Increasing Unarmed Strike Damage

[GreenETC]

I'm contemplating a Kung-Fu Panda build (Fist of the Forest/Bear Warrior) and the concept of the unarmed damage is confusing me.

If I take Superior Unarmed Strike, does FotF change my damage dice only after I get to 8th level or higher? Does it increase my damage 2 levels beyond

If I use Improved Natural Attack, how does that change the d10 from FotF?

If I go Warshaper, what does the increased size of Morphic Weapons make my fist damage become?

I'm just a little confused as to the damage progression of unarmed strikes. Imp. Nat. Attack suggests that my 1d10 from FotF becomes 2d8, where as the Monk progression suggests it becomes 2d6. Can someone explain to me how this works, and in what order things are applied?

Does it go: 1d8 > 1d10 > 2d6 > 3d6 > 4d6
If I go Superior > FotF > Imp. Natural > Warshaper?

[Azoth]

Benefits are applied in the most beneficial means for the player. So if your Unarmed strike already does the damage that FotF does you get a bump in power. Then you can apply INA and Morphic weapon to the new damage. Once that is resolved, you have your damage.

So: base->SUS->FotF->INA->Morphic Weapon.

[GreenETC]

Now if I don't take Superior Unarmed Strike but do take Improved Natural Attack, does it bump it from 1d10 to 2d8, like it says on the chart? I'm basically wondering if Superior Natural Attack is worth it, because it bumps my damage to 4d6, but it gives the same general damage as 3d8, just more condensed.

[Azoth]

Yes it will bump still.

[Mato]

Superior Unarmed Attack either grants a maximum 2d6 base unarmed damage (would always be applied first) or +4 to your Monk level and a Monk's Unarmed Damage caps at 2d10 at the 20th level for medium sized characters. This Monk cap doesn't simply exist because of a lack in rules, but because the rules say it stops there (see epic monk).

Fist of the Forest obeys this Monk cap as well, and is actually kind of painful by RAW to use. See, Monk isn't the weakest Class in the game, but an author's brain gets sucked out his bottom end when he or she attempts to write anything for the Monk. Sometimes this is to the benefit of the Monk (martial, dark moon disciple) but more often than not it isn't (proficiency, lol). FoF offers a per Monk advancement starting at d8, the 2nd die level for Monks. So it either single upgrades you if you dipped Monk (1d6 to 1d8) or double if you skipped it (1d3 to 1d8). Then it notes that if you already have 1d8 then it upgrades you to 1d10, the 3rd die level for Monk. Same for it's next upgrade, normally you bump to 1d10 but if you have it then advance again. Which would be 2d6.

But what if you already are 2d6? FoF's Unarmed Damage has no clause for it nor is it written open enough to say it's a straight forward increase. In fact, due to the way its worded, Monk 8 / FoF 3 has a 1d10 base upgraded to 2d6. He will not see another increase until his effective Monk level is 16+ and FoF's advancement is worth absolutely nothing. So ask your DM to houserule per intent (because who in their right mind writes fail intentionally?) that FoF increases to your next Monk level of die damage and shake your head wondering just what goes in people's heads at times.

Also note that Size increases such as INA however continue to stack even after Monk caps out. And via virtual size categories (ELH, under Epic Dragons) have no limit to how far you can go.