Question about TWF

[crazy_monkey1956]

Monks have the capacity to interchange attacks with a two-handed weapon (a quarterstaff) with unarmed attacks.

Is there any reason a non-monk couldn't take TWF and achieve the same effect? What I mean is, say someone wielding a greatsword takes both TWF and Improved Unarmed Strike. Would he be able to attack with the greatsword and also get in a good solid kick (from Improved Unarmed Strike)?

 

[Arkhandus]

Two things. One, I think the normal rules say somewhere that an unarmed strike is generally a punch, but I dunno if that's the case (can't remember), whereas monks have the specific advantage of being able to execute unarmed attacks with any part of their body.

Two, while a non-monk can probably do what you describe, he or she would be suffering the penalties for two-weapon fighting, and the unarmed strike would be an off-hand attack (so only half Strength bonus to damage, and whatnot). Whereas a monk can strike with a quarterstaff two-handed, then headbutt the enemy or kick them or whatever, and he gets his full Strength bonus to damage with the unarmed attack, AND the monk doesn't suffer TWF penalties for doing so (because he can use any body part for unarmed strikes as though it were a normal primary hand attack).

I'm still fuzzy on whether or not a monk can combine TWF with unarmed strikes (frex, to make 3 attacks at 1st-level, two using flurry of blows and one from TWF, though suffering a nasty penalty on the attack rolls), and whether or not he or she specifically has to use monkish weapons to do so (rather than just TWFing with unarmed strikes alone). The wording involved was confusing somehow, as I recall, but I had enough trouble hitting things with my monk, Argus, in For More Than Glory. So I hardly used anything but unarmed strikes with flurry of blows, or just my quarterstaff with TWF and nothing more (this was before I learned that 3.5 monks can use a quarterstaff with flurry of blows no problem).

 

[rowport]

A Monk can use his Two-Weapon Fighting feat along with his Flurry of Blows ability, but has to apply the penalties for both to all attacks. Similarly, a Monk with Natural Weapons can use them as secondary attacks after the Flurry, again applying all penalties to all attacks. There are specific examples in the D&D FAQ that explain both of these answers more fully.

At least with a straight Monk (i.e. not multiclassed with a full BAB class) this is generally useless, since each attack will miss!

 

[Infiniti2000]

Similarly, a Monk with Natural Weapons can use them as secondary attacks after the Flurry, again applying all penalties to all attacks.

This is not true, but is it time for this debate again? I must've missed the memo.

 

[Darklone]

A Monk can use his Two-Weapon Fighting feat along with his Flurry of Blows ability, but has to apply the penalties for both to all attacks. Similarly, a Monk with Natural Weapons can use them as secondary attacks after the Flurry, again applying all penalties to all attacks. There are specific examples in the D&D FAQ that explain both of these answers more fully.

At least with a straight Monk (i.e. not multiclassed with a full BAB class) this is generally useless, since each attack will miss!

Not necessarily, the flurry of blows penalty to hit fades away with higher levels.

Sooo... draconic heritage, draconic claws, twf, flurry, level 10 monk... for fluff the fiery thingy feats from PHB2... Or easier: Half-dragon monk with Ascetic Mage for the CHA to AC boost and you don't need to waste feats for the claws.