Feats which improve my natural weapons? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Feats which improve my natural weapons? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
celestialkin
12-03-07, 12:04 AM Hey guys,

Are there any feats which will improve my natural weapons?

My half-minotaur already has the Improved Natural Attack feat (MM p.304).

The only other feats I could find were feats which gives a natural weapon an alignment, and a feat which gives a natural weapon only 1 point of vile damage (BovD). I have no real use for an alignment for his gore attack, and he is not evil so vile damage is not something he needs. Plus, the vile damage is only one point, since it is meant to be something used against characters.

Are there any other feats out there which will help damage wise? Or maybe help hitting wise? Or maybe help in some other way?

Also, is it possible to take the Improved Natural Attack feat multiple times?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Tordak
12-03-07, 02:55 PM This is not gonna help much in regard to building up, but you cannot take INW feat more than once. As a general rule, you cannot take feats more than once unless it says in the feat that it can be taken multiple times (that's why some feats have that 'special' section).
MightyPotamus
12-03-07, 03:46 PM Maybe I'm seeing this a little too simplistically, but what about weapon focus(gore)?
celestialkin
12-03-07, 05:04 PM Maybe I'm seeing this a little too simplistically, but what about weapon focus(gore)?

How completely stupid of me. :blush:

This is the first time I have played a melee character in years (and it's just a cohort), so I am not at all familiar with anything fighter.

Just a few questions if you do not mind:
Can you take Weapon Focus on a natural attack?
Is only a +1 to attacks, and a +2 to damage worth two whole feats (Weapon Focus, and Weapon Specialization)?

Thank you all for helping me again. You guys on these forums are always very helpful to me!
wonlee76
12-04-07, 02:07 PM Okay, just to be clear since you might not be up to snuff on the rules regarding natural weapons combined with manufactured weapons... (You may already be familiar with these rules, I'm just playing it safe since you mentioned its been years since you played a Melee PC).

You can take 1 extra attack with a minotaur's gore/horns in addition to his regular melee weapon attacks as part of a full attack action. You do not get multiple attacks with the gore even if the minotaur has a high enough BAB to get multiple attacks. The natural attack is considered a secondary attack. As such, you suffer a -5 penalty to hit with the gore attack and only get 1/2 your strength modifier to damage with your gore attack.

Example:
Minotaur with an Attack Bonus of +10/+5 with a Greataxe in two hands would have an attack routine of: +10/+5 with his greataxe and a +5 for his Gore attack.

Improved Natural Attack will bump up the damage on your gore. I believe the increase is from 1d8 to 2d6 so an average damage increase of 2.5 damage on average.

Multiattack feat (MM) will reduce the penalty to hit with your gore to -2 instead of -5.

Weapon Focus/Spec/Melee Weapon Mastery will work on natural attacks. As a suggestion to "maximize" the benefits of MWM, have the damage type of your primary weapon be the same damage type of the gore (which I think is Piercing or Pierce/Bludgeon). MWM is in PHB II in case you're wondering.

Since this is a cohort for your PC, what class is your PC because depending on your class, there are additional options that may be available to you to improve your cohort's damage potential (Greater Magic Fang, greater magic weapon, heroism, rage, bardic song, etc. etc. etc.).
celestialkin
12-04-07, 02:30 PM Okay, just to be clear since you might not be up to snuff on the rules regarding natural weapons combined with manufactured weapons... (You may already be familiar with these rules, I'm just playing it safe since you mentioned its been years since you played a Melee PC).

You can take 1 extra attack with a minotaur's gore/horns in addition to his regular melee weapon attacks as part of a full attack action. You do not get multiple attacks with the gore even if the minotaur has a high enough BAB to get multiple attacks. The natural attack is considered a secondary attack. As such, you suffer a -5 penalty to hit with the gore attack and only get 1/2 your strength modifier to damage with your gore attack.

Example:
Minotaur with an Attack Bonus of +10/+5 with a Greataxe in two hands would have an attack routine of: +10/+5 with his greataxe and a +5 for his Gore attack.

