So...I look at these two Fighter Archetypes for a character concept of mine, and I gotta say...I think I like Brawler more. Brawler gets cool stuff, can wear armor, -and- he also is proficient and skilled at using unarmed strikes, just like the Unarmed Fighter. The Unarmed Fighter gets Monk weapons, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't get flurry, so he just gets to use weird weapons?
Now, I'm sure I'm being an idiot, and I'm sure that there are immense advantages to the UF that I'm just not seeing. So...what are they? What are the advantages to being an Unarmed Fighter?
Also, can an Unarmed Fighter still use regular weapons, like Longswords, axes or that little Xena throwing ring?
The Brawler is all about getting up in people's faces and outputting a lot of damage with Close Combatant. The Unarmed Fighter excels more at control, getting a lot of abilities that combine two maneuvers into one, add a maneuver onto an attack, or reduce or eliminate the negatives of using maneuvers. He also gets a boost on using Combat Styles at first level.
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Unarmed Fighter gets DR/x while grappling, and can still wear light armor. Unarmed fighter still gets weapon training instead of Close Combatant, so they can use gloves of dueling where the brawler cant.
Unarmed fighter does not have prof in all martial weapons like a standard fighter, so they can't use a longsword without a feat or multiclass. But there are some really good monk weapons like the temple sword or sansekuton that they are proficient in so it's not much of a loss except the fact that longswords are much more common.
Basic breakdown is Brawler will do more damage, while Unarmed Fighter has more tricks available in maneuvers and is better defensively.
Unarmed Fighter gets DR/x while grappling, and can still wear light armor. Unarmed fighter still gets weapon training instead of Close Combatant, so they can use gloves of dueling where the brawler cant.
Unarmed fighter does not have prof in all martial weapons like a standard fighter, so they can't use a longsword without a feat or multiclass. But there are some really good monk weapons like the temple sword or sansekuton that they are proficient in so it's not much of a loss except the fact that longswords are much more common.
Basic breakdown is Brawler will do more damage, while Unarmed Fighter has more tricks available in maneuvers and is better defensively.
Unarmed fighter never states that it loses proficiency with martial weapons, so it still has those proficencies. It just also has proficiency in all monk weapons.
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Unarmed fighter never states that it loses proficiency with martial weapons, so it still has those proficencies. It just also has proficiency in all monk weapons.
Hmmm... I just reread the entry and you are right. I was always reading "An unarmed fighter is proficient with all monk weapons, including exotic monk weapons." as replacing standard proficiency, but it doesn't actually say the other proficiencies are removed like it does for Heavy and Medium armor and shields.
Unarmed fighter just got a little better for me, but you can still only use weapon training in monk and natural weapons.
Yeah, but you can also have a Greatsword as a backup, just in case.
I actually view brawler as more useful for battlefield control due to the combo of one of its abilities with a specific feat (which the Devs pretty much told you to take by making one of the later abilities that is them screaming "Just take the feat already")
You see, the feat called Stand Still allows you to do a CMB check to stop an opponent's movement involving adjacent squares if it would draw an AoO. The aptly named "No Escape" ability, when broken down, basically gives you an AoO for any type of movement the opponent uses to get away from you. Combined, this means that you can trap opponents in your adjacent square.
When you also add the "Menacing Stance" ability, it would also be hard for your target to get off ranged attacks or spells as well since they get a level scaling penalty to their attack rolls and concentration checks (up to -4 and -7 respectively at later levels) when yous stand next to them. So, how is this different from grappling in overall effect? Your archer, casters, and other squishy party members will still be able to stay up on their sniping position while you hold the enemy in place.
Heck, this approach might be better than grappling since you can set it up with a charge and you maintain it with actions made outside of your own turn. Plus, you might be able to hold down more than one opponents with this.