Natural weapons

[catsora]

Relating to my question about catfolk, my player seems adamant to get 4 claw attacks. He is saying that taking the cats claws and aspect of the beast gets him 4 claw attacks. Does he get these attacks or is his damage die increased instead?

[ArcturusV]

My instinct would say no, he doesn't get four claw attacks. This is in part logistical. There wouldn't really be a way to do all four unless you were airborne or prone. And a "claw" attack isn't really as simple as a Kick, it involves a particular style of raking that is a bit more than just lashing out with a foot.

Also for balance concerns it makes sense not to give someone 4 attacks per melee "just because".

Far as I have seen in the rules there isn't any justification to give him 4 attacks either. But as always I may be wrong due to not having every book in creation of course. But denying him 2 extra claw attacks per round isn't going to break the game either. Giving him 2 extra attacks may depending on the level.

[meemaas]

He takes the best of the two for his two claw attacks. He needs to have enough usable limbs to have four claw attacks, and be able to use them in combat. If he wants claws on his feet, he does have to know that he can't make claw attacks with them under almost any circumstance, besides something like falling on them.

[Yogibear41]

I know this really isn't what your asking but for actually ganing additional claw attacks there is the rapidstrike feat and its improved version in the draconomicon, but I don't think he would qualify as written to take it pretty sure catfolk are humanoid? have to be a specific creature type to take it and the only one catfolk maybe is magical beast but I doubt it. If you wanted to be nice you could let him take it though :D

The grammer in that sentence sounded so much better in my head pre typing...

[Feralventas]

The argument that your player is making seems to be based on something along the lines of "Unarmed strike doesn't dictate what part of the body my monk is using, so I should get one attack for each hand, one for each elbow, one for each knee, and a head-but on a full attack."

I actually did something similar once with a swashbucker/Barbarian, with one attack with a sword from each hand, then a pair of knee knee blades, and boot knives and a bite attack from a rage power. Lots of little jabs and attacks for a collectively nice amount of damage at the level we were at the time.

It seems more like a situation that's better resolved by a DM call than a rules analysis.

That said, there's plenty of support for a jumping-dropping combatant. Power attack, leap attack, and if you're allowing/using 3.5 content, Tome of Battle's Tiger Claw maneuvers and stances would be both mechanically and comically appropriate for a catfolk that means to pounce on people. Dipping Lion Totem Barbarian out of Complete Champion (I think) allows for a full attack at the end of a charge as well, so it's certainly mechanically within reach.

Might need a tumble check to avoid falling prone though.