Got a player doing a gank martial artist. Has taken a repulsor fist and iron body ( no disintegrations under martial artist. ) Wants to know if iron body reduces the crit from the fist. I said no, it does not. Cause it's technically a weapon. And not even a brawl weapon at that. Iron body reduces the crit for unarmed attacks only. I think I'm right, looking for feedback.

28 minutes ago, Aftermath13 said:

Iron body reduces the crit for unarmed attacks only. I think I'm right, looking for feedback.

This is correct. Iron Body only reduces the crit on 'Unarmed' attacks, and specifies without using a weapon. Although if one is playing a race with natural weapons, Iron Body does apply to attacks made with said claws, teeth or tails. This according to Max Brooks, in his answer to a question on the Order66 podcast (ep #96).

16 minutes ago, O the Owl said:

Although if one is playing a race with natural weapons, Iron Body does apply to attacks made with said claws, teeth or tails. This according to Max Brooks, in his answer to a question on the Order66 podcast (ep #96).

That answer was given with a caveat, though. I believe it was something to the effect of "unless it gets totally broken."

8 hours ago, Aftermath13 said:

Got a player doing a gank martial artist. Has taken a repulsor fist and iron body ( no disintegrations under martial artist. ) Wants to know if iron body reduces the crit from the fist. I said no, it does not. Cause it's technically a weapon. And not even a brawl weapon at that. Iron body reduces the crit for unarmed attacks only. I think I'm right, looking for feedback.

You are right on most counts, except that the repulsor fist IS a brawl weapon

The instant the Repulsor Fist is used it is a brawl weapon so no IRON BODY involved,
since it has slow firing in the next round it stats can't be used,

in that round only the natural unarmed stats are used here the natural crit of 5 (or 3 if the species has the claw-bonus) are reduced by IRON BODY,

Of course the char can choose everytime the fist is charged if wants to use it (without IRON BODY)
or if he uses his other limbs to make an normal unarmed attack (with IRON BODY)

no exploits for munchkins to use!

On 8/23/2017 at 3:49 PM, awayputurwpn said:

That answer was given with a caveat, though. I believe it was something to the effect of "unless it gets totally broken."

With two ranks of Iron Body a Trandoshan martial artist can bank on a critical with almost every attack. With Improved Precision Strike she can choose the Overpowered crit and immediately make a second attack with the same pool, likely scoring a second crit. That is about as good as it gets for a Martial Artist DPR (excluding two-weapon fighting) and doesn't seem overpowered when compared to other focused builds.

Assume 7 Brawn (using cybernetics) and 5 Brawl. Add the Marauder spec and max out its ranks of Feral Strength, Frenzied Attack, and Lethal Blows. Pick up Natural Brawler. You have an unarmed beast ready to jump into Jabba's rancor pit.

But still, no more powerful than a Wookiee melee build with a modded-out great vibro sword. Or a Heavy with an equally modded light repeating blaster. And it took a lot of experience to get there.