only mentions I get the whirlwind ability.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

Nimius Fulmen 2 wrote:

Air elementals do, but wildshaping into an elemental form works like elemental body. And elemental body doesn't mention I get a slam attack. It only mentions I get the whirlwind ability.

Natural attacks come along automatically.

Polymorph rules wrote:

In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks.

[Pizza Lord]

The whirlwind form is not considers an unarmed or natural attack for the spell purposes. Normally it's not going to trigger the vine strike. I'd say in this case, the fact that creatures in whirlwind form can't typically attack means you don't count as doing unarmed or natural damage. If creature did have an ability that said they could still slam creatures trapped in its whirlwind, then that would count.

I would say this is also the case if you were somehow a water elemental and someone was drowning inside you. It wouldn't be a 'natural or unarmed attack'. Or you were a fire elemental and burning someone alive (without using your slam attack).

[Nimius Fulmen 2]

Great! Thank you all for clearing it up.

[Taenia]

So according to the Whirlwind ability

Whirlwind wrote:

Creatures one or more size categories smaller than the whirlwind might take damage when caught in the whirlwind (generally damage equal to the monster's slam attack for a creature of its size) and may be lifted into the air. An affected creature must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + half monster's HD + the monster's Strength modifier) when it comes into contact with the whirlwind ortake damage as if it were hit by the whirlwind creature's slam attack. It must also succeed on a second Reflex save or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful winds, automatically taking the indicated damage each round. A creature that can fly is allowed a Reflex save each round to escape the whirlwind. The creature still takes damage but can leave if the save is successful.

This suggests if they fail the reflex save they take slam damage. Since vine strike increases the damage of natural attacks, then vine strike should work just fine. They just have to fail the reflex save rather than you succeeding on an attack roll.

[supervillan]

There are a number of abilities that deal damage equivalent to a creature's slam attack. Trample for example works this way.

prd wrote:

Targets of a trample take an amount of damage equal to the trampling creature's slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier.

An effect or ability that deals damage equal to a slam or other natural attack is not, ipso facto, a natural attack in itself. Vine Strike explicitly calls out "natural or unarmed" attacks.

So no vine strike whirlwind.

[Taenia]

Those are wording differently.

Trample deals damage.

Whirlwind specifies as if hit by.

So the differences are quite clear.

[Nimius Fulmen 2]

Awesome! :D