Rhythm Brawler

Dum dut da da. Dum dut da da. Your heartbeat keeps rhythm as your soul surges forth. You dance around the battlefield. Your punches, kicks and spells fire off in time with the music of your inner fire; In time with the tempo of the world around you. Your rhythm inspires your allies and instills fear in your enemies.

Unarmed Combatant

3rd-level Rhythm Brawler feature

When you become a Rhythm Brawler at 3rd level, your unarmed attacks hit harder and faster. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or only wielding a weapon in one hand.

• Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a weapon you are wielding with one hand on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn.

Rhythmic Surge

3rd-level Rhythm Brawler feature

In battle, the music in your heart awakens, imbuing you with supernatural strength and focus. Your awakened heart beats rhythmically like a drum, and is audible for up to 30 feet. Its cadence empowers and emboldens your allies who hear it. You can invoke your rhythmic surge as a bonus action, provided you aren't wearing medium or heavy armor. The surge lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you don medium or heavy armor. You can also dismiss the rhythmic surge at any time (no action required).

While your Rhythmic Surge is active, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
• Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
• You can use your heartbeat as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells, leaving your hands free.
• As a bonus action you can expend a bardic inspiration die to grant each creature you choose within 30 feet who can hear you temporary hit points equal to the number rolled.
• When you reach level 6 in this class, your rhythmic surge also grants the benefits of the Countercharm class ability to you and every friendly creature within range while it is active. (No action required)

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Extra Attack

6th-level Rhythm Brawler feature

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks.

Protective Measure

6th-level Rhythm Brawler feature

While your Rhythmic Surge is active, you can magically attenuate damage directed toward your allies. Whenever a creature other than yourself within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to expend one spell slot and reduce that damage by an amount equal to five times the spell slot’s level.

One with the Rhythm

14th-level Rhythm Brawler feature

At 14th level, you have developed an innate sense to read the ebb and flow of battle. While your Rhythmic Surge is active, you gain blindsight for 10 feet and all attacks made against you within 10 feet have disadvantage. Additionally, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws.