Clever Featwork: Unarmed Fighting
Combining different species, classes, and backgrounds with proficiency and feat selection allows most people to make characters close to their original vision. But, sometimes, a character concept is original, or complex, and requires a unique look at character options to build it. There are often many ways to build characters with similar abilities, and finding the best option(s) to choose can be challenging, but challenging can be fun and rewarding. In the Clever Featwork features we will look at ways to use Feats (Origin and Regular) to not only provide benefits but also flavor and distinctiveness to your characters. Sometimes it may be a different way to look at them, others it will be ways to combine them. These explorations won’t be to optimize characters to do the most damage they can, but to develop interesting and unique characters with the abilities you want them to have.
This time we are going to look at Tavern Brawler and other Feats that can enhance Unarmed Fighting, if you don’t take a class that makes it viable (mainly the monk, but also the new Bard College of Dance). We already talked about creating monk-like builds in our first Sub-classes feature, but that included ways to make a character that is monastic, ascetic, mystical. Here it is simply to be able to fight Unarmed in a martial build. When we think of Unarmed Strikes we typically first think of doing damage, punches and kicks, but wrestling—grappling—can be an effective strategy. The Unarmed Fighting Style Feat is perhaps the best option, but there are other Feats that work. We will try to answer the big question: if you can get Unarmed Fighting Style, is the Origin Feat: Tavern Brawler even worth it, or if you don;t get fighting styles, is it enough? Remember, we aren’t looking to optimize and build as powerful a character as possible, its more about creating a character with personality, one who can do what you want them do to and contribute to the adventures.
Unless you make a monk, or as stated previously, the new Dance Bard which can hold its own with the monk class, the viability of making a character who fights without not only magic but also without any weapons may seem unlikely. But if you aren’t trying to be the highest damage dealer in the party and just want to contribute only in a different manner, I believe it is possible. We already mentioned the Unarmed Fighting Style (which is now a feat) and the Origin Feat of Tavern Brawler and will explore how they can work independently or together. But if you note that Unarmed Fighting is a bludgeoning damage attack, there are other options we will explore as well.
Unarmed Strike
Before we look at how you can improve it, we need to know what the basic unarmed strike is. It is a bludgeoning attack, using your STR to attack, that allows you to damage, grapple, or shove. If you choose to damage, it only does 1 point (yes, just 1 point) of damage plus your STR modifier. From the get go it seems a better option to use for its two other effects. These are useful effects, the grappled condition is good control reducing Speed to 0, Disadvantage on attacks against targets other than the grappler, and the grappler can move their opponent. Shaving allows you to attempt to push an opponent away from you or to give it the Prone condition: so you can move a creature away maybe so you can get away without an Opportunity Attack; or if Prone get Advantage on melee attacks against them, give them Disadvantage on attacks, and impede their movement.
We can improve the damage in a few ways so it becomes near or even as good as weapon attacks.
Tavern Brawler
We will start with the Origin Feat of Tavern Brawler, as it is the first one you could get, and anyone technically can get regardless of class while Unarmed Fighting Style is dependent on selecting a class that provides it. The first thing it does it increase your damage from a static, measley, 1 to 1d4. Not a huge improvement but at least its like a dagger or club or other light simple weapon. You can use improvised weapons which isn’t unarmed but its something. You can also now do damage and Push when normally you can only do one or the other. Finally, what can make it useful even with seemingly ‘better’ options to follow, it allows you to reroll a damage die on Unarmed Strikes if you roll a 1. The last two work with any other improvement you might get including another feat, but, yes, also class enhancements like the monk or Bard. So, a Bard who get to, say a 1d8, d10 or even d12 could reroll 1s and be able to Push at the same time. Realizing this, it seems better than it does initially.
Of course you would need to select it as your Origin Feat either from Sailor background or a custom background, unless you are human and get the extra Origin Feat os its up to you if you think it is worth it compared to other options. We think it can be useful as an Origin Feat, specially if you want to make an unarmed fighter, even if you get better Unarmed damage than a d4 from another source because of the reroll and Push. We think it can make sense for a monk, for example, to take it. But if your class traits don’t automatically improve your unarmed strikes, we still need to answer if you be capable as an unarmed fighter. Could a barbarian or fighter possibly equal a monk? Maybe.
