Deadly Simplicity and Monk stances

[kitto]

I'm curious whether or not Deadly Simplicity can increase the hit die size of Monk stances. The description of the feat doesn't seem to have anything to rule this out, as the only stipulation is an if/and clause relating only to those using unarmed attacks with hit die below a d6, but says nothing specific about anyone using unarmed attacks with or above a d6.

I read on reddit someone saying the d4 to d6 increase for a monk's standard unarmed attacks wouldn't stack with any other hit die increase, but the stance attacks don't already have a hit die increase to not stack with, just a standard hit die for the stance itself. Hoping a Paizo rep can weigh in here.

Deadly Simplicity:
"Your deity’s weapon is especially powerful in your hands. When you are wielding your deity’s favored weapon, increase the damage die size of that weapon by one step. If your deity’s favored weapon is an unarmed attack AND its damage die is smaller than d6, instead increase its damage die size to d6."

[HammerJack]

What deity are you following that has a stance strike as their favored weapon? A deity favoring Fist doesn't translate to affecting all unarmed attacks.

If you are reading stance strikes as "modifying your unarmed attack" instead of as providing a separate unarmed attack, you are reading them incorrectly. Fists, claws and the Tiger Claw attack from tiger stance, for example, would be three separate attacks a character could have access to that do not alter each other in any way.

In the hypothetical case that you were playing in a campaign that had a deity whose favored weapon was a stance strike that dealt a D4, then this would apply.

[Taja the Barbarian]

RAW, it does nothing for unarmed strikes that already do 1d6 or better damage, as the specific text for unarmed strike clearly states:

Deadly Simplicity Feat 1 wrote:

Cleric

Source Core Rulebook pg. 121 2.0
Prerequisites deity with a simple or unarmed attack favored weapon, trained with your deity's favored weapon
Your deity’s weapon is especially powerful in your hands. When you are wielding your deity’s favored weapon, increase the damage die size of that weapon by one step. If your deity’s favored weapon is an unarmed attack (such as a fist, if you worship Irori) and its damage die is smaller than d6, instead increase its damage die size to d6.

Unarmed strikes are not weapons, so only the last line comes into play, and it clearly states it only works with unarmed strikes under 1d6.

Chapter 6: Equipment / Weapons / Unarmed Attacks wrote:

Source Core Rulebook pg. 278 2.0

Almost all characters start out trained in unarmed attacks. You can Strike with your fist or another body part, calculating your attack and damage rolls in the same way you would with a weapon. Unarmed attacks can belong to a weapon group (page 280), and they might have weapon traits (page 282). However, unarmed attacks aren’t weapons, and effects and abilities that work with weapons never work with unarmed attacks unless they specifically say so.

Table 6–6: Unarmed Attacks lists the statistics for an unarmed attack with a fist, though you’ll usually use the same statistics for attacks made with any other parts of your body. Certain ancestry feats, class features, and spells give access to special, more powerful unarmed attacks. Details for those unarmed attacks are provided in the abilities that grant them.

If you have an unarmed strike that somehow deals 1d6 or more damage, it gains no benefit from Deadly Simplicity.

[kitto]

Using the example of a Tiger Stance Monk, you are saying that a tiger claw attack cannot be classified as either a claw or a fist?

[HammerJack]

Correct. It is a separate attack from your claw or your fist (or your bite or your tail whip or any other unarmed attack you have).

[kitto]

Word. Man, that's a bummer. Thanks for your responses!