Brawler

You've been to a fantasy bar and one of the stereotypes is the drunken lout with a heart of gold willing to get into a scrap at the drop of a hat;. This is that class. They are experts at unarmed combat and grappling. While fighters will bust out skillful grappling moves and maybe a Sleeper Hold if you're fighting a Reaping Mauler These guys the brawler is going to pick you up and slam you around with their grappling prowess and unload a flurry of punches and unorthodox techniques to dish out pain. These guys are also preternaturally tough and can take more punishment than almost any other class. To be the man after all, you gotta beat the man! Woo!

Role: DPS

Characteristics: Bruisers with a penchant for high impact grappling and striking

Source: Homebrew

Game Rule Information

The Brawler has the following game statistics.

Abilities: You need Strength to engage in your bread and butter of grappling and punching, Constitution is of secondary importance in order to keep yourself tough and alive.

Alignment: Any Nonlawful

Hit Die: d10

Starting Gold: 2d4 x 10

Class Skills

The Brawler's class skills are Balance (Dex) Climb (Str), Craft (Int) Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Brawler.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Brawler is proficient with All simple weapons and no armor.

Improved Unarmed Strike Ex: At 1st level, a Brawler gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A Brawler’s attacks may be made with almost any part of her body. This means that a Brawler may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a Brawler striking unarmed. A Brawler may apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

Typically, a Brawler’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage with no penalty to her attack roll. Brawlers can also choose to deal nonlethal damage while grappling.

A Brawler’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured or natural weapons.

When multiclassing, if another class also has unarmed strike damage, include its class levels when determining unarmed damage dice.

Improved Grapple Ex: At 1st level, a Brawler gains the Feat Improved Grapple.

Hard as Nails Ex: At 1st level, a Brawler gains an AC bonus equal to her Constitution Modifier. She loses these bonuses when she wears any armor, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Blows Ex: When unarmored and unencumbered, a Brawler may strike with a Flurry of Blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack per round at her highest base attack bonus; however, all attacks take a –2 penalty until the start of her next turn (including attacks of opportunity). The modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Table 1-1: The Brawler.

When a Brawler reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 8th level it disappears. A Brawler must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.

When a Brawler reaches 6th level, her Flurry of Blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from flurry of blows, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus.

If another class also has the Flurry of Blows ability, include its class levels when calculating Flurry of Blows' damage dice.

Powerbomb Ex: At 4th level, if you have your opponent pinned, you may make an opposed grapple check. If successful, you flip your opponent onto your shoulders, and slam him back-first into the floor. This deals damage equal to 2d6 + your Strength Modifier and knocks the target prone. Powerbomb automatically ends the grapple.

Bruised Armor Ex: At 5th level, a Brawler gains a +1 bonus to AC. This bonus increases by 1 for every five Brawler levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the Brawler is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Suplex Ex: At 6th level, while grappling your opponent, you may make an opposed grapple check. If successful, she flips her opponent upside down, draping them over her shoulder. The Brawler then slams them into the ground by dropping backwards onto them.

This attack deals damage equal to 4d6 + her Strength modifier, and moves the target into the space behind her in prone position. If there is another enemy in the same space, push them back 5 ft and apply half damage to them as well.

Bonus Feat: At 6th, 10th, 14th, 16th, and 18th level the Brawler gains a bonus feat off of the Fighter Bonus Feats list.

Endurance Training Ex: Starting at 7th level, a Brawler begins gaining bonuses to her movement speed and initiative. She gains +10 feet of movement speed per three Brawler levels, and +1 initiative for every four Brawler levels. The bonuses continue to improve as you gain more Brawler class levels; however, you lose the benefit of this ability if you are carrying a medium or heavy load.

Diehard Ex: At 8th level the Brawler gains Diehard as a bonus feat even if he does not normally meet the prerequisites.