Unarmed Fighting Style
You can get, in most cases can only get, Tavern Brawler at level 1. But you can also possibly get the Unarmed Fighting Style Feat at 1st level as well, with more options to get it by 2nd. Fighters get a Fighting Style at 1st level, Paladins and Rangers at 2nd. Those are the only current options. But since Fighters get it at 1st, you could dip one level into it and get it as well as Second Wind, Weapon Masteries (which don’t include Unarmed, unless you use house rules - see below) as well as armor and weapon proficiencies. So, what does the Unarmed Fighting Style Feat give you? It mainly increases your Unarmed damage to 1d6, 1d8 if not holding a weapon or shield—much better than Tavern Brawler. But remember, Tavern Brawler features like reroll and Push still apply, they aren’t contradicted. Secondly, you can deal 1d4 damage to a creature grappled by you.
Tavern Brawler + Unarmed Fighting Style
So, why would you take both? Shouldn’t you just take the fighting style if you can get it? It’s more damage. Why not? First of all it’s your character. Second, if you are concerned about damage output - along with utility - by going with both you can get 1d6/1d8 damage, get to reroll 1s, and be able to Push or Grapple and do damage. Don’t forget, Push can move the opponent or make them Prone.
So you could hold an opponent, move them, or make them Prone while also doing 1d6/1d8+STR modifier damage. A Battlemaster Fighter would need to use up one of their maneuver dice to be able to do something like with the Pushing Attack or Trip Attack maneuvers. You could do it every turn.
Other Feats
Because Unarmed strikes do bludgeoning damage, there are some feats that can further improve unarmed Fighting and there are other feats that can help as well. Getting Strength as one of your Ability Score increase options is helpful regardless of other features.
Athlete for Hop up and (STR) modifier
Charger gives a Charge Attack that adds 1d8 to damage and you can push the target 10 vs. 5 feet (STR)
Crusher gives Enhanced Criticals with bludgeoning (so Unarmed) damage and Push (STR/CON)
Grappler (natch) Push and damage, Advantage on attacks against grappled, and full Speed if you move a grappled creature (STR/DEX)
Sentinel for Opportunity Attacks that can be taken on Disengage, attacks other than you, and reduce speed to 0 (STR/DEX)
The top three are Charger, Crusher, and Grappler. What you will notice is that some of these feats just give you what Tavern Brawler already does, so if you took it unless you want the STR bonus with some additional effects, you can look at other options.
House Rules Suggestions
A few minor changes to the RAW (Rules As Written) rules could help a player.
We mentioned this in the Sub-Classes: Monk entry previously mentioned, but creating a Weapon Mastery for Unarmed Strikes with the Push or Topple Mastery, Barbarians and Rogues get them in addition to Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers, making those classes a bit more viable for an unarmed fighting build.
When a barbarian rages and gets the Strength Advantage trait, which gives Advantage on STR checks, give their opponents Disadvantage on their STR checks against the barbarian such as if they grapple or shove.
Note that this is all about fighting Unarmed, nothing here states that you have to be Unarmored. You absolutely can if that is your vision, but none of this requires it so go ahead and armor up and still fight without weapons.
Skulgesh - an Unarmed ‘Tank’
Want an example of how we can put together some of the advice above into a character? Well, here is an example of how to make a ‘tank’ character. One complaint about 5e, or D&D altogether, compared to electronic games is that the ‘tank’ role—namely being able to keep the focus of attacks on you as much as or more than that ability to avoid and/or take damage—doesn’t have very good options. There are only a few ways to try to keep opponents from attacking your allies. Well, by building an Unarmed fighter, we can accomplish that. To explore this, we bring you Skulgesh: an orc bouncer.
The Build
Species
Skulgesh is an orc. He gets Adrenaline Rush to get a Bonus Action Dash which gives Temporary Hit Points as well as 120’ Dark vision and Relentless Endurance.
Origin Background/Feat
Skulgesh was a sailor before being hired to be a bouncer at a local establishment. He gets the Tavern Brawler feat and +2 to STR and +1 t DEX. STR helps us with his Unarmed Strikes. He gets Acrobatics and Perception (which will help him notice things going on inside and outside the Tavern).
Class:
Level 1: Fighter 1
He takes Insight (to read tavern customer intentions), and Intimidation.
He gets Second Wind to regain some hp. He gets a Fighting Style and we of course are taking Unarmed Fighting. And he gets three Weapon Masteries. They are mostly unimportant, since he will fight unarmed, unless we use a house rule to take Mastery in Unarmed Strikes. We will do that and take Topple (since he already gets the ability to Push from Tavern Brawler).
