The Brawler
G
listening sweat drips from the Half-orc’s brow
as she lifts herself from the floor. She focuses
her eyes on the dwarf who knocked her there
as she drives her anger and pain into her
clenched fist. Punching him straight on the
floor she just got off of. He takes a second,
laughs, and throws her a coin purse for her
victory.
Rolling with the Punches
Most brawlers train to use their fists in combat almost
exclusively. They lack the grace and discipline of monks, but
replace that with brutality and bloodied knuckles. There are
many reasons one may trust their own fists and combat
prowess over armor and weapons, but all have earned the
reputation that even the most skilled swordfighter carries.
Brawlers are also known for their ability to pull terrifying
combos as well as using the rush of battle to sharpen their
focus and power.
You will need to figure out why your Brawler learned to
fight. Be it they learned to use fists for a specific purpose like
information gathering, perhaps they’ve always fought with
fisticuffs for sport, or maybe they simply grew used to it as a
youth while surviving the city. If their motivation was hunger,
did they want to earn coin to buy food or simply knock out
those with food they could take. These experiences shape
every Brawler.
In Combat
Brawlers use the momentum of combat to pull off advantages
on their enemies. It can help them focus their attacks easier
to make punches hit, or help them weave out of danger's way.
But more than that, there are other methods these
combatants use. Some have learned how to thrive while
surrounded by opponents while others are able to react to
hostile movements with a speed and skill that lets them win a
fight before the enemy even attacks. There are even some
brawlers who have been transformed via mystical means and
use unnatural might.
Class Features
As a Brawler, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Brawler level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution
modifier per Brawler level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Strength
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation,
Perception, Performance
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
equipment granted by your background:
(a) a simple weapon
(a) An Explorer's pack or (b) An Entertainer's Pack
(a) A memento of past exploits (Trinket)
Bare Knuckles
At level 1 you start with an increase to your unarmed damage
which is represented by a d4. This damage die increases with
your brawler level, shown on the chart. When you take the
attack action with an unarmed attack, you may make another
unarmed attack as a bonus action. Additionally, your
unarmed attacks crit on rolls of 19.
Built on Bruises
At level 1, while wearing no armor you may add +2 to your
AC. This increases to +3 at level 6, +4 at level 14, and +5 at
level 20. It is not compatible with Natural Defense from
Barbarians or Monks.
Alternatively if you wear any armor you are proficient with
you may choose to negate the armor's natural AC bonus in
return for using this feature while still gaining any additional
bonuses it offers. Essentially gaining magical benefits only.
Momentum
At 2nd level, your brawler learns how to build Momentum in
combat. This is a resource that builds by 1 for every
successful unarmed attack you launch on a single target. If
you miss, or do not attack on your turn, your built momentum
diminishes by 1. There are multiple uses for momentum in
combat.
1) You may use your bonus action to spend Momentum
when missing on an unarmed attack roll. For each point of
Momentum spent, add 1 to the attack roll.
2) You may use your reaction to spend Momentum to
increase your AC by 1 per 2 momentum. This boost lasts
until your next turn.
3) For every spent point up to (STR Mod), you increase
your unarmed critical hit damage dice count (After doubling
the dice) by this many dice, represented by your Brawler’s
current unarmed damage die.
You only build up to (Brawler level + Strength Modifier)
momentum.
Momentum as a resource
Momentum may seem somewhat complicated at
first glance but is designed to be a resource to
build from scratch at the beginning of every battle
for several different uses. It can be used either for
small constant advantages or powerful ones when
used sparingly depending on the player's choices.
