Divine Fury: Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can channel divine fury into your weapon strikes. While you’re raging, the first creature you hit on each of your turns with a weapon attack takes extra damage equal to 1d6 + half your barbarian level. The extra damage is necrotic or radiant; you choose the type of damage when you gain this feature.
The rules state WEAPON STRIKES, not UNARMED STRIKES.
We had a discussion in my game last night if Divine Fury can be applied to your fists.
Divine Fury: Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can channel divine fury into your weapon strikes. While you’re raging, the first creature you hit on each of your turns with a weapon attack takes extra damage equal to 1d6 + half your barbarian level. The extra damage is necrotic or radiant; you choose the type of damage when you gain this feature.
The rules state WEAPON STRIKES, not UNARMED STRIKES.
We had a discussion in my game last night if Divine Fury can be applied to your fists.
Thoughts?
This is covered in the SAC. Unarmed strikes count as weapon attacks due to a special rule specifically stating they do.
My understanding is that “weapon attacks” aren’t exactly “attacks made with a weapon,” they’re simply physical attacks. So, an attack is either a weapon attack or a spell attack. Are your fists spell attacks? No? Then they are weapon attacks.
What does “melee weapon attack” mean: a melee attack with a weapon or an attack with a melee weapon?
It means a melee attack with a weapon. Similarly, “ranged weapon attack” means a ranged attack with a weapon. Some attacks count as a melee or ranged weapon attack even if a weapon isn’t involved, as specified in the text of those attacks. For example, an unarmed strike counts as a melee weapon attack, even though the attacker’s body isn’t considered a weapon.
Here’s a bit of wording minutia: we would write “melee-weapon attack” (with a hyphen) if we meant an attack with a melee weapon.
Are natural weapons considered weapons?
Things designated as weapons by the rules, including natural weapons, are indeed weapons. In contrast, unarmed strikes are not weapons. They are something you do with an unarmed part of your body.
An Unarmed Strike counts as a melee weapon, but is not weapon. That's just a little confusing. Divine Fury says "Weapon Strikes" That kind of implies that there is a weapon involved there somewhere. The problem I run into is that you cannot seem to be proficient in your own Natural Weapons, nor can they have the Finesse tag, and at least so I understand it, cannot be used with Monk unarmed attacks or Paladin smites. I could of course, be mistaken. I often am. I ran into the problem with a Tabaxi Rogue who wanted to use her claws proficiently. I couldn't make that happen on the character sheet. It could just be a limitation of the sheet itself. Anyone know? I'd be inclined to say that if Unarmed Strikes are a Melee Weapon, then they should follow all the same rules as any other weapon. If not, then you need an actual weapon to use Divine Fury.
Divine Fury: Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can channel divine fury into your weapon strikes. While you’re raging, the first creature you hit on each of your turns with a weapon attack takes extra damage equal to 1d6 + half your barbarian level. The extra damage is necrotic or radiant; you choose the type of damage when you gain this feature.
The rules state WEAPON STRIKES, not UNARMED STRIKES.
We had a discussion in my game last night if Divine Fury can be applied to your fists.
Thoughts?
This is covered in the SAC. Unarmed strikes count as weapon attacks due to a special rule specifically stating they do.
Depends on if you consider the first sentence to be purely descriptive or a mechanical statement requiring a weapon.
I consider it purely descriptive, most (not all) would probably agree. So an unarmed strike being a weapon attack meets the requirements.
My understanding is that “weapon attacks” aren’t exactly “attacks made with a weapon,” they’re simply physical attacks. So, an attack is either a weapon attack or a spell attack. Are your fists spell attacks? No? Then they are weapon attacks.
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What does “melee weapon attack” mean: a melee attack with a weapon or an attack with a melee weapon?
It means a melee attack with a weapon. Similarly, “ranged weapon attack” means a ranged attack with a weapon. Some attacks count as a melee or ranged weapon attack even if a weapon isn’t involved, as specified in the text of those attacks. For example, an unarmed strike counts as a melee weapon attack, even though the attacker’s body isn’t considered a weapon.
Here’s a bit of wording minutia: we would write “melee-weapon attack” (with a hyphen) if we meant an attack with a melee weapon.
Are natural weapons considered weapons?
Things designated as weapons by the rules, including natural weapons, are indeed weapons. In contrast, unarmed strikes are not weapons. They are something you do with an unarmed part of your body.
An Unarmed Strike counts as a melee weapon, but is not weapon. That's just a little confusing. Divine Fury says "Weapon Strikes" That kind of implies that there is a weapon involved there somewhere. The problem I run into is that you cannot seem to be proficient in your own Natural Weapons, nor can they have the Finesse tag, and at least so I understand it, cannot be used with Monk unarmed attacks or Paladin smites. I could of course, be mistaken. I often am. I ran into the problem with a Tabaxi Rogue who wanted to use her claws proficiently. I couldn't make that happen on the character sheet. It could just be a limitation of the sheet itself. Anyone know? I'd be inclined to say that if Unarmed Strikes are a Melee Weapon, then they should follow all the same rules as any other weapon. If not, then you need an actual weapon to use Divine Fury.
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Thank you everyone. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply