Can monk's Sunder with unarmed strikes?

[Skaros]

From the pdf version of the 3.5 SRD (Thanks Reveal):

On Sunder:

You can use a melee attack with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon to strike a weapon or shield that your opponent is
holding. If you’re attempting to sunder a weapon or shield, follow the steps outlined here. (Attacking held objects other than
weapons or shields is covered below.)

On Unarmed Strikes:

Strike, Unarmed: A Medium character deals 1d3 points of nonlethal damage with an unarmed strike. A Small character
deals 1d2 points of nonlethal damage. A monk or any character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat can deal lethal or
nonlethal damage with unarmed strikes, at her option. The damage from an unarmed strike is considered weapon damage for
the purposes of effects that give you a bonus on weapon damage rolls.

Also, an unarmed strike is listed as a bludgeoning weapon in the weapons chart.

So, can a monk sunder weapons with unarmed strikes?

In 3.0, my monk took the eagle claw attack feat, but its been so long since I chose it that I can't remember its effects...my impression was that it was required for monks to sunder while unarmed. Is something like that still required in 3.5?

(Calling all Hypersmurfs, Come in, Hypersmurf...or anyone else)

Skaros

 

[Tellerve]

They have no core rule feat that does what Eagle Claw did, which is like you said, required for unarmed characters to sunder weapons.

It is also a big pet peeve of mine that monks have to take Eagle Claw strike, and one that is Rule 0'ed so that after a monk gets power attack and sunder they can sunder with their bodies.

Tellerve

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Interestingly, the 3.0 Rules and the 3.5 rules never seemed to disallow using unarmed attacks to sunder weapons if you were able to deal lethal damage with it, so the Eagle Claw Attack feat was always completely and utterly useless.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Ki Strike notes that when the Monk's fists gain the Adamantine special quality, that they pick up adamantine's ability to ignore object hardness.

I'd argue that's fair evidence they can Sunder.

 

[Tellerve]

And there was much rejoicing

Tellerve

 

[Number47]

I would not only say that 3.5 monks can sunder, but that they are encouraged to! The ability to ignore hardness makes them weapon-breaking madmen.

 

[MarauderX]

I would not only say that 3.5 monks can sunder, but that they are encouraged to! The ability to ignore hardness makes them weapon-breaking madmen.

Exactly. I have wondered about the Eagle Claw attack, and figured it was more of a rules clarification feat that made it necessary to have before sundering while unarmed. I still think it applies and is necessary to sunder weapons, or at least that's how I will rule it, but I will also add a bit about using only 1/2 of the weapon hardness when trying to sunder without the Adamantine ability to make it a sorta half-way mark for monks.

 

[Caliban]

Originally monks couldn't sunder items barehanded in 3.0 because you had to have a slashing weapon.

Then Sword and Fist came out with Eagle Claw Strike which allowed you to do it.

Then sunder was errata'd so that you could do it with a bludgeoning or slashing weapon, which essentially made Eagle Claw strike useless.

In 3.5, the situation remains the same.

 

[Skaros]

Much thanks everyone.

Caliban...nice summary, as always.

That gives me a solid basis to re-work my earth genasi, high strength monk (8th lvl) for 3.5 now. He had eagle claw, improved sunder from T&B, etc.

My DM was allowing the feat swap options from OA...we'll see if its still necessary, considering the (limited) feat options now built into the PH.

Thanks again,

Skaros

 

[Hypersmurf]

Then sunder was errata'd so that you could do it with a bludgeoning or slashing weapon, which essentially made Eagle Claw strike useless.

It's not useless - if you don't have the feat, you don't get to use the cool name when you break stuff!

Hence my sig

Apart from that, well, yeah, it's useless

-Hyp.