I have a Monk PC in my party who has Monastic Weaponry and has been using the Kusarigama mostly for reach. All totally fine.
Party just hit 8th level and he took Tangled Forest Stance. Now TFS is a permissive stance, "can make" not "can only make" lashing branch strikes. TFS also has an additional effect.
While you’re in Tangled Forest Stance and can act, every enemy in your reach that tries to move away from you must succeed at a Reflex save, Acrobatics check, or Athletics check against your class DC or be immobilized for that action. If you prefer, you can allow the enemy to move.
My question is: can the PC use his weapon reach to determine if the foe has to make a check to move away? I think RAW yes because there is nothing to say you can't.
I also feel that RAI you are using lashing branch and the expectation is that your unarmed attacks do not have reach.
Thoughts?
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While it is true that your natural reach has not increased, the Tangled Forest Stance doesn't specify that you have to use your natural reach.
Also remember that the character spent an additional class feat in order to be able to use their monk weapons with all of their monk abilities. Preventing the interaction seems a bit punishing. Monastic Weaponry is already a bit lackluster. No need to make it worse.
Now, I wouldn't allow Tangled Forest Stance to interact with things like Lunge or Extending Rune because those only temporarily increase your reach for the duration of the action they are used on.
Reach weapons increase your reach and nothing in Tangled Forest Stance limits it to the attacks from that stance: looks like RAW and RAI that it works at the weapons range. IMO, it it was RAI then it'd be linked to the attack like Tangled Forest Rake is.
Let me ask, would you have an issue if it was an unnamed attack instead of a weapon? For instance with Sterling Dynamo, you can pick up a reach unarmed attack at 4th. Or if the monk takes Effortless Reach and all unarmed attacks gain reach.