Improved Natural Attack will bump up the damage on your gore. I believe the increase is from 1d8 to 2d6 so an average damage increase of 2.5 damage on average.

Multiattack feat (MM) will reduce the penalty to hit with your gore to -2 instead of -5.

Weapon Focus/Spec/Melee Weapon Mastery will work on natural attacks. As a suggestion to "maximize" the benefits of MWM, have the damage type of your primary weapon be the same damage type of the gore (which I think is Piercing or Pierce/Bludgeon). MWM is in PHB II in case you're wondering.

Since this is a cohort for your PC, what class is your PC because depending on your class, there are additional options that may be available to you to improve your cohort's damage potential (Greater Magic Fang, greater magic weapon, heroism, rage, bardic song, etc. etc. etc.).

Thank you for the advice!

My main PC is a Psion, so I do not think there is much I can do boost him in combat.

Anyways, his main purpose is too keep the enemies away from my manifester PC while he does his stuff. Therefore, I really do not want to spend precious rounds improving my cohort.
Wih
12-04-07, 09:56 PM Weapon Focus would normally be decent, but it's only +1 attack OR +1 damage since a natural weapon is only counted as one handed for power attack. Weapon Specialization needs Fighter 4, but if he's a 4th level fighter you may as well pick up Peircing Weapon Mastery aswell (PHBII)
Multi-attack can only be picked up if you have 3 or more natural attacks - but if you do, it's well worth taking (as is Improved Multiattack, which removes the penalty altogether).
As for items, there's a magic item from Savage Species called a Necklace of Natural Attacks - imbue it with the Wounding property and your Gore will also do a point of CON damage with every hit. There may be more goodness from Savage Species, but I can't recall and don't have it on me.
Apart from that, most of the other goodies for Natural Attacks are from specific classes and/or Exalted or Vile feats.
From memory there was a Faerun PrC focusing around a natural attack of your choice, Thayan Gladiator IIRC, giving you focus, INA, and your NA becoming treated as Magic, Adamantine etc.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
celestialkin 12-03-07, 12:04 AM	Hey guys, Are there any feats which will improve my natural weapons? My half-minotaur already has the Improved Natural Attack feat (MM p.304). The only other feats I could find were feats which gives a natural weapon an alignment, and a feat which gives a natural weapon only 1 point of vile damage (BovD). I have no real use for an alignment for his gore attack, and he is not evil so vile damage is not something he needs. Plus, the vile damage is only one point, since it is meant to be something used against characters. Are there any other feats out there which will help damage wise? Or maybe help hitting wise? Or maybe help in some other way? Also, is it possible to take the Improved Natural Attack feat multiple times? Thanks in advance for any help!
Tordak 12-03-07, 02:55 PM	This is not gonna help much in regard to building up, but you cannot take INW feat more than once. As a general rule, you cannot take feats more than once unless it says in the feat that it can be taken multiple times (that's why some feats have that 'special' section).
MightyPotamus 12-03-07, 03:46 PM	Maybe I'm seeing this a little too simplistically, but what about weapon focus(gore)?
celestialkin 12-03-07, 05:04 PM	Maybe I'm seeing this a little too simplistically, but what about weapon focus(gore)? How completely stupid of me. :blush: This is the first time I have played a melee character in years (and it's just a cohort), so I am not at all familiar with anything fighter. Just a few questions if you do not mind: Can you take Weapon Focus on a natural attack? Is only a +1 to attacks, and a +2 to damage worth two whole feats (Weapon Focus, and Weapon Specialization)? Thank you all for helping me again. You guys on these forums are always very helpful to me!
