Monk Animals

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The 3.5 FAQ pretty much explains exactly what happens with monk with natural attacks:

Icky, nasty FAQ! We hates it, we does!

OK, not really, but the FAQ causes almost as many problems as it solves ...

So the question you have to ask is the bolded section applicable to a panther. Is a panther normally allowed to make both weapon attacks and natural weapon attacks as part of the same routine?

I would have to say a panther is not normally allowed to make weapon attacks, so it is not allowed to make monk unarmed strikes in addition to natural attacks.

Interesting question. Unfortunately, the FAQ doesn't really have a rules leg to stand on in this case, because *every* creature can make an unarmed strike, and do 1dX+Str non-lethal damage, depending on size, and provoking an AoO. [EDIT: Therefore, by definition, every creature can attack with a non-natural weapon (i.e., a manufactured weapon).]

This isn't generally called out on a creature's stat block because, seriously, why would a panther ever do this (apart from grappling situations, where it can still use its bite damage)?

That doesn't mean, however, that the creature can't do it, just that it is very, very unlikely that it would ever need to.

5 monk unarmed strikes with flurry and 2 claw, 1 bite, and 2 rake attacks. Not something that I would want to deal with.

Note, of course, that you cannot use non-monk weapons while flurrying. The FAQ states that what this means is that you can flurry, and *then* use non-monk weapons (of which natural attacks are one category of many), but I'm pretty sure that that's rubbish.

 

[Anubus]

Thanks guys, these last few posts were actually useful