use a shield, and then make them hurt with that shield. helps AC a bit and is a viable brawler weapon.
I play them like I would play a fighter, someone who will use the best tool for the job at any given time.
My first order of business was to grab a level of barbarian, to get access to all martial weapons.
Imho, that's the key. There's a ton of versatility there, and it puts you one move away from whatever exotic weapon you need.
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You can't Brawler's Flurry with natural weapons. Feral Combat Training works with Flurry of Blows because it specifically says it trumps the rule. It has no mention of BF.
Anyway, Brawlers are best used for battlefield control. They have low AC and low attack bonus (beyond full-BAB), so you are better off tripping people and taking advantage of the +4 to attack prone targets.
Combat Reflexes is so important for them - Vicious Stomp, Paired Opportunists, Counterpunch, all those work better with higher number of AoOs.
Unarmed tripping builds are somewhat better because you can benefit from Janni Style or Wolf Style. Disorienting Maneuver works well with their low ACP and high potential Acrobatics.
Make sure to exploit Martial Flexibility - if facing fliers, have a back up plan. If facing huge creatures, pick up The Harder they Fall and pray someone around you has it as well.
Josh, i'd been thinking the same thing. I'm wondering about a Half Orc Brawler "Flurry of Bites" build. Grab the toothy trait and then load up on feats to make his natural attack better. Combine with Feral Combat Training and Flurry and NOM NOM NOM!!!
That actually sounds pretty neat. I'd want to try this, only as a Halfling with the adopted trait to get toothy.
He thinks he's a shark, but he's more of a piranha.
It sounds like you May have to post your character if we are to give you proper advice. Putting con as your Best stat makes me say that.
But just out of the box i Can say get pummeling style, grap a maneuvre or two along with focus, spec and power attack of cause. Use flex to get feats that is situational usefull and consider offense your Best defense. And get a Brawling armor.
Josh, i'd been thinking the same thing. I'm wondering about a Half Orc Brawler "Flurry of Bites" build. Grab the toothy trait and then load up on feats to make his natural attack better. Combine with Feral Combat Training and Flurry and NOM NOM NOM!!!
That actually sounds pretty neat. I'd want to try this, only as a Halfling with the adopted trait to get toothy.
He thinks he's a shark, but he's more of a piranha.
isent toothy the kind of trait that is beyond adopted.
You're right, though there is an actual trait that does give you a bite attack. It's 1d2 however, you'd have to rely on static mods.
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isent toothy the kind of trait that is beyond adopted.Josh, i'd been thinking the same thing. I'm wondering about a Half Orc Brawler "Flurry of Bites" build. Grab the toothy trait and then load up on feats to make his natural attack better. Combine with Feral Combat Training and Flurry and NOM NOM NOM!!!
That actually sounds pretty neat. I'd want to try this, only as a Halfling with the adopted trait to get toothy.
He thinks he's a shark, but he's more of a piranha.
Technically, yes (it's a Racial Trait like Skilled, not a Trait in the usual sense). But there's a Trait called Tusked that is a Trait in the usual sense and does exactly the same thing.
Not to derail the thread, SW, but the FAQs and other rules posts seem to allow it. YMMV.
links?
Brawler doesn't HAVE to punch. They are a full BAB class, and they can flurry with Monk and Close weapons. Use a Punching Dagger, Bash with a Shield, or a flurry a nine-ring broadsword.
In fact, you can deal fairly decent damage if you grab something 2 handed due to power attack. You gets 1.5x power attack on all of those attacks. While most TWF builds only get a cumulative 1.5x power attack, monks and brawlers can get x3 across both 'hands'.
Grabbing a quarterstaff, a bayonet, or grabbing a proficiency feat to grab a temple sword or something is not a bad idea, and they let you get decent damage even when you are moving.
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Feral Combat Training doesn't work for Brawler sadly. Checked.
Does Brawler's Flurry count as as Flurry of Blows for the feat Feral Combat Training? A brawler does count as a monk for feats and can use monk weapon during a flurry but doesn't have the class feature.
It doesn't include text to say it counts as flurry of blows, so it doesn't on its own. If you feel like changing it for your home game, though, no reason you couldn't.
It's not because you aren't a monk. Its because you don't have Flurry of Blows and Brawler's Flurry isn't that ability.
Thanks guys. I think I will take some levels of barbarian as well then, partly for the access to more weapons, but also for the extra HP, and more importantly, for the rage. Rage, and the rage ability surge of strength, would work perfectly with this build because all together I think I get +6 strength, giving me an expected strength of 26 (hoping I roll high on the stats!) That gives me a pretty hefty bonus +8? to my CMB for trips. Also for flavour. Anyone remember that guy in the pathfinder rule book throwing himself at someone in a bar fight? Yeah, I want to be him.
