What are the Rules for Natural Weapons?
Natural weapons, a fundamental aspect of Pathfinder combat, can be perplexing to understand, especially for new players. What makes a natural weapon unique and how do they work? In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of natural weapons and explore the rules governing them.
What are Natural Weapons?
In the context of Pathfinder, natural weapons refer to weapons that are a natural part of a creature’s body. Examples of natural weapons include claws, teeth, horns, and venom. These weapons are unlike mundane weapons, which require intentional effort to wield, unlike natural weapons, which can be used instinctively. (Source: SRD)
Are Natural Weapons Considered Weapons?
While natural weapons are unlike regular weapons, they are considered weapons in the context of combat rules. This means that, as a creature with a natural weapon, you are free to use it as part of your attacks and gain benefits from it (such as increased damage and additional attack options). This does not apply to simple natural abilities, such as climbing or swimming, as they are not considered as combat capabilities. (Source: SRD)
Natural Weapons and Unarmed Strikes
When it comes to unarmed strikes, natural weapons can work hand-in-hand. If a creature uses its claws to make an unarmed attack, for instance, that counts as a weapon attack for the purposes of magic spells, fighting styles, or other abilities. Similarly, natural weapons can count towards feats and abilities, but this is not automatic – each case must be carefully considered. (Source: SRD)
Dual Wielding and Two-Weapon Fighting
Do natural weapons count as one-hand or two-hand? It depends on the specifics. Natural weapons typically treat as one-hand, but some cases where you’re using multiple weapons from your body (for instance, a pair of venomous fangs)**. Two-weapon fighting applies when you’re attacking with both hands, usually for one-handed weapons; for natural weapons, rules tend to be more lax and require specific abilities.
Here is a table comparing how natural weapons and dual weapons are treated:
| Rule | Natural Weapons | Dual Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| Hand requirement | Typically one-hand, specific abilities may change | Specific to one-handed weapon sets, exceptions exist |
(Source: SRD and Rulebook)
Hunter’s Mark and Natural Weapons
What about Hunter’s Mark, a spell-like ability that allows you to increase your damage output by granting yourself a bonus against your target? Do natural weapons count as target equipment for Hunter’s Mark? The answer lies in the spell’s specifics; it applies to a specific piece of target equipment, not individual target body parts, hence, natural weapons will not* count under normal circumstances. (Source: SRD)
Damage Calculation and Bonuses
How do natural weapons fare when it comes to damage calculation and bonuses? When a natural weapon hitting, it takes your base attack bonus plus the bonus for making the attack with your body as the attack’s BAB (base attack bonus). For feats that scale with BAB, make sure to use the one applied to the natural attack to calculate the bonus (i.e., take BAB as the relevant level**, and then apply). Always refer to the combatants’ specific abilities to better understand how bonuses unfold in a given situation.
In the case of an off-hand attack, BAB still applies, but at half strength (rounding up).
| Rule | NATURAL WEAPONS BAB |
|---|---|
| BASE BONUS | Attacking with your body grants half-BAB |
| BONUS ATTACK BONUS | Use regular BAB when making a separate bonus attack |
(Source: SRD and Rulebook)
Fists Counting as Weapons
Regarding a simple question: can *fists count as natural weapons? This matter can be tricky since there are different interpretations involved; as a general consensus unarmed strikes , without counting as weapons UNLESS an attack rolls is made*. That distinction holds for most other *unarmed abilities too (such as push). For example:
When making an unarmed strike and using a natural *hand, that act constitutes as a weapon. Conversely, using your free form as a *slingshot or other utility isn’t a weapon act for this purpose.
Some may view this as odd behavior; however, given its natural context, allowing punches or kicks to take this status seems logical considering we *use these capabilities, too. *However, specific feats , magical spells, or similar contexts will need individual, manual case-by-case checking (source: SRD).