PART 1 | Brawler 1
 The Brawler
Level Proficiency Bonus Bare Knuckles Built on Bruises Features
1st +2 1d4 +2 AC Bare Knuckles, Built on Bruises
2nd +2 1d4 +2 AC Momentum, Wakey-Wake
3rd +2 1d4 +2 AC Brawling Practice
4th +2 1d4 +2 AC Ability Stat Improvement
5th +3 1d4 +2 AC Extra Attack
6th +3 1d6 +3 AC Brawling Practice Feature
7th +3 1d6 +3 AC Get the Blood Pumping
8th +3 1d6 +3 AC Ability Stat Improvement
9th +4 1d6 +3 AC Muscles Abounding
10th +4 1d8 +3 AC Brawling Practice Feature
11th +4 1d8 +3 AC Butterfly's Grace, Extra Attack
12th +4 1d8 +3 AC Ability Stat Improvement
13th +5 1d8 +3 AC Re-Balanced Attack
14th +5 1d8 +4 AC Brawling Practice Feature
15th +5 1d10 +4 AC Sexual Tyrannosaurus
16th +5 1d10 +4 AC Ability Stat Improvement
17th +6 1d10 +4 AC Well-Armed
18th +6 1d10 +4 AC Brawling Practice Feature
19th +6 1d10 +4 AC Ability Stat Improvement
20th +6 1d12 +5 AC Brute Eternal

Wakey-wakey
At 2nd level you may awaken any hostile creature you can
communicate with, who was non-lethally KOed in combat you
participated in. They are frightened of you, and gain
disadvantage to all saves against you in questioning them.
You also gain advantage on any and all charisma rolls to
question them or manipulate them. This may only happen to
one survivor per combat. This effect ends whenever the
creature is gone from your presence for more than an hour.
Brawling Practice
You choose the type of Brawling Practice maintained by your
character, which shapes the kind of Brawler they become.
Included in this are the Thug, Pugilist, & Enhanced
Practices. Your practice will gain additional features at levels
6, 10, 14, & 18.
Attribute/Feat
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and
19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice
by 2, or two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you
can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once,
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
At level 11, you may attack three times when you use the
attack action.
Get the Blood Pumping
At 7th level, you gain momentum as your focus intensifies
with every dodge and parry. For every unsuccessful enemy
attack on you, you gain 1 momentum.
Muscles Abounding
Starting at 9th level it is clear You are a physical threat
walking manifest. Despite even a gentle approach you might
keep around you, people think twice of crossing you if they
don’t have to. You may add your strength modifier to any
charisma checks made in non-hostile social situations such
as shopping, or finding information. Situations with hostility
in the air do not get this bonus. Ultimately this is up to the
DM’s Discretion.

2 PART 2 | Brawler
Butterfly’s Grace
Reaching 11th level, you’ve gained mobility in escaping
sudden area attacks. Successful Dex Saves take no damage,
and these saves are made at advantage. You may also drain
your momentum to raise your higher roll by 1 per 2
momentum used.
Re-Balanced Attack
Starting at 13th level, You may reroll all 1s in critical
unarmed damage dice until they are no longer 1s.
Sexual Tyrannosaurus
At 15th Level, Your body has been honed in various training
methods allowing you to traverse difficult traveling methods
with ease. Carrying weight is doubled, climbing and swim
speeds are doubled, and you suffer exhaustion effects at -1
level.
Well Armed
Now at 17th level when you use your bonus action to make an
unarmed attack you may make a second unarmed attack.
Brute Eternal
At 20th level, all you've endured has left you able to keep
yourself standing. The first time in a day when taken to 0 hp,
you may instead stay at 1 hp. If you go to 0 hp again this day,
you may roll a Con check. If you beat a 5 DC you stay at 0,
other wise go back to 1 hp. Every time you are taken down
the difficulty on the roll goes up by 5. You may lower the
difficulty by 5 with a short rest. The difficulty doesn’t reset
completely until you receive a long rest’s benefit.
Revive DC Previously KOed (without rest)
0 0
5 1
10 2 Street Tyranny
15 3 At 10th level, your ability to keep people afraid of you
20 4 too afraid to disobey. Your lackey per general area limit
25 5 increases to (Brawler level + CHA modifier).
Brawling Practices
There are three common practices when encountering a
brawler. These aren't so much formal training but simply the
classification of Brawler that your experiences and skills have
defined them as, best as anyone can name.
