Comments from the writer: Our quest to create the ultimate punch boy led us to this, the fisticuffs fighter polished to perfection for Valda’s Spire of Secrets.
Brawlers use their bare fists and raw force as their first and best weapons in combat. Such warriors come from tough stock—prize fighters, outlanders, bouncers, and veterans—and have learned to hone their bodies into implements of war. Wherever a brawler goes, bruised and broken bodies follow. It doesn’t matter whether they’re tossing thugs around a tavern or going toe-to-toe with a red dragon, brute force always comes out on top.
Brawling
Starting at 3rd level, you’ve mastered a brutal, bloody-knuckle style of combat. You are proficient with improvised weapons and treat one-handed improvised weapons as if they had the Thrown (range 20/60) property.
Additionally, while you are unarmed or wielding an improvised weapon and you aren’t wearing medium or heavy armor, you gain the following benefits:
- You can use your Strength instead of your Dexterity when determining your AC.
- Your unarmed strikes and improvised weapons deal improved damage and improve as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the following table.
| Fighter | Damage |
| 3rd | 1d6 |
| 5th | 1d8 |
| 11th | 1d10 |
| 17th | 1d12 |
Starting at 7th level, your unarmed strikes are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Brute Force
Also at 3rd level, you can maneuver your opponents to gain a ruthless edge in combat. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or a melee attack using an improvised weapon, you can use your bonus action to attempt to grapple the target or deal an extra 1d6 damage.
This damage increases as you gain higher levels in this class. At 5th level, the extra damage you deal increases to 1d8 damage, at 11th level it increases to 1d10 damage, and at 17th level, it increases to 1d12 damage.
Imposing Physique
By 7th level, you speak more with your prodigious muscles instead of your words. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill, and you can use your Strength bonus instead of your Charisma bonus for Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Additionally, your capacities for carrying, lifting, pushing, and pulling are doubled.
Haymaker
At 10th level, you can put all your force into one blow. When you use the Attack action on your turn to make an unarmed strike, you can choose to forgo any additional attacks you could make with your action to make a single, devastating blow. For each attack you would give up in this way, you can add two extra damage dice to the attack’s damage roll.
Owlbear Wrestler
Starting at 15th level, you’ve learned how to pin down even the most towering foes. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks you make to grapple creatures of Large size and smaller, and you can attempt to grapple creatures of any size category.
Skullbreaker
Starting at 18th level, your blows are able to rattle even the greatest of foes. Once on each of your turns when you deal damage to a creature with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon, you can choose to shatter their resolve. You gain resistance to any damage that creature deals to you until the start of your next turn.
