(Pathfinder) Ascetic Style / Form and Versatile Design

[Nosta]

Can I Slap Versatile Design on a Katana or say a great sword and use my Monk Features with it?

[upho]

Yes. Which can be awesome with for example a Versatile Design reach weapon, firearm, xbow (and Bolt Ace gunslinger 5) or a weapon with an exceptionally large damage die (for Vital Strike shenanigans with strong jaw and say a butchering axe). Just remember that a weapon mod makes a simple weapon martial, a martial exotic, and an exotic to require an additional feat. So in most cases you'll want to get a COWPIS (cracked opalescent white pyramis ioun stone) for 1,500 gp for weapon familiarity.

Note also that strictly RAW, Ascetic Style actually allows you to apply ANY and ALL mechanics which augment your unarmed strikes, including magic such as strong jaw and class features like the monk's or brawler's unarmed damage progression or the tetori monk's grab (no need for Ascetic Form). However, the RAW was a mistake by the author, who explains what the intent was and what the correct benefit text would be in this blog post (http://knowdirectionpodcast.com/2016/01/guidance-alexs-top-10-least-favorite-pathfinder-design-choices/) (scroll down to the end):

“While using this style and wielding the chosen weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as any feat that augments an unarmed strike.”

I recommend you use that instead of Ascetic Style's current RAW, perhaps with the addition of also allowing the effects of any spell and magic item that augment unarmed strikes to apply (a benefit which none of the feats in the chain otherwise grants, seemingly by mistake).

[Nosta]

Yes. Which can be awesome with for example a Versatile Design reach weapon, firearm, xbow (and Bolt Ace gunslinger 5) or a weapon with an exceptionally large damage die (for Vital Strike shenanigans with strong jaw and say a butchering axe). Just remember that a weapon mod makes a simple weapon martial, a martial exotic, and an exotic to require an additional feat. So in most cases you'll want to get a COWPIS (cracked opalescent white pyramis ioun stone) for 1,500 gp for weapon familiarity.

Note also that strictly RAW, Ascetic Style actually allows you to apply ANY and ALL mechanics which augment your unarmed strikes, including magic such as strong jaw and class features like the monk's or brawler's unarmed damage progression or the tetori monk's grab (no need for Ascetic Form). However, the RAW was a mistake by the author, who explains what the intent was and what the correct benefit text would be in this blog post (http://knowdirectionpodcast.com/2016/01/guidance-alexs-top-10-least-favorite-pathfinder-design-choices/) (scroll down to the end):

“While using this style and wielding the chosen weapon, you can apply the effects of feats that have Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite, as well as any feat that augments an unarmed strike.”

I recommend you use that instead of Ascetic Style's current RAW, perhaps with the addition of also allowing the effects of any spell and magic item that augment unarmed strikes to apply (a benefit which none of the feats in the chain otherwise grants, seemingly by mistake).

could you recommend me so good feats for a level 10 Build using human on a unchained monk