wonlee76 12-04-07, 02:07 PM	Okay, just to be clear since you might not be up to snuff on the rules regarding natural weapons combined with manufactured weapons... (You may already be familiar with these rules, I'm just playing it safe since you mentioned its been years since you played a Melee PC). You can take 1 extra attack with a minotaur's gore/horns in addition to his regular melee weapon attacks as part of a full attack action. You do not get multiple attacks with the gore even if the minotaur has a high enough BAB to get multiple attacks. The natural attack is considered a secondary attack. As such, you suffer a -5 penalty to hit with the gore attack and only get 1/2 your strength modifier to damage with your gore attack. Example: Minotaur with an Attack Bonus of +10/+5 with a Greataxe in two hands would have an attack routine of: +10/+5 with his greataxe and a +5 for his Gore attack. Improved Natural Attack will bump up the damage on your gore. I believe the increase is from 1d8 to 2d6 so an average damage increase of 2.5 damage on average. Multiattack feat (MM) will reduce the penalty to hit with your gore to -2 instead of -5. Weapon Focus/Spec/Melee Weapon Mastery will work on natural attacks. As a suggestion to "maximize" the benefits of MWM, have the damage type of your primary weapon be the same damage type of the gore (which I think is Piercing or Pierce/Bludgeon). MWM is in PHB II in case you're wondering. Since this is a cohort for your PC, what class is your PC because depending on your class, there are additional options that may be available to you to improve your cohort's damage potential (Greater Magic Fang, greater magic weapon, heroism, rage, bardic song, etc. etc. etc.).
celestialkin 12-04-07, 02:30 PM	Okay, just to be clear since you might not be up to snuff on the rules regarding natural weapons combined with manufactured weapons... (You may already be familiar with these rules, I'm just playing it safe since you mentioned its been years since you played a Melee PC). You can take 1 extra attack with a minotaur's gore/horns in addition to his regular melee weapon attacks as part of a full attack action. You do not get multiple attacks with the gore even if the minotaur has a high enough BAB to get multiple attacks. The natural attack is considered a secondary attack. As such, you suffer a -5 penalty to hit with the gore attack and only get 1/2 your strength modifier to damage with your gore attack. Example: Minotaur with an Attack Bonus of +10/+5 with a Greataxe in two hands would have an attack routine of: +10/+5 with his greataxe and a +5 for his Gore attack. Improved Natural Attack will bump up the damage on your gore. I believe the increase is from 1d8 to 2d6 so an average damage increase of 2.5 damage on average. Multiattack feat (MM) will reduce the penalty to hit with your gore to -2 instead of -5. Weapon Focus/Spec/Melee Weapon Mastery will work on natural attacks. As a suggestion to "maximize" the benefits of MWM, have the damage type of your primary weapon be the same damage type of the gore (which I think is Piercing or Pierce/Bludgeon). MWM is in PHB II in case you're wondering. Since this is a cohort for your PC, what class is your PC because depending on your class, there are additional options that may be available to you to improve your cohort's damage potential (Greater Magic Fang, greater magic weapon, heroism, rage, bardic song, etc. etc. etc.). Thank you for the advice! My main PC is a Psion, so I do not think there is much I can do boost him in combat. Anyways, his main purpose is too keep the enemies away from my manifester PC while he does his stuff. Therefore, I really do not want to spend precious rounds improving my cohort.
Wih 12-04-07, 09:56 PM	Weapon Focus would normally be decent, but it's only +1 attack OR +1 damage since a natural weapon is only counted as one handed for power attack. Weapon Specialization needs Fighter 4, but if he's a 4th level fighter you may as well pick up Peircing Weapon Mastery aswell (PHBII) Multi-attack can only be picked up if you have 3 or more natural attacks - but if you do, it's well worth taking (as is Improved Multiattack, which removes the penalty altogether). As for items, there's a magic item from Savage Species called a Necklace of Natural Attacks - imbue it with the Wounding property and your Gore will also do a point of CON damage with every hit. There may be more goodness from Savage Species, but I can't recall and don't have it on me. Apart from that, most of the other goodies for Natural Attacks are from specific classes and/or Exalted or Vile feats. From memory there was a Faerun PrC focusing around a natural attack of your choice, Thayan Gladiator IIRC, giving you focus, INA, and your NA becoming treated as Magic, Adamantine etc.