Thug Practice
Your brawler got thier brawling practice on the streets or as a
survivor. Thugs tend to put their own life above others, and
have little need of honor as they know surviving is all that
matters. They built their practice entirely on dirty fighting and
getting the job done with as much money as they can carry.
No Time to Bleed
When you choose this practice at 3rd level, you've learned to
hone momentum to build focus on weaving around enemies
and hitting them where they can’t see before they know what
happened. As a thug you gain the following benefits.
1) Building momentum grants a passive bonus for you.
Every 5 momentum built gives you +1 to unarmed attack
rolls.
2) You may also expend momentum as a reaction to lower
an enemy’s rolled damage inflicted on them by 2 per 1
momentum.
3) Furthermore you use every resource around yourself.
One handed simple weapons are considered unarmed for
Momentum use. Improvised weapons are vital in whatever
can be used in the moment to trim enemy numbers, and are
granted proficiency in attacks and also considered unarmed
in regards to momentum. Many Thugs have been known to
brutally swing one enemy into another, needing no weapon
but their target’s own allies.
Thugs also become proficient in Deception.
Figure of Nightmares
When you awaken a survivor of combat with the Wakey-
Wakey feature, you may opt to keep them in your employ as a
lackey as long as you are in town or know their whereabouts.
Their fear of you never waivers if you are in sight. The
disadvantage and advantage relationship never vanishes
unless you allow it. You may only have (CHA Modifier)
lackeys per general area (city/town/settlement) as defined by
the DM.
Meat Shield
Starting at 6th level, using a bonus action you may target an
enemy you’ve made an unarmed attack against, and perform
a grapple check at advantage. When you see danger coming,
you may choose to use your reaction and instead have your
grappled target take all of the incoming damage for the
current turn.
increases. You may build entire gangs and networks of those
Savage Scrapper
Now at 14th level when you use the attack action, you may
spend momentum when you roll an unarmed attack against
an enemy, for each point spent you may target aother enemy
adjacent to both you and the original target. Roll damage
once for all hit targets.
Thug Life
At 18th level when your grappled target dies from taking
damage per your reaction use, you may immediately grapple
an adjacent creature and use them as your new Meat Shield.
You immediately gain 1 more reaction as well.
PART 3 | Brawler 3
 Pugilist Practice
Your brawler got their practice with athletic means. One who
trained to fight for professional use and keeps pride in their
every action as a result. Common with fame in certain circles,
you may find fans in fighting circles.
Counter-shots
When choosing Pugilist as a practice, you learn to counter
enemies when an attack is declared against you, and usually
before it is rolled. Before or after, you announce your plan to
counter before the roll. This is used with your reaction and is
a single unarmed melee attack in most cases. This skill has
helped many to knock out an enemy before they could make
contact. You can use these counter-shots (STR Modifier)
times before needing a long rest. Successful offensive
counter-shots build 3 momentum. Your amount of available
counter-shots will increase by (STR Mod) at level 6, 12, and
18.
Blockbuster
You throw a heavy punch. It comes after the enemy attacks
but does +10 damage if it hits.
Eye-Jab
Taking a shot straight at the enemy’s eyes. On a successful
hit, it grants disadvantage to the incoming attack.
Haymaker
You had a punch ready and waiting, throwing your weight into
it to spin the enemy around. On a successful hit, the enemy
rolls a wis save. On a failed save, the attack goes to another
creature within range. Ally or enemy. If no other creature is in
range it attacks nothing.
Parry
You launch a hand forward to deflect the incoming attack and
send it off target. The enemy rolls their attack and you
immediately roll your unarmed damage die without modifiers
to add to your AC against this one attack.
Quick Shot
You throw a light but well aimed punch forward. It’s straight
forward, and doubles your Strength modifier in the attack
roll.
Furious Combos
At 6th level your unarmed attacks deal one extra damage per
all previous successful unarmed attacks in your current turn.
Counter-shots do not carry this chain bonus and it closes at
the end of your turn.
