Path of the Brute

Barbarians who follow the Path of the Brute are not polished duelists, sacred martial artists, or battlefield tacticians. They are fighters shaped by bruises, hunger, hard lessons, and ugly survival. Some learned to fight in taverns, prison yards, back alleys, underground rings, military camps, or gladiatorial pits. Others were trained by mentors who saw something dangerous in them and tried to turn raw anger into something useful.

A Brute’s strength is not only in their fists, but in the way they carry themselves. They know how to read a room before violence starts, how to make someone flinch with a stare, and how to turn fear into control. They are not graceful in the way monks are graceful, but there is rhythm in their violence: the shift of weight before a hook, the shoulder lowered before a charge, the brutal timing of a counterblow.

To walk this path is to become a living weapon without needing steel. A Brute can make a broken bottle as threatening as a dagger, a chair as useful as a club, and a clenched fist as dangerous as a warhammer. Their rage is not wild flailing; it is pressure, momentum, and punishment given form.

Origin of the Brute

d6	Origin
1	You once sought discipline at a monastery, hoping meditation and martial training would quiet your rage. It didn’t. Instead, you twisted those lessons into something harsher, heavier, and far less graceful.
2	You fought for coin in underground rings, gladiator pits, or pankration matches, learning how to break holds, throw bodies, and keep swinging long after cleaner fighters would fall.
3	You grew up around taverns, alleys, docks, or crowded streets where every argument could become a brawl. You learned to use fists, bottles, chairs, walls, and the bodies of your enemies as weapons.
4	Someone important to you left behind old medals, fighting manuals, worn hand wraps, or trophies from a brutal past. You studied what they left behind, turning grief into a fighting style worthy of their memory.
5	You once worked as hired muscle for criminals, mercenaries, debt collectors, or local toughs. You learned that fear, leverage, and a well-timed broken nose could solve problems faster than a drawn blade.
6	You survived by fighting for food, shelter, freedom, respect, or revenge. Every scar taught you a lesson, and every beating became another reason to hit harder next time.

Level 3: Enforcer

Your body, reputation, and presence make you dangerous before the first punch is thrown. You gain the following benefits:

Street Muscle. You gain Expertise in Athletics and Intimidation. You can use Strength instead of Charisma for Intimidation checks. In addition, while you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield, you can add your Strength modifier to your Initiative rolls.

Bruiser’s Poise.  While you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield, you can use your Strength modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier for your Unarmored Defense.

Rough Company. After spending at least 1 hour carousing, drinking, gambling, brawling, or mingling with criminals, mercenaries, pit fighters, gang members, or similar folk in a settlement, you have Advantage on checks to gather information about that settlement’s criminal activity, factions, dangerous locations, rumors, and powerful figures.

Level 3: Fisticuffs

You gain the Tavern Brawler feat. If you already have it, choose another Origin feat instead.

For you, Tavern Brawler also gains the following benefits:

Brute Weapons. Your Unarmed Strikes, improvised weapons, and simple melee weapons count as Brute Weapons for you. A Brute Weapon counts as a simple melee weapon only for features from this subclass. In addition, when you hit an object or structure with a Brute Weapon attack, the attack deals double damage to that object or structure.

Improved Combatant. While you aren’t wielding a Heavy weapon or shield, you can make one attack with a Brute Weapon or attempt to Grapple as a Bonus Action.

Brute Die. You can roll your Brute Die in place of the normal damage of a Brute Weapon. Your Brute Die is a d6 at 3rd level, 2d4 at 6th level, d10 at 10th level, and 2d6 at 14th level.

Improved Improvisation. When you attack with an Unarmed Strike or improvised weapon, you can give it one of the following weapon masteries for that attack: Push, Sap, or Topple.

Level 3: Unarmed & Dangerous

When you enter your Rage, you gain the following benefits while raging:

Brace Up. When you enter your Rage, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to twice your Rage Damage bonus. These Temporary Hit Points vanish when your Rage ends.

While raging, when you take damage and have no Temporary Hit Points remaining, you can use your Reaction to gain Temporary Hit Points equal to twice your Rage Damage bonus.

