AOO's with reach weapon and unarmed strike

[Windrammer]

I know this has to have been discussed before but the answers thus far carry a level of uncertainty.

I'm proficient with unarmed strike. I'm holding a two handed reach weapon.

Is it just me or am I free to threaten everything within 10 feet and get AOO's for any movement within it aside from five foot step

[Hellpyre]

Assuming you're also proficient with the reach weapon, you should be.

[Malimar]

I think the correct answer is:

Yes, but only if you're a Monk, who can Unarmed Strike with things other than their hands (which are occupied holding the reach weapon).

It's a free action (which you can only take on your turn) to take one hand off the weapon (making it free for doing other things) or put it back (making the weapon usable). (I once had a rogue who used a longspear and had Deflect Arrows, so at the end of each of his turns he had to decide if he wanted to be able to deflect arrows or make AoOs until his next turn.)

[Psyren]

3.5 or Pathfinder?

Either way, you need IUS to threaten with your unarmed strike, proficiency alone isn't enough.

[Windrammer]

I think the correct answer is:

Yes, but only if you're a Monk, who can Unarmed Strike with things other than their hands (which are occupied holding the reach weapon).

It's a free action (which you can only take on your turn) to take one hand off the weapon (making it free for doing other things) or put it back (making the weapon usable). (I once had a rogue who used a longspear and had Deflect Arrows, so at the end of each of his turns he had to decide if he wanted to be able to deflect arrows or make AoOs until his next turn.)

Why is it that you can only do it as a monk?

[Psyren]

Why is it that you can only do it as a monk?

This is the part that depends on which edition/game you're playing.

[Anxe]

Why is it that you can only do it as a monk?

The Unarmed Strike class feature says monks can do stuff with their feet and elbows and such. Its written as if that's a monk-only thing and not the usual method for delivering an unarmed strike.

[rs2excelsior]

Why is it that you can only do it as a monk?


... a Monk, who can Unarmed Strike with things other than their hands (which are occupied holding the reach weapon).

This is the reason. Monks can make "unarmed strikes" with their hands, elbows, feet, the butt of the weapon they're holding, etc. It's specifically stated that monks can do this. Other people have to have a hand free in order to make an unarmed strike, which means you can't use your two-handed reach weapon. It is a free action to put your hand on the weapon or take it off, but you can't do free actions except on your turn, as Malimar pointed out. So at the end of your turn, you either have a hand free to unarmed strike, or you have both hands on your weapon; and you cannot change that state until your next turn (when you can take another free action).

[Windrammer]

My question then is why should improved unarmed strike limit you to your hands?

Consider that it qualifies you for feats like snap kick or flying kick, which do not give you the ability to kick as part of the description but let it be assumed that "kicking" is something encompassed by unarmed strikes.

[Kobold Esq]

Other people have to have a hand free in order to make an unarmed strike

Says who?

SRD, under combat actions:


Unarmed Attacks: Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except for the following:

Attacks of Opportunity: Attacking unarmed provokes an attack of opportunity from the character you attack, provided she is armed. The attack of opportunity comes before your attack. An unarmed attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity from other foes nor does it provoke an attack of opportunity from an unarmed foe.

An unarmed character can’t take attacks of opportunity (but see “Armed” Unarmed Attacks, below).

“Armed” Unarmed Attacks: Sometimes a character’s or creature’s unarmed attack counts as an armed attack. A monk, a character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, a spellcaster delivering a touch attack spell, and a creature with natural physical weapons all count as being armed. Note that being armed counts for both offense and defense (the character can make attacks of opportunity)

Unarmed Strike Damage: An unarmed strike from a Medium character deals 1d3 points of damage (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). A Small character’s unarmed strike deals 1d2 points of damage, while a Large character’s unarmed strike deals 1d4 points of damage. All damage from unarmed strikes is nonlethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light weapons (for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and so on).

Dealing Lethal Damage: You can specify that your unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before you make your attack roll, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, you can deal lethal damage with an unarmed strike without taking a penalty on the attack roll.

yes the description of the monk's unarmed strike says they can do it with their hands full, but that is not a prohibition that exists in the rules that I have ever seen. I imagine it was included to head off stupid arguments between players and DMs about whether monks can kick.

[KillianHawkeye]

As the Kobolds says, kicking is not limited to Monks. Anyone can do it (although you still need Improved Unarmed Strike to count as armed and to threaten an area with your unarmed attacks).

[rs2excelsior]

Says who?

SRD, under combat actions:



yes the description of the monk's unarmed strike says they can do it with their hands full, but that is not a prohibition that exists in the rules that I have ever seen. I imagine it was included to head off stupid arguments between players and DMs about whether monks can kick.

Fair enough, I stand corrected. I didn't remember seeing the general statement under the combat section, and the specificity of the Monk class made me think it was otherwise for non-monks.