So I've got some questions about the rock throwing revelation from the oracle's stone mystery.
Here's the ability as presented in the Advanced Player's Guide:
Rock Throwing (Ex): You are an accomplished rock thrower and have a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown rocks. You can hurl rocks up to two categories smaller than your own size. The range increment for a rock is 20 feet, and you can hurl it up to 5 range increments. Damage for a hurled rock is 2d4 for a Medium creature or 2d3 for a Small creature, plus 1-1/2 your Strength bonus.
So this ability seems unfinished - actually, a lot of revelations do (moonlight bridge, looking at you). My questions about this one in particular are:
1.) What kind of thrown weapon is the rock? One-handed or two-handed? The language regarding adding x1.5 your Strength bonus to damage seem to suggest two-handed, though thrown weapons in general only apply your standard Strength bonus, regardless of handedness.
Daggers, clubs, shortspears, spears, darts, javelins, throwing axes, light hammers, tridents, shuriken, and nets are thrown weapons. The wielder applies his Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons (except for splash weapons). It is possible to throw a weapon that isn't designed to be thrown (that is, a melee weapon that doesn't have a numeric entry in the Range column on Table: Weapons), and a character who does so takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll. Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.
If it's a two-handed weapon, that means that throwing it takes a full-round action, which is a bit silly. Can we assume that it's a one-handed weapon, then, since (Ex) abilities take a standard action by default?
2.) How much does each rock weigh?
3.) Since a rock is an improvised weapon, can I assume that I take a -4 nonproficiency penalty on the attack roll? Giants are proficient with thrown rocks, but that's because the Bestiary includes specific language granting a monster proficiency with any weapons listed in their Bestiary entry.
Take a look at the Ancient Gravedigger in the PRD (Monster Codex), I don't recall the particulars but it may shed some light. It's a ghoul stone oracle.
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Since the ability is unclear, the best thing to do is get a ruling from your GM.
This is how I would rule it:
For rules interpretations, specific trumps general. The rock throwing revelation supersedes the thrown weapon rules found in the Core Rulebook.
1.) Two size categories smaller would be "tiny" if a Human were throwing the rock. A rat is "tiny," so the rock is probably no bigger than a softball. It is a one-handed weapon that gets 1.5x STR to damage due to a class feature.
2.) A men's competition shot put weighs 16.01 pounds (7.260 kilograms). I am comfortable with the stone oracle's rocks weighing between 5 and 15 pounds.
3.) A class feature should never assume a penalty that isn't explicitly stated. You do not take a -4 penalty.
Once again, please ask your GM for a ruling. Good luck!
It obviously derives from the universal monster ability rock throwing:
This creature is an accomplished rock thrower and has a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown rocks. A creature can hurl rocks up to two categories smaller than its size; for example, a Large hill giant can hurl Small rocks. A “rock” is any large, bulky, and relatively regularly shaped object made of any material with a hardness of at least 5. The creature can hurl the rock up to five range increments. The size of the range increment varies with the creature. Damage from a thrown rock is generally twice the creature’s base slam damage plus 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus.
Looking at the examples, giants not only don't need to use the rules for throwing two-handed weapons, they can get iterative attacks with thrown rocks if they have quick draw (and not if they don't).
Take a look at the Ancient Gravedigger in the PRD (Monster Codex), I don't recall the particulars but it may shed some light. It's a ghoul stone oracle.
Wow - great find. This entry answers the two most important questions with a RAW source. Evidently, there is no non-proficiency penalty and the rock is a one-handed weapon (since the ghoul is making iterative attacks with rocks).