Haymaker. Once per turn, when you use Reckless Attack with a Brute Weapon, you deal extra damage equal to one roll of your Brute Die.

If you use this benefit, the attack can’t benefit from Advantage.

Payback. When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with an attack roll, you can use your Reaction to make one attack with a Brute Weapon against it.

Level 6: Float Like a Fairy

Your brute force is no longer slow or clumsy.

While raging, you can make one Unarmed Strike as a Bonus Action. When you do, you can also take the Dash or Disengage action as part of that same Bonus Action.

If you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield, you can take both the Dash and Disengage actions as part of that Bonus Action instead.

Also, you gain a Climb Speed and Swim Speed equal to your Speed, and your jump distance is doubled.

Level 6: Sting Like a Sprite

The power behind your rage gathers around your fists and anything you turn into a weapon.

Your Brute Weapon attacks can deal Force damage instead of their normal damage type.

In addition, at the start of each of your turns, you can deal damage equal to one roll of your Brute Die to one creature grappled by you.

Level 10: Brutish Determination

Your rage lets you fight through exhaustion, pain, and punishment that would break lesser warriors.

While raging, you ignore the effects of any levels of Exhaustion you have, and you have Advantage on Constitution saving throws.

In addition, when you finish a Short Rest, you can reduce your Exhaustion level by 1. Once you reduce your Exhaustion this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

When you finish a Long Rest, your Exhaustion level is reduced by 2 instead of 1.

Level 10: Brute Force

Your strength becomes monstrous. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, lift, or carry.

You also gain the Grappler feat. If you already have Grappler, choose another feat for which you qualify. You don’t gain any ability score increase from a feat gained through this feature.

While raging, Grappler improves for you in the following ways:

Monstrous Grip. You can attempt to Grapple creatures up to two size categories larger than you, though not creatures immune to the Grappled condition. You also need only one free hand to maintain a Grapple.

Two-Fisted Bruiser. While both hands are free, you can Grapple up to two creatures at once, provided each creature is your size or smaller. While grappling two creatures this way, your Attack action can target only creatures grappled by you.

Pin Down. If both hands are holding the same grappled creature, you can use a Bonus Action to force it to make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw against your Brute DC. On a failure, it has the Restrained condition until the Grapple ends.

Foe Thrower. When you take the Attack action, you can replace one attack by forcing a grappled creature to make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw against your Brute DC. On a failure, you throw it up to 5 × your Strength modifier feet. The throw distance is reduced by 5 feet for each size category the creature is larger than you, and increased by 5 feet for each size category it is smaller than you. If the thrown creature hits a solid surface, it takes Bludgeoning damage equal to one roll of your Brute Die plus your Strength modifier and falls Prone. If it hits another creature, that creature makes a Dexterity saving throw against your Brute DC. On a failure, it takes Bludgeoning damage equal to your Strength modifier and falls Prone, unless it is at least two sizes larger than the thrown creature. If you throw the creature to a space within your reach, you can maintain the Grapple. If you do, you fall Prone as you body-slam it.

Your Brute DC equals 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength modifier.

Level 14: Champion of the Pit

You become a close-range nightmare, turning every hit, miss, grab, and opening into another chance to break your enemies. You gain the following benefits:

Knockout. Your Brute Weapon attacks score a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

One-Two Combo. While raging, when you take the Attack action and attack only with Brute Weapons, you can make two Unarmed Strikes as a Bonus Action. You can’t use this benefit on a turn when you use your Bonus Action to Dash, Disengage, or Pin Down.

Meat Shield. When you are hit by an attack while grappling a creature, you can use your Reaction to make the grappled creature become the attack’s target instead. If the attack hits, the grappled creature takes the damage. If it misses, neither of you takes damage. 
If you take damage from an area effect while grappling a creature that is also in the effect’s area, you can use your Reaction to split the damage. You take half the damage you would have taken, and the grappled creature takes the other half as the same damage type.
Once you use Meat Shield, you can’t use it again until the start of your next turn.

Dodge and Weave. You can use Payback even while you aren’t raging. While raging, when a creature within your reach attacks you, whether it hits or misses, you can use your Reaction to make one Brute Weapon attack, or attempt to Grapple or Shove that creature.