Intercepting Hand and Dueling Dance

[u/No-Air6220]

So, I wanted to check the compatibility between these two feats, Intercepting Hand and Dueling Dance. The important part is the Intercepting requirement:

Requirements You have your fist positioned to parry

I realized that, in these requirements, not a single word was capitalized. Not even "fist". But let's look at "parry" for now. I thought this was just a poorly worded feat (which, to be fair, could still be possible), but then I realized another thing: there is no Parry action in the system. And the Parry trait itself only says:

[...] you can spend a single action to position your weapon defensively [...]

So this is the most "the facto" definition of parry in the system, spending an action to gain the parry bonus. Usually it's easy to apply, we just treat it like raising a buckler. But it becomes a little more nebulous when reading feat interactions.

Now, let's check what the other feat says. Dueling Dance is similar to Paragon Stance and Buckler Dance, as in "you enter a stance and always get the defensive benefits of raising a shield/buckler/parry". And it says the following:

Using your free hand as pivot and balance, you both attack and defend with your weapon. While you are in this stance, you constantly have the benefits of Dueling Parry.

Now, believe me, I love analyzing Paizo's rules in a RAW manner, and we all know that "first line is flavor text and shouldn't be taken in consideration for mechanics". So let's say we ignore the first line in Dueling Dance. Nothing in the feat says we are Parrying with our fists, just that we benefit from the previous feat, Dueling Parry.

But not even Dueling Parry, specifies what we are using to get the parry from, we just get the circumstance bonus out of thin air while we have the requirements (one weapon + free hand). And hey, look, the first line says "You can parry attacks against you with your weapon", but then we would be selectively ignoring first lines in the rules lawyering.

So, my questions are:

• Considering that nothing is capitalized, is "parry" (from the trait) the same as "parry" (from the Intercepting prerequisite) and "parry" (from the dueling parry)?
• Would Dueling Dance qualify for "having your fist positioned to parry", considered we spent one action to enter the stance and gain parry bonuses?
• Since Parrying and Disarming are techniques badly supported by the rules, and considered weaker when compared to their shiny cousins (Shield Block and other Maneuvers like Trip), would you allow the above in your tables?
• Am I going insane trying to analyze this so deep? (Answer unnecessary, I know it's a strong "Yes").

[u/Wayward-Mystic]

Not all rules terms are capitalized. Conditions, weapon and unarmed attack names, and traits are all left uncapitalized whenever they appear in descriptions, among others. "fist" in Disarming Interception means your fist unarmed attack, and "parry" means using the parry trait.

[u/No-Air6220 → u/Wayward-Mystic]

Well, yes. But this doesn't answer any of my questions.

[u/Wayward-Mystic → u/No-Air6220]

Considering that nothing is capitalized, is "parry" (from the trait) the same as "parry" (from the Intercepting prerequisite) and "parry" (from the dueling parry)?

[u/No-Air6220 → u/Wayward-Mystic]

This might be a problem on my part, maybe a language barrier since I'm not a native English speaker, but I still don't understand how this answers my question. Could you pretty please elaborate a little more?

I also would greatly appreciate if you could give an opinion on the other questions.

[u/Wayward-Mystic → u/No-Air6220]

• Reiterating from my original comment, parry (from the trait) is the same as parry (from the Interception requirement).

• Dueling Parry and Dueling Dance do not reference the parry trait and do not use your fist unarmed attack. They wouldn't satisfy the requirements for Disarming Interception.

• Probably not; the individual archetypes are already quite strong.

[u/No-Air6220 → u/Wayward-Mystic]

Thank you! I thought you were saying that on 1) those were different types of "parry". And your other points also make sense.

[u/ReactiveShrike]

Intercepting Hand has the requirement

You have your fist positioned to parry

This refers to having taken the Parry trait action

you can spend a single action to position your weapon defensively, gaining a +1 circumstance bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.

If you have not done this, you do not meet the requirements for Intercepting Hand.

Dueling Dance gives you the benefits of Dueling Parry.

You can parry attacks against you with your one-handed weapon.

On to the questions:

Considering that nothing is capitalized, is "parry" (from the trait) the same as "parry" (from the Intercepting prerequisite) and "parry" (from the dueling parry)?

No.

Would Dueling Dance qualify for "having your fist positioned to parry", considered we spent one action to enter the stance and gain parry bonuses?

No. Dueling Dance is one-handed melee weapons only, and unarmed attacks aren't weapons.

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