Improved Counter-shots
At 10th level, you may choose 2 Improved Counter-shots from
the following list. When used they provide a +5 to your
momentum but otherwise follow the same rules. You may
only use one between long rests.
At 20th level, you may use 2 between long rests.
When leveling you may choose to replace both choices.
4 PART 4 | Brawler
Improved Blockbuster
You throw a heavy punch. It comes after the enemy attacks
but if it hits is an automatic crit and uses all momentum
earned as well as the +5 for using this Counter-shot.
Improved Eye-Jab
Taking a shot straight at the enemy’s eyes. On a successful
hit, it blinds and distracts the enemy for (STR Modifier)
turns.
Improved Haymaker
You had a punch ready and waiting, throwing your weight into
it to spin the enemy around. On a successful hit, the enemy
rolls a wis save. On a fail, the hit launches the enemy toward
it’s nearest ally within the target’s remaining movement speed
where their attack automatically hits that ally if it is in range
and does your (STR) bonus damage.
Improved Parry
You ready your hands to deflect all incoming attacks and send
them off target. The enemy rolls their attack and you
immediately add your unarmed damage die’s highest value
(without modifiers) to your AC until the start of your next
turn.
Improved Quick Shots
You throw a combo of light but well aimed punches forward.
It’s straight forward, and doubles your proficiency in the
attack rolls as you use your full attack action against them.
Taunt
At 14th Level, you may challenge an enemy during combat.
They must roll a contested wis save vs your intimidation. You
may roll at advantage, and add Momentum to look more
intimidating. Improve your roll by 1 per 3 momentum. If they
fail, they are fixated on you and attack at disadvantage if
targeting anyone but you. They may not move further away
from you either. They may shake off the effect with an action
to roll a wisdom save, or if you leave their vision.
Unlimited Counter Technique
AT 18th level you may use a reaction to launch a counter
attack when an attack is declared against you but after they
roll. You may choose to expend any and all momentum to use
as extra damage dice if successful at 1 point per Unarmed
damage die.
Enchanted Practice Credit
Some brawlers were gifted magically with their physical Momentum resource idea conceived with my friend Ben.
power. Be it by a magic fruit that increased all their physical Made with Homebrewery.
prowess or a supernatural being having a bit of fun. Maybe https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/
you were the subject of a magical buffing experimentation
and something went wonderfully right.
Magic Touch
When you choose this practice at 3rd level you learn how to
exert momentum to channel arcane effects on successful
unarmed attacks, all of which are considered magical.
Enchanted Brawlers may read spell scrolls, using Strength,
as the spellcasting ability.
Choosing from cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, radiant,
or thunder for the type of damage. You channel an extra point
of damage per spent momentum when rolling damage,
limited up to (STR Modifier) momentum. Or choosing to
inherit only one type of magical energy from that damage
type list, you may only use the selected option permanently
but get to roll 1d4 per spent momentum with the same limit.
Fistful of Doom
Starting at 5th level, You have learned how to focus arcane
energy into form. Spending a bonus action, your next attack
action is granted reach. Your unarmed attacks project
another 5 feet. You may spend Momentum to increase attack
range by 5 feet per point of momentum spent..
Leaping Mountains
At 10th level Momentum now increases jump distance. You
may add 30 feet to jump height and distance per momentum
used. Jumping with this ability ensures safe landings, you take
no fall damage.
Mystic Muscles
Now at 14th level your Enchanted body is totally protected
from the effects of aging, natural and magical. As well as
being immune to disease and poison. You gain resistance to
slashing and piercing damage as your body laughs off
attempts to cut it.
Arcane Might
Reaching 18th level when spending Momentum on critical
damage dice, the damage rolled is now doubled along with
your unarmed die. Choose from cold, fire, lightning, necrotic,
radiant, or thunder for the type of damage the extra dice
added from Momentum inflict. If you previously choose to
inherit a singular damage type, use that and choose (STR
Modifier) amount of dice after rolled to show the highest
number.

PART 5 | Brawler 5