Please note that my answers do not account for anything stated in the
FAQ[/u]. It contradicts the book in a multitude of ways and has been explicitly stated as interpretation, not RAW. If you feel differently, I have included the FAQ link above for easy reference.
Can penetrating strike be combined with critical strike and killing hands?
This power can be combined with Killing Hands, but not with Distance Strike or Elemental Strike due to the extra focus these already require.
So yes, it can be combined with Killing Hands. Nothing says you can/can't use Penetrating Strike with Critical Strike, and the books are inconsistent (if they always were worded as "Power X can be used with Power Y", then if it doesn't say you can, you can't. However, Street Magic has points where it affirms what you can do and points where it says what you can't do. Therefore, whether or not it works with Critical Strike is going to vary, table to table.
is there an official ruling on whether harldliner gloves stack with adept powers?
There is no official ruling that I am aware of regarding Hardliner Gloves and Unarmed adept powers. I see two ways to interpret it:
1. You are using a
weapon called Hardliner Gloves, since Killing Hands, etc, modify your
unarmed combat damage and allow you to hit someone with an
unarmed attack at a greater distance, a weapon, even one using the Unarmed Combat skill, would over-ride these adept powers.
2. Since unarmed combat is, in essence, use of the
unarmed combat skill, any weapon which uses this skill would be compatible with adept powers which modify unarmed combat.
Both valid, though I'd lean towards "unarmed combat means no weapons", option 1.
can penetrating strike be combined with distance strike?
This power can be combined with Killing Hands, but not with Distance Strike or Elemental Strike due to the extra focus these already require.