Hold On Ex: The Brawler is adept at staying alive and is a bastion of grit and valor. At tenth level the Brawler no longer dies at -10 HP, instead they die at -10 HP minus their Brawler level.

Counterattack Ex: At 11th level, if an opponent misses with a melee attack, you may make a reflex save with a DC equal to the opponent's failed attack roll. If this check is successful, they provoke an attack of opportunity.

Forceful Uppercut Ex: The Brawler is an expert at causing damage to unprepared foes, whenever you make an attack against a flatfooted enemy (or otherwise denied their Dex bonus to AC) this attack deals damage equal to your unarmed damage + STR Mod + current Brawler level.

Combination Punch Ex: At 13th level a Brawler learns how to attack an enemy more frequently, allowing them to deal more damage in less time. You gain an extra attack at your third highest attack bonus in a Flurry of Blows. This is reflected in the Flurry of Blows column in Table 1-1: Brawler Progression.

Clothesline Ex: At 14th level, a Brawler can make an attack of opportunity against any enemy that enters her threatened space. This ability may only be used when the Brawler's hands are free and she is not flat-footed.

Flicker Jab Ex: At 15th level, the Brawler can use a targeted jab to cause her opponent to stagger. To use the Flick Jab, you must make a touch attack as a standard action. If successful, the target must succeed on a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 Brawler level + STR Mod) or become flat-footed for 1d4+1 rounds. You may use this ability in a grapple. You may use this ability three times per day plus your dex modifier.

Knockout Punch Ex: At 18th level, a Brawler may attempt a powerful punch against an enemy who grants combat advantage. To use this ability, you may take a full round action to make a single melee attack at -4. If you successfully hit, you deal an additional +3d10 bludgeoning damage and target must make a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 Damage Dealt) or be knocked prone and stunned for 1d4 rounds. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to your Str modifier (minimum 1). This ability can be used in a grapple.

Backbreaker Ex: At 19th level a Brawler may attempt a grapple check against a pinned enemy who is below 50% their Max HP, or prone. If successful, she deals damage equal to 3d10 + double her Strength Modifier. Additionally, the target's movement speed is halved for the duration of the encounter.

Table 1-1: Brawler Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Flurry of Blows	Unarmed Damage	Special	Bruised Armor Bonus	Endurance Training Speed Bonus	Endurance Training Init. Bonus
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	-1/-1	1d6	Unarmed strike, Improved grapple, hard as nails, flurry of blows	—	—	—
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	+0/+0	1d6	Bonus Feat	—	—	—
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+0	+1/+1	1d6	—	—	—	—
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	+2/+2	1d8	Powerbomb	—	—	—
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	+4/+4	1d8	Bruised armor	+1	—	—
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	+5/+5/+0/+0	1d8	Bonus feat, suplex	+1	—	—
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	+6/+6/+1/+1	1d8	Endurance training	+1	+20	+1
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	+8/+8/+3/+3	1d10	Diehard	+1	+20	+2
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	+9/+9/+4/+4	1d10	—	+1	+30	+2
10th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+3	+10/+10/+5/+5	1d10	Bonus Feat, hold on	+2	+30	+2
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	1d10	Counterattack	+2	+30	+2
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	2d6	Forceful uppercut	+2	+40	+3
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	+13/+13/+8/+8/+3/+3	2d6	Combination punch	+2	+40	+3
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	+14/+14/+9/+9/+4/+4	2d6	Bonus feat, clothesline	+2	+40	+3
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	+15/+15/+10/+10/+5/+5	2d6	Flicker jab	+3	+50	+3
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	2d8	Bonus feat	+3	+50	+4
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	+17/+17/+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	2d8	—	+3	+50	+4
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8+3	2d8	Bonus feat, knockout punch	+3	+60	+4
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	+19/+19/+14/+14/+9/+9/+4	2d8	Backbreaker	+3	+60	+4
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	+20/+20/+15/+15/+10/+10/+5	2d10	—	+4	+60	+5