Random DM nagging.

[Yuthirin]

* Yuthirin grumbles.

[Anastasia]

So Yuth, what days are you going to be around this week?

[Yuthirin]

This weekend = yes

[Yuthirin]

Need to level Muirfinn though first. I just haven't had any time whatsoever. Even my work has suffered because of this doofy test.

[Anastasia]

Sure. Saturday afternoon's out for me but everything else is wide open.

[Yuthirin]

Ok.

[Yuthirin]

So I think I've asked this before. I'll ask again anyhow. Is there any way that I can take Superior Unarmed Strike?

Superior Unarmed Strike
(Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords, p. 33)

[General]


Your unarmed strikes have become increasingly deadly, enabling you to strike your foes in their most vulnerable areas.

Prerequisite

Improved Unarmed Strike (PH) , Base attack bonus +3,


Benefit

You deal more damage with your unarmed strikes, as shown on the table below.



Character Level/Unarmed Damage
3rd: 1d4
4th–7th: 1d6
8th–11th: 1d8
12th–15th: 1d10
16th–20th: 2d6


Special
If you are a monk, you instead deal unarmed damage as a monk four levels higher.

[Merc]

You can kill Dune and pass on his GM'ing duties with someone who doesn't hate Tome of Battle! Other than that, you're fucked!

[Yuthirin]

I am an eternal optimist.

[Merc]

You should try to be an eternal totemist instead!

[Merc]

Totemist book -isn't- banned, so it works out too! =p

[Yuthirin]

Argument time! Do the penalties for size increases apply to shapeshift forms? If so, I request the consideration that all other bonuses and penalties also apply for changing creature sizes.

[Anastasia]

No to ToB. Let's not do that yet again, please.

Re: Shapeshift. Let me read the ability and see. I'll get back to you soon.

[Anastasia]

Little longer than soon since this is going to take some homework.

[Anastasia]

This one's going to take some explaining since it gets into the way 3.5 handles temporary size increases. The key word is temporary and that's important. You see the table here? You might think that you go here for temporary size increases, but you'd be wrong. That is for advancing creatures in size permanently. You might think that doesn't make sense, but look at this. It never refers you to that table or discusses normal size changes. It instead gives you set bonuses described in the spell. Look at Righteous Might or Giant Size, they follow this example by providing specifically noted changes.

None of these reference invoking the size modifiers and instead use specific changes to simulate increasing in size. Therefore, it's generally assumed that any ability that increases your size comes packaged with the relevant bonuses. You don't double-dip with the basic size increases unless an ability specifically tells you to. Shapeshift follows this pattern. It's part of why forms that increase you size get such a big strength boost. It's factoring in the bonuses you should get for increasing size.

So to answer your question: The ability is used as written for modifiers unless specifically noted otherwise. If it doesn't mention a penalty you're fine.

So I learned something new today. This impacts Vastwoods indirectly. You know that bit in Shapeshift where it mentions getting an enhancement bonus equal to your level/4/ I wasn't using that for Myann and I don't think Neph was using it for his forms. So thanks, you helped fix a mistake on top of everything else.