Animal Instinct Barbarian: Berserker's Cloak or Handwraps of Might Blows?

[darktemplar45]

TLDR; Do Hof MB work with Animal Instinct Barbarian unarmed strikes, and if so what's the point of the Berserker's Cloak? I'm basically trying to find a way to apply Potency Runes (at the very least) and Property Runes (at Best) to my Bestial Rage Unarmed Strikes. Or am I overthinking this and should i just shut up and use the handwraps?

Handwraps of Might Blows pg 611:

As you invest these embroidered strips of cloth, you must meditate and slowly wrap them around your hands. These handwraps have weapon runes etched into them to give your unarmed attacks the benefits of those runes, making your unarmed attacks work like magic weapons. For example, +1 striking handwraps of mighty blows would give you a +1 item bonus to attack rolls with your unarmed attacks and increase the damage of your unarmed attacks from one weapon die to two (normally 2d4 instead of 1d4, but if your fists have a different weapon damage die or you have other unarmed attacks, use two of that die size instead).

...[some details about the runes themselves]...

Property runes apply only when they would be applicable to the unarmed attack you’re using. For example, a property that must be applied to a slashing weapon wouldn’t function when you attacked with a fist, but you would gain its benefits if you attacked with a claw or some other slashing unarmed attack.

I first assumed they would work because all the animal instincts have the "Unarmed" Trait, and i don't really see a reason not to. I can tell the Handwraps were designed for Monks. But it doesn't say that it "doesn't" apply to other types of unarmed strikes. I guess they wanted it to be kinda broad to apply to all "fist, punch, kick" type unarmed attacks so it wasn't explicitly attached to the Monk. And there's also that last paragraph mentioning that certain property runes for certain types of weapons (such as slashing) need to be with a similar attack (claws in this case).

But then i found Berserker's Cloak on page 606. Which spells out exactly what i want to do with my Bestial Rage Unarmed Strikes. But it's 12th level item, and starts out with +2 Greater Striking. and the 19th lvl version being +3 Major Striking. I get that it's primary purpose is to give non Animal Instinct Barbarian characters access to similar attacks but 12th lvl seems awfully late to be getting an alternative weapon if u ever find yourself "unarmed". It just seems redundant if you have the Handwraps (assuming they work at all), and the Animal Instinct. It's almost like there needs to be a lvl 4 version that only works for A.I. Barbarians that gives them the +1 Striking. (even the crafting requirements need the crafter to be A.I. Barb)

Berserker's Cloak pg 606:

... If you have an animal instinct (see the barbarian on page 82) and the bestial rage instinct ability, instead of gaining these unarmed attacks, your unarmed attacks from the bestial rage instinct ability gain the benefits of a +2 weapon potency rune and a greater striking rune (granting a +2 item bonus to attack rolls and increasing the weapon damage dice by two).

If the Handwraps don't work with the Bestial Rage unarmed strikes, i'm ok with that with one caveat. If the A.I. Barb has to wait till 12th ish level to get the berserker's cloak, then how do they get the +1 Striking with Bestial Rage Unarmed Strikes?

And If the Handwraps DO work with the Bestial Rage Unarmed Strikes, then what's the point of the Berserker's Cloak? Especially considering you can't apply Property Runes to it, there's never a reason to get it.

[Squiggit]

I don't see any reason why handwraps wouldn't work with bestial rage. It modifies unarmed attacks and animal instinct attacks are definitely unarmed attacks.

[Voss]

The cloak is just a specific item. It doesn't mean handwraps don't work, any more than the existence of the Flametongue longsword means that generic +2 greater striking flaming longswords don't exist.

Handwraps work as written, so affect animal instinct barbarians just like any other unarmed attack.

[Deadmanwalking]

Yeah, the Handwraps work fine.

[darktemplar45]

TY i figured i was over thinking it quite a bit, i guess the cloak is more of "flavor" item