Wolf Fang Strike + Flurry of blows?

[vociferate]

I have seen discussions on flurry of blows using two monk weapons. But what if someone was using a two handed weapon like a greataxe as the first weapon, and their body (knee, elbow, head, etc) as the second weapon. WFS explicitly says that you can do use an unarmed strike as the second attack.

Do you flurry with both attacks?

If I had a character with:
+13/8
would it turn into:
+8/+8/+4 with weapon
+8/+8/+4 with body

-2 for flurry of blows
-2 for WFS

The character is using the Martial Flurry ability of the Shou Disciple to flurry with any weapon (prc lvl 5).

If this is possible, can anyone recommend a way to up his attack bonus? If he takes 9 levels of monk it would get rid of one of the -2, plus give him another attack from greater flurry. What about feats?

EDIT: Actually, from an RP perspective, taking the deft opportunist feat would make a lot of sense. A fighter wouldn't go blazing into battle with this combo, he would wait until the opponent dropped his defense, and then pounce in with a flurry of flurries!

[Arkhandus]

Can't be done.

For one thing, Wolf Fang Strike is a standard action maneuver. Flurry of Blows is a full-round action.

Secondly, yeah, under other circumstances, you couldn't even flurry while attacking with a greatsword unless you had some feat or class feature specifically granting you the ability to flurry with such a weapon.

Thirdly, the chapter on Blade Magic, page 43 in Tome of Battle, explicitly denies you the use of extra attacks from any other sources (even Haste won't give you an extra attack) when initiating a Strike maneuver; only the maneuver itself determines your number of attacks during its use. Second paragraph, first line. You cannot even gain extra attacks from Boost maneuvers, Stances, or what-have-you while initiating a Strike (so no Dancing Mongoose with your Flashing Sun). Nor can you get Cleave attacks, or use the free attack of the Improved Trip feat, or the extra attacks of opportunity from Combat Reflexes (if you somehow got AoOs during your own turn; and this only applies during the actual execution of the Strike).

However, technically, you can use the off-hand attack from fighting with two weapons or a double weapon, if the Strike maneuver gives you a full-attack such as Flashing Sun or Time Stands Still, but you cannot use extra attacks from feats, such as Improved Two-Weapon Fighting. Those aren't standard full-attack action choices, they're feats granting an effect of one extra attack. However, technically, it can be argued that fighting with two weapons or a double weapon is not actually allowed under 3.5 RAW when using even these particular Strike maneuvers; TWF is listed among the special attacks like grappling and bull rushing in 3.5, even though half its details are right among the full-attack description.

You can fight defensively when given a full-attack by such Strikes as Flashing Sun or Time Stands Still, because that is a standard full-attack action choice.

Fourthly, that same paragraph denies you the use of other special attacks with Strike maneuvers; no flurry of blows, no bull rush, no whirlwind attack, no stunning fist (unless you have the right feat from Tome of Battle and are using a Setting Sun Strike), no sunder, no disarm, no trip, no grapple attempt, no charge, no overrun, no nothing.

Not unless the Strike itself specifically grants you that particular special attack, such as Charging Minotaur giving you a bull rush or Disarming Strike giving you a free disarm attempt or Exorcism of Steel making you attack an opponent's weapon. You can use Power Attack or Stone Power (if using a Stone Dragon Strike, in the case of Stone Power), because of the way they are worded and they way they function. But you cannot use Combat Expertise or Spring Attack, because of the way they are worded and functionk.

Strikes do not give you attack actions or standard attack actions. They just tend to often include an attack as part of their initiation, just as a spell like Inflict Serious Wounds or Ghoul Touch involves making a melee touch attack as part of its casting. Maneuvers are like spells; their initiation action is a distinct action of its own, not a different kind of attack action.

The attack action is a specific type of standard action in D&D, not a general term for any kind of attack; the general term is just to call it an attack; whereas "attack action" is a specific type of standard action described in the rules. Likewise is the "full attack action" a specifically defined type of full-round action, distinct from the other type of full round action to cast a spell or initiate a maneuver.

Note that, although Flashing Sun and Time Stands Still do specifically grant you full attack actions, Pouncing Charge does not; it merely allows you to take a full attack at the end of your charge, instead of a single attack. So, by the RAW, Pouncing Charge cannot be combined with Combat Expertise or anything similar that involves a full attack action, such as fighting defensively. Strange but true, it's all in the wording. Regardless, Flashing Sun and Time Stands Still remain unusable with flurry of blows or other special attacks, because they still follow the general Strike maneuver restrictions.

[akbearfoot]

Arkhandus, I started BvS from your link when u were S1 lv 52. Hurry up and loop!