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I have a Barbarian using the Lesser Beast Totem. According to the effect:

While raging, the barbarian gains two claw attacks. These attacks are considered primary attacks and are made at the barbarian’s full base attack bonus.

Does this mean that (at level 6) while raging, and I have a BAB of +6 / +1, I get 4 claw attacks , 2 with a +6, and 2 with a +1? Or can I only use my maximum value, and only take two? In addition, do I get to add my Strength Mod to my attack rolls, since they are Melee attacks?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ +6/+1 at level 6 for a barbarian. \$\endgroup\$
    – Flotolk
    Oct 27, 2014 at 17:22

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Natural weapons operate under different rules than do manufactured weapons, which are covered in the Universal Monster Rules and in the Combat Rules. The short version is, you get to attack once with each natural weapon, regardless of how many iterative attacks you have from high BAB.

So if your BAB was +6/+1, you would get to attack once with each claw, each at +6 BAB. Total of two attacks, not four, and you would never make the claw attacks (or any other attacks) at +1 BAB.

You could combine these natural attacks with manufactured weapons as long as they don’t use the same limb. For example, say your barbarian wore spiked armor: you could attack with both the spiked armor and the claws. When you do so, you take all your regular attacks from BAB with the manufactured weapon, and then also take any natural attacks you have, but treated as secondary. In this case, this would be spiked armor +6, spiked armor +1, claw +1, claw +1. That way you do get four attacks. Note that secondary natural attacks also add only half your Strength bonus to their damage.

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    \$\begingroup\$ And what happens once I reach 3 attacks? Do I spike with +11/+6/+1 and then claw with +1/+1? \$\endgroup\$
    – Flotolk
    Oct 27, 2014 at 17:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Flotolk If you used the spiked armor, then yes. If not, you'd just get claw +11, claw +11. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Oct 27, 2014 at 17:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ I added the link to Natural Attacks in the Combat rules, because the Universal Monster rules don't actually state that you don't get iteratives. Because with rules so oft misunderstood, having a single source would be far to simple, wouldn't it? \$\endgroup\$
    – MrLemon
    Oct 27, 2014 at 17:47
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    \$\begingroup\$ @KRyan, wouldn't an 11th level attack be +11/+6/+1 on spiked armor, and then claw with +6/+6? Secondary natural attacks just get a flat -5, not "whatever your worst iterative is." \$\endgroup\$
    – PotatoEngineer
    Oct 27, 2014 at 18:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Flotolk See Paul Marshall's comment here: the +11 version would be spiked armor +11, spiked armor +6, spiked armor +1, claw +6, claw +6. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Oct 27, 2014 at 18:31

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