Jistkan Artificer Golem Arm


Rules Questions


What is this thing? Within the same sentence it references it as a weapon, bit then says to treat it as unarmed.

Golem Arm (Ex):
A Jistkan artificer begins play with a golem arm grafted in place of one of his arms. The golem arm is a masterwork weapon that is treated as an unarmed strike and deals damage as if he were a monk 2 levels lower than his class level (minimum 1st level). The golem arm is made from basic parts and mundane materials that grant no additional benefits. A Jistkan artificer can recreate his golem arm from other materials by spending 1 day and paying an additional +50% of the normal cost of the special material used in the creation of this new golem arm. For the purposes of determining the weapon type and weight for special materials, the golem arm is treated as a heavy mace. If a Jistkan artificer recreates his golem arm, any previously used special materials are destroyed. The arm gains no benefits from items that enhance unarmed strikes, such as an amulet of mighty fists...

I want to know if this could be used with things like Magic Weapon, Devion's Parry, or even Blade Lash (all of which require a weapon.)


I'd say it counts as both a manufactured weapon and an unarmed strike - whichever is more beneficial to the Magus - just like a Monk.

The Empowered Arm feature calls it a magic weapon. The Unarmed Spellstrike feature and Flurrying Arm Arcana call it an Unarmed Strike.


My take: For things that affect a weapon, it's a weapon. For things that affect an attack, it's an unarmed strike. Magic Weapon and Blade Lash target a weapon and thus work fine.

Devion's Parry is a bit of a gray area, not the least because of the lack of a definition of "wield", but I'd say it doesn't work - you don't make weapon attacks with the arm, you make unarmed strikes, and thus you'd parry with an unarmed strike rather than with a weapon, too.

The changes to arcane pool are very ill thought-out, and the ki pool enchantment really should just enhance the arm. I think very strict RAW you'd actually have to waste a +1 of it even if your robo-arm has a +1 on it, because "a creature's unarmed strike is its entire body", and your entire body doesn't have a +1. I'd waive that as an example of inadequate editing.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Jistkan Artificer Golem Arm All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Rules Questions