| Improved Unarmed Strike | |
|---|---|
| |
| Details | |
Prerequisites |
intelligence 3 
|
Effect(s) |
You are considered to be armed even when unarmed - you can make unarmed attacks that deal 1d3 bludgeoning damage (if Medium; 1d2 if Small). |
Improved Unarmed Strike is a feat in Pathfinder: Kingmaker.
Effects[]
You are considered to be armed even when unarmed - you can make unarmed attacks that deal 1d3 bludgeoning damage (if Medium; 1d2 if Small).
Notes[]
- Monks get this feat for free at level 1.
- Without this feat, attempting to fight unarmed provokes Attack of Opportunity.
- This feat does not affect attacks with Natural Weapons (bite, claw and gore attacks).
Needed For[]
Improved Unarmed Strike is necessary for all Combat Style feats.
Strategy[]
In general, fists can't be enchanted and their damage doesn't improve with level. As such, this feat is of little practical use to anyone but Monks whose class features scale both fist quality and damage. Nevertheless, it is a prerequisite for all Combat Style feats, especially Crane Style (and its upgrades, Crane Wing and Crane Riposte) that are extremely useful to frontline characters, as means to boost their Armor Class. Therefore, when going for a Fighting Defensively build Improved Unarmed Strike becomes a prerequisite feat.
Monks get this feat for free at level 1 and taking a single level of Monk is arguably the best way to approach Crane Style builds, as the character gains a second bonus, i.e. a 2-for-1 deal. The bonus feat can be spent on Dodge, the other prerequisite for Crane Style.
Characters that pick Martial Disciple background get this feat for free, which really helps unlocking Crane Style. On the other hand, Crane Wing has been fixed to only work with one hand free, slightly limiting the potential of Fighting Defensively builds.