Clarification on Weapon Focus for Unarmed Strikes vs Natural Attacks


Rules Questions

Dark Archive

I was looking through trying to find some clarification on this. I know you need to select a weapon for Weapon focus, but it also states you can select Unarmed Strike as your weapon focus. It gives unarmed strike examples as Fist, knee, foot, elbow, and head. Would this allow you to select Natural weapons as a weapon focus?

My example is a Ratfolk with the feats Sharpclaw, Sharptooth, and a tailblade (Which counts as a natural weapon when used by a ratfolk). Would I have to take weapon focus: claw, weapon focus: bite, and weapon focus: tail blade? Or by the example given with unarmed strike's variant attacks be able to select Weapon Focus: Natural attacks?

I can easily see the arguments for and against it. I ask because by the actual description of unarmed strikes you could officially take an attack with each hand, each foot, and your head in a single round if you had the Base attack bonus.

I think my lack of clarity on this comes from the description of Weapon Focus.
"Choose one type of weapon. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple (or ray, if you are a spellcaster) as your weapon for the purposes of this feat."

Dark Archive

The full build I am looking at is a Vexing Dodger rogue ratfolk with a level of Mouser swashbuckler. I climb anything larger than me as a move action, and while in their square I have flanking with them while my allies are in the next square. While I need to hold on with at least one appendage, I have plenty of other attacks for precision damage on my new ride.

Silver Crusade

It is my understanding that the use of fist, knee, foot and elbow for unarmed strike is only for monks (and later, brawlers). It doesn't mention that in the Unarmed Strike weapon or in the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, only in the class description for monks (and brawlers).

Natural weapons do not work the same way as unarmed strikes or manufactured weapons. You can attack once in a full-attack action with each of your natural weapons. With Unarmed Strike and manufactured weapons, you get attacks as per your base attack bonus, and as modified by two weapon fighting. (Magic not included here.)

You can also get all of your natural attacks with a full-attack using manufactured weapons, but then all of the natural attacks are secondary attacks.

Yes, you have to buy Weapon Focus for each kind of natural attack. Look at the feats for the Dire Lion which has Weapon Focus (Claw).

tl;dr Manufactured weapons, unarmed strikes, and natural weapons are three different categories. Monks (and brawlers) are better at unarmed strikes than others.

Dark Archive

Thank you, I was thinking it would go that way, but I had to ask just to make sure. I Wouldn't want to nerf myself if I can help it, and I have done that in the past.

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