unarmed combat / two-weapon fighting question

[Tentakel]

Hi...

got a quick question: say I have a Monk 2/Ranger 2, with Improved Unarmed Fighting and Two-Weapon Fighting. How does that work? Can I attack twice because of TWF using normal TWF rules? What if instead I had ONE 1H weapon, say a dagger? Could I use TWF with unarmed strike/dagger for my 2 attacks?

[Urpriest]

TWF with Unarmed Strike/Dagger is completely allowed. You can even Flurry and TWF if you're using Monk weapons, getting three attacks with Unarmed Strike and a Kama or something. (Note that this doesn't work in PF because the designers don't understand their own rules).

TWF with just unarmed strikes is more contentious. Basically the debate boils down to whether or not you can be considered to have more than one unarmed strike. While you have multiple striking surfaces, they seem to be all enchanted as the same weapon.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

TWF permits an offhand attacks with an offhand weapon provided you full attack and take the appropriate penalties. That offhand weapon can be held in your other hand, but it doesn't have to be. You can use a two-handed weapon and make offhand attacks with armor spikes. Regardless of what that offhand weapon is, it always gets only half your Str bonus to damage. Provided you have another weapon to make an offhand attack with, you can combine the extra attack from TWF with any other full attack routine. A Monk can full attack with flurry and still gain an extra offhand attack with an unarmed strike, as long as he takes an extra -2 penalties to all of his attacks until the start of his next turn.

[Tentakel]

so what if the off-hand is a gauntlet or another weapon that's considered an unarmed strike? Does it make a difference?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you make a Flurry of Blows you can't use a non-monk weapon as part of that full attack.

You can make an offhand attack with an unarmed strike. The line about there being no such thing as an offhand for a monk is so you don't unfairly get penalized for switching hands during your primary attack routine.

[JaronK]

Note that the FAQ explicitly allows TWF with unarmed strikes as a Monk.

JaronK

[Cog]

Also worth noting, if you're a Ranger/Monk, is the feat Ascetic Hunter: Ranger progresses your Unarmed Strike, and Favored Enemy provides a partial bonus to Stunning Fist DCs.