A feline character in a game I played developed natural claw attack as MA Strike that gained bonus slash critical if a critical was scored.
Did you treat it as a kata weapon?
No because it was deemed natural weaponry is not wielded as a weapon because it is part of the body itself.
Felines and such simply have better limbs for unarmed combat.
I handled weapon kata differently to the RAW as follows :
Weapon kata use the normal weapon table and are normal weapon attacks except:
1) Character can use martial arts 'two attacks per round' and 'engage multiple foes' while wielding a weapon.
2) Weapon kata allows the use of Adrenal Defence while the character is wielding a weapon (Weapon Bugei from RM2 IV not used)
3) OB/initiative point conversion can be used while the character is wielding a weapon.
Each character may have 3 different weapon kata.
The weapon used in a particular kata has skill ranks developed separately to the martial arts skills at normal weapon development costs.
To use weapon kata the weapon's usable ranks are capped at the number of ranks of the MA attack being used.
eg. Nikk the Ninja has 14 ranks in dagger, 13 ranks in MA strike tier #1 and 5 ranks in MA strike tier 2.
He can do one of the following weapon attacks against one foe -
1 weapon kata dagger attack using 13 skill ranks of dagger skill (getting the martial arts abilities) OR
1 normal dagger attack at skill rank 14 (without the benefit of martial arts bonuses) OR
1 weapon kata dagger attack and 1 MA strike tier #1 at 13 skill ranks each OR
1 weapon kata dagger attack and 1 MA strike tier #2 at 5 skill ranks each.
Two attacks per round - 1 weapon kata attack and 1 MA attack can be used OR 2 MA attacks can be used.
Engaging multiple foes - the weapon kata attack can be used against 1 foe only, the other attacks are MA. Normal penalties apply for rear/flank positioning and reverse stroke skill will be needed for rear attacks using weapon kata.
The cumulative OB penalties in RM2 AL p.29 are used.