Ability Scores
Since this can vary on assignment (Array, rolling, etc.) and because we are not ‘optimizing’ no specifics here. Recommendations are Charisma (for class abilities), Dexterity (for AC), and Constitution (this build is aiming to be able to take a lot of hits).
Using Standard Array with Ability Score increases I chose this setup:
STR 15 (+2 Background), DEX 13 (+1 Background), CON 14, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 12
for these final scores
STR 17, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 12
Level 2: Fighter 2
He now gets Action Surge to get one extra Action (usually an Attack) once per Short or Long Rest and Tactical Mind to be able to use Second Wind to help with Ability Checks.
Level 3: Fighter 3
Skulgesh gets his Fighter Subclass. We are going to give him Battlemaster. He gets another Skill (we take Athletics though Persuasion could have worked), and a Tool (pick what you want for your character, since hew was a sailor we gave him Cartographer’s Tools). Most importantly, he gets four 1d8 Superiority Dice to use with three Maneuvers he can learn. To help him out in his career as a bouncer we will take: Bait and Switch (to switch places with a creature), Commanding Presence (for better Intimidation but also Persuasion checks), and Disarming Attack. We could have taken Pushing or Trip Attack (if you aren’t allowed the Unarmed maneuver house rule) but he can already do that any/every turn, or Goading Attack to try to force them to attack him. His Superiority Dice are better spent on being able to diffuse situations rather than duplicate what he can already do.
At 3rd level, with Studded leather on (to stay mobile) he has an AC of 14 and 28 HP. He could wear heavier armor, but if he fights correctly, he won’t be taking many attacks in one-on-one situations.
How he might approach a combat situation at the Tavern, or anywhere, has two main options—Grapple or Damage:
Attack Unarmed and use the Grapple option. If successful, do 1d4 Bludgeoning damage and apply the effects of grappling: Speed 0, Disadvantage on attacks against any target other than you (i.e. ‘tanking’) and you can move the target.
or Attack Unarmed and use the Damage option (which will do 1d6+STR if armed or 1d8+STR if no weapons or shield equipped) with another feature effect. Use Bait and Switch to move an ally out of harm’s way and give you or them a bonus to AC.). With Tavern Brawler you can Push them 5 feet. If you are using the house rule for Unarmed Mastery, you can Topple them as well. If they are armed, you could use the Disarming Strike Maneuver which would greatly impact their ability to damage. Since you can make them drop one object not just a weapon you could for example force a spellcaster to drop their focus, or shield to reduce their AC, and more - be creative looking beyond just their weapon.
There’s really no point in using the Shove option in the regular Unarmed Strike options as you can do that another way using the Damage option via Tavern Brawler Feat or Bait and Switch Maneuver)
Summary
This build is primarily defensive, a ‘tank’, and gets us closer to meeting the expectations of a tank role than is typically available in 5e. When Unarmed it won’t do a ton of damage, though you can do 1d8+STR similar to martial weapons, possibly add 1d8 from a maneuver, and get an extra attack from Second Wind. But again this is more about defense, and control. This character can Shove, possibly Topple, disarm, hinder or force movement, and direct attacks away from party members: he ultimate goal of a tank. This may not seem exciting to some people, but like a healer, if you can help other characters that can do a lot of damage be able to do their job, it can be just as valuable as causing damage yourself.
We think this answers some questions. Is Tavern Brawler worth it? Yes. (Is it Lucky? No… but compared to other Origin Feats it is fine, and good if you want to fight Unarmed.) Is a custom unarmed fighting character (not a monk or dance bard) viable? It depends on what you consider viable. Can you make a true ‘tank’ in 5e? Yes, and grappling is perhaps the best way to do that.
Level 4+
The best option here really is to take Fighter 4, get a Feat, and take Grappler. This adds 1 to STR (depending on your current score maybe getting or at least progressing to another modifier bonus) and getting the ability to both grapple and damage - full damage. Since Unarmed Fighting feat allows you do to 1d4 damage when grappling, if you can both Damage and Grapple, assuming you aren’t holding a weapon, you can damage for 1d8+STR and do 1d4 while grappling. At 5th level you will get Extra Attack for two attacks every round (3 when you use Second Wind) so stick with Fighter. After that you could look at Barbarian for Rage, at Barbarian 2 Danger sense would be useful for a bouncer/tank and Reckless Attack is a great tank ability.
