"Improved" Brawler (Fighter Archetype)

[Detect Magic]

Brawler (Fighter Archetype)

All melee is up close and personal, but some warriors bring it as close as they can get. Brawlers can be found anywhere, among all races and societies. A brawler could be hired muscle in a tavern, a local crime syndicate enforcer, or a hotheaded recruit among the ranks of a baron’s guard. Often brawlers’ in-your-face attitudes are as powerful as their tactics.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A brawler is not proficient with medium armor, heavy armor, or shields.

Fist Fighter (Ex): At 1st level, a brawler gains the Improved Unarmed Strike and Stunning Fist as bonus feats. He may attempt a stunning attack a number of times per day equal to his fighter level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than fighter.

In addition, a brawler adds 1-1/2 times his Strength bonus on the damage roll for his first unarmed strike on a given round.

This ability replaces the bonus feat at 1st level.

Tough Guy (Ex): At 2nd level, a brawler gains DR/— equal to half his fighter level against nonlethal damage or damage taken while he is grappled.

This ability replaces bravery.

Defensive Flurry (Ex): At 3rd level, when a brawler makes a full attack with a weapon from the close weapon group, he gains a +1 bonus to AC against melee attacks until the beginning of his next turn. At 7th level, and every four fighter levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 19th level.

This ability replaces armor training 1 and 4.

Close Combatant (Ex): At 5th level, a brawler gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 bonus on damage rolls with weapons in the close weapon group. At 9th level, and every four fighter levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1 and +2, respectively, to a maximum of +4 and +8 at 19th level.

This ability replaces Weapon Training 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Clever Wrestler (Ex): At 7th level, a brawler takes no penalties to Dexterity or on attack rolls while grappled, and retains his Dexterity bonus to AC while pinning an opponent. The brawler can make attacks of opportunity even when grappled and even against creatures attempting to grapple him if the opponent has the Improved Grapple feat or the grab ability.

This ability replaces armor training 2.

Takedown (Ex): At 11th level, if a brawler succeeds on a drag or grapple maneuver, he can attempt a trip maneuver against the same target as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

This ability replaces armor training 3.

Sucker Punch (Ex): At 19th level, when a brawler strikes a creature that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, he may perform an unarmed strike as an attack of opportunity against that creature, at a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If he hits, the brawler adds twice his Strength bonus on the damage roll.

This ability replaces armor mastery.

Weapon Mastery (Ex): A brawler must select the close weapon group with this ability.

Set out to create a better fist-fighting-fighter. Combined many aspects of the brawler and unarmed fighter, so this archetype is really meant to replace the both of 'em. Whatcha think?

[JiCi]

I think the only thing it needs would be a progressive increase in the unarmed damage, like 1d4 (1st level to 5th), 1d6 (6th to 10th), 1d8 (11th to 15th) and 1d10 (16th to 20th)... because seriously, you're not gonna be a valuable fighter if you hit with 1d3 all the time.

[Borthos Brewhammer]

The brawler is fine, why do you want to redo it? The unarmed fighter should be renamed the grappler, but the brawler is a beast in his own right. The only issue I houserule is the bonus he gets goes to the 3 CM also goes towards tripping.

[Detect Magic]

@ JiCi: Improved Unarmed Strike increases base damage with unarmed strike (1d6 for a medium creature). Though, I do agree that scaling damage would be nice.

@ Borthos: I'd like an unarmed/grappler fighter to be viable (as an alternative to the monk/tetori). As I prefer the unarmed fighter, I merely borrowed a couple things from here and there, spliced 'em into the archetype, and re-named it "Grappler."

[Detect Magic]

- Restricted proficiencies:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A brawler is proficient in all simple weapons, and light armor, but not shields.

- Altered "Fist Fighter," as noted in bold:

Fist Fighter (Ex): At 1st level, a brawler gains the Improved Unarmed Strike and Stunning Fist as bonus feats, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. He may attempt a stunning attack a number of times per day equal to his fighter level, plus an additional time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than fighter.

In addition, a brawler applies 1-1/2 times his Strength modifier to his first damage roll in a round. On each subsequent attack, he applies his full Strength modifier (even if using Two-Weapon Fighting; off-hand attacks are not reduced).

- Removed "Close Combatant" in favor of:

Iron Fists (Ex): At 5th level, a brawler gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 bonus on damage rolls made with unarmed strikes. At 9th level, and every four fighter levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1 and +2, respectively, to a maximum of +4 and +8 at 17th level. In addition, at each of these levels the damage dice used by the brawler when making an unarmed strike increases by one size (1d8 at 5th, 1d10 at 9th, 2d6 at 13th, 2d8 at 17th).

- Altered "Sucker Punch," as noted in bold:

Sucker Punch (Ex): At 19th level, when a brawler strikes a creature that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, he may perform an unarmed strike as an attack of opportunity against that creature, at a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If he hits, the brawler adds twice his Strength bonus on the damage roll, and his target is staggered for 1d4+1 rounds. A Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the fighter's level + the fighter's Strength modifier) negates the staggered condition.

[Borthos Brewhammer]

Detect Magic wrote:

@ JiCi: Improved Unarmed Strike increases base damage with unarmed strike (1d6 for a medium creature).

Um....no it doesn't?

[Detect Magic]

I see. I have been mistaken. Been ruling it that way for so long (homebrew). Hadn't realized.