No consensus on how it works.
The issue has been raised before.
The bonus weapon specialization damage from natural weapons, power armor damage dice, and unarmed strike bonus damage are all a question on how they interact with one another.
Unfortunately, the 1.5 weapon specialization is so good that until weapon damage dice really start to jump you're typically better off just relying on weapon specialization damage.
Right, but even at level 10 the bonus damage you get from natural attack weapon spec bonus is so much that even though your damage dice would be behind, it's still better than virtually another other weapon. Even two-handed energy weapons.
The benefit energy weapons have is lower AC target, which shouldn't be overlooked. But it's just kind of lame if you can't combine it with other things.
Insofar as I can tell unarmed strikes and natural attacks are the same thing, it's just that natural attacks tack on a few extra rules mods.
I don't think unarmed melee attacks made with your powered armor interact with either of those though. You choose which one you're using with any given attack.
I'm pretty sure you can let your tail hang out and whack people with that instead of the power armor, but they won't combine.
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Natural weapons are not better than 2 handed weapons. It's the piling on of natural weapons (to remove the archaic property), the ring of fangs bite attack (for 2x level specialization) and improved unarmed strike (to increase damage dice a bit) that beats out real weapons for too long of a stretch.
Also, storm hammers hit KAC, not EAC. A weapon that deals partially kinetic damage is a KAC weapon.
Right, but even at level 10 the bonus damage you get from natural attack weapon spec bonus is so much that even though your damage dice would be behind, it's still better than virtually another other weapon. Even two-handed energy weapons.
The benefit energy weapons have is lower AC target, which shouldn't be overlooked. But it's just kind of lame if you can't combine it with other things.
There's a lot of variation, given all the individual weapons, weapon types, how you value special abilities, etc. What's good for me may not be what someone else is looking for.
But, from a straight damage perspective, at level 6, I'm doing 3d6+10 with a 2h weapon that hits vs EAC (a paramagnetic storm hammer.) At level 6, my natural attack would be 1d3+13. When does that get better? Even if I don't get a weapon early, at level 11 if I take the next best storm hammer, I'm doing 6d6+16 (I decided I'll be wearing Iron Bulwark by then.) Natural attack then is 1d3+21. I could roll all ones on a 6d6 and still do more damage than a max natural attack roll.
So, no, unless I really messed up that math (which is possible. It's early, and it's math) natural attacks aren't better than 2h weapons.
Well, with the ring of fangs (which is probably something I failed to specify in my post) you have double weapon specification damage. That's my bad. I had it in my mind, but didn't specify it. So your natural attack would deal 1d3+12+1.5 * strength at level 6. And potentially be modified by improved unarmed strike or power attack attack or other things.
Natural weapons are not better than 2 handed weapons. It's the piling on of natural weapons (to remove the archaic property), the ring of fangs bite attack (for 2x level specialization) and improved unarmed strike (to increase damage dice a bit) that beats out real weapons for too long of a stretch.
Also, storm hammers hit KAC, not EAC. A weapon that deals partially kinetic damage is a KAC weapon.
Whoops, my bad on the EAC vs KAC business, good catch.
Well, I hadn't included a bunch of stuff in that initial calculation, let me see how it looks.
So... Imp. unarmed strike at level 6 is 1d6, which would be... +12 with ring of fangs, and +4 from str, so 1d6+16 vs 3d6+10? Man, that is super, super close. I guess it would come down to if you value fusions and other stuff more than the slight swing in possible damages,
So level 11 would be 2d6+27 for natural attacks with all the things, vs 6d6+16, which is still a really close average damage output.
So I guess, in the levels between weapon upgrades, unarmed strikes with all the trimmings probably go from better than a weapon to worse than a weapon (based on the levels your damage dice increase)?
Does that seem about right?
That seems about right to me.