Another interesting option would be to combine wizard/sorcerer with the brawler, focusing on self buffing spells. It would be quite cool to cast bulls strength on yourself, stride into combat and start throwing people around, shocking grasping as you punch, fireball whenever you need to and then punching again. Plus, that would work better from a flavor point of view for me. Having done muay thai I know just how powerful striking, and particularly knees, are. I imagine a well placed knee (most often to the bladder) would down an opponent wearing padded or chain armour, but plate of any sort would render most options useless. At least if he were an arcane striking brawler I would have a reason in my mind for why his knees are able to pierce metal plates. I know his fists are treated as magic weapons anyway, but I think that is a stupid rule. At least a sorcerer brawler would give me a fluff excuse for why that is.
Also, they synergise quite well (not amazing, but im not a meta gamer so it doesnt matter to me). Light armour combined with the arcane armour feat means ac with no spell failure, plus mage armour, plus possible dragonic natural armour depending on bloodline, plus possible natural attacks for the same reason, plus added strength (bulls strength) for throws and grapples. Best of all, you would never need any equipment ever, and would have high cha, so in theory you could be the face of the party, blend in well, sneak into places...
I think going Brawler with pehaps a 2 level dip in Moms monk is the Way to go. Mixing in wizard or sorcerer sounds like a terrible idea. If you want to be a magic punch guy? I suggest a sacred Fist war prirst or a Kensai magus with unarmed strike as his favored weapon(get two levels Moms monk to start to get snake style and snake fang) with AOO at every missed attack and what Can be the highest AC in the game along with level to Dam from level 5 that Can be a good Way to go.
Feral Combat Training doesn't work for Brawler sadly. Checked.
It's not because you aren't a monk. Its because you don't have Flurry of Blows and Brawler's Flurry isn't that ability.Does Brawler's Flurry count as as Flurry of Blows for the feat Feral Combat Training? A brawler does count as a monk for feats and can use monk weapon during a flurry but doesn't have the class feature.
It doesn't include text to say it counts as flurry of blows, so it doesn't on its own. If you feel like changing it for your home game, though, no reason you couldn't.
The frog knows.
Yarr, I'm going to bump this thread as I'm working on a brawler for the Iron Gods adventure path (yarr, no spoilers). Anyhow, I do like battlefield control mentioned by Secret Wizard, perform isn't on the skill list for the brawler. And my brawler beats up dancers :) Anyhow, I was thinking to pick up something like dodge so I could pick up a feat that uses it as a prerequisite in a pinch. Really going for a basic feat tree bottom, so that the other feats will be open using her martial flexablility. I do like the idea of using a shield to improve AC.
So, how has your shield bashing character worked, and what's your favorite combat feat tree (bottom)?
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The way I'm doing is 3 levels of Exemplar Brawler for group support without losing Martial Versatility and a racial weapon proficiency (Half Orc) to make up for the lack of unarmed strike. A brief tour in Standard Bearer Cavalier for the level 2 Cockatrice standard action Dazzling Display as well as armor proficiency. Then going through Battle Herald. Bam, full BAB fighter with good armor and weapons and a variety of morale shifting abilities.
The point is, Brawler is a great starting point but it isn't the endpoint. Get a race with a good weapon proficiency, since Unarmed Strikes start with low damage, only crit on a 20 and for x2. Or dip Barbarian for weapons and rage. Or Alchemists for archetype free mutagen and an early discovery. Hell, build it for archery if you're so inclined.
Bring -something- to the class to shore up damage while your Brawler features cover the tricky stuff.
The ability to switch feats is the key IMO. My first Brawler character was a Magus who sampled Brawler as his 4th level. It provided a huge amount of versatility from Improved Initiative to Cleave to Mounted Combat at exactly the right moment.
The Brawler I started at first level uses a Long spear and heavy mace as his weapons. Power Attack opened up a lot of Feats to choose from depending on the combat situation.
There is an Inquisitor in the party and I am looking over the Teamwork Feats for possibilities in the future.
*Manifests Psionic Revivify on Thread*
I have a question about the half-orc Brawler favored class option of "Add 1/4 to the brawler’s effective level to determine her unarmed strike damage."
what happens at level 17-20?
.
.
.
Following the progression pattern:
20 === 2d10
21 === 2d10
22 === 2d10
23 === 2d10
24 === 4d8
25 === 4d8
or do you not increase since it goes by a table and not a specified scaling progression such as the rogue sneak attack?
thanks for any answers
Your unarmed strikes would deal 2d10 damage, since that is the highest amount of damage that they can deal according to the Brawler class chart.
However, the Half-Orc bonus would also allow you to deal 2d10 damage with every close weapon you can get your hands on, since the Close Weapon Mastery class feature scales off of the Brawler's unarmed damage.