Eldritch Claws and Unarmed Strikes

[Thrawn1138]

Hello,

Eldritch Claws is a feat in Dragon 358 which states that

As a free action, you can form the energy of your eldritch blast into a set of claws extending almost an entire foot from your hands. While your eldritch claws exist you may make up to two claw attacks as natural weapons. You are automatically proficient with your eldritch claws. On a successful attack with an eldritch claw, you deal your normal amount of unarmed strike damage plus your eldritch blast damage. Once you form your eldritch claws they remain until just before the beginning of your next turn. You cannot use your normal eldritch blast ability while your eldritch claws exist. A monk may not use eldritch claws as part of her flurry of blows

What I am asking about is the natural attack part.  They count as natural attacks.  This I understand. 

I would like to know what happens if I want to attack with an unarmed strike (that is, any other part of my body) so that I can get the iterative attacks and then attack with the claws; my BAB is currently +6/+1.  How would this work?  Would this require a full round action?  Which would count as primary or seconday?  Is this impossible?  Are these too many questions?

Thanks,

Thrawn1138

[Jackinthegreen]

You might want to look at http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=482.0

And yes, you would need to make a full attack in order to get attacks with both US and the claws.  You'd make your regular US set of attacks first, and then you can make your claw attacks.  The claw attacks would be counted as secondary natural weapons, which means they take a -5 penalty to hit and only get 1/2 your stregth mod to damage.

[NunoM]

To perform more than one attack/round, it usually requires a full-attack action.

As natural attacks, you don't receive additional attacks from your attack bonus (see here). Instead you're able to do up to 2 attacks with the claws and there's no penalty for 2-Wpn Fighting or stuff like that, because it's a natural weapon that grants 2 attacks (one for each claw).

If you had another kind of natural weapon (ex.: if you had a tail, or a pair of horns) and you wanted to perform additional attacks with them, those would be considered secondary.

Now... you want to combine it with "unarmed strike"... I'll have to brush up on the combination of unarmed strikes and natural attacks and get back to you on that... brb

EDIT: Jackinthegreen got it right. Weapon/Unarmed strikes are performed first, and the natural weapon attacks go in as well as secondary weapons (-5 penalty, 1/2 STR) , but you would still be allowed 2 attacks with the natural weapons with the same penalty.

[Gazzien]

Didn't realize it also did UAS damage. Gestalt monk/warlock, fight all day forever?

[Jackinthegreen]

Didn't realize it also did UAS damage. Gestalt monk/warlock, fight all day forever?

It gets even better with the Beast Strike feat.

[Gazzien]

INA (Unarmed Strike)
INA (Eldritch Claws)
INA (Slam)
Improved Unarmed Strike
Superior Unarmed Strike
Beast Strike?

For ridiculous melee damage?

[altpersona]

ridiculous?

[Gazzien]

ridiculous?

Monk hits... what, 12-24 d8? Easy?
Warlock (together with Hellfire, and a level of Binder) gets to what, 20d6?
Plus ~4d8 from natural attacks?

So... 30 d8 + 20 d6? Not instant kill, or ubercharger, but... fairly impressive in CO / PO. Especially because you can do it all day long, with no gear whatsoever.

Then again, I don't optimize much, so... -shrug- probably could be outdone by level 10 if someone tried.

[altpersona]

180 average aint bad really, assuming the math is right

[nijineko]

monks can hit 80d8 - 100+d8 easily with the right options.