Hi! For a while I've longed to play a unarmed strikes focused Barbarian, but its never been super practical. I don't wanna multi class, I don't wanna take the Martial Adept feat, I want a subclass purely focused on hitting people with the ol' 1-2 combo! Hence, why I created the Path of the Street Brawler! An improvised weapon and unarmed strike focused barbarian with a bit of roguish flair. I'm new to home brewing, so I'm not entirely sure how balanced/comprehensible this subclass is, but I thought i'd share it and get your thoughts and ideas!
Path of the Street Brawler (Barbarian Subclass)
While your rage may still be connected to more primal forces, you’ve used this power to survive in the harshest environment possible: The cobblestone jungle. Through training, experience, and cunning, you have taught yourself how to combine your bestial strength, fury, and senses with good ol’ fashioned street smarts.
Level 3: Scrapper
You’ve taught yourself that all you really need to survive the city is your own two fists and whatever else might be nearby.
Street Boxer. You have proficiency with improvised weapons, and you can roll 1d6 instead of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strike or improvised weapons. This die increases when you reach Barbarian levels 5 (1d8), 11 (1d10), and 17 (1d12).
Hard Hits. When you hit with an Unarmed Strike or an improvised weapon, you can activate the Push or Sap weapon mastery with it, in addition to a different mastery property you’re using with it.
Quick Blows. While your Rage is active, you can take a Bonus Action to make an Unarmed Strike or improvised weapon attack roll on your turn.
Level 3: Street Smarts
You’ve lived your life dealing with all the nonsense of urban society, and you’ve gained some amounts of knowledge from your experience. When you gain a proficiency from your Primal Knowledge feature, you can choose to instead gain proficiency in a skill from the skill list available to Rogues at level 1.
Additionally, you learn Thieves’ Cant, and you gain one of the following tools of your choice, and you have proficiency with it; Brewer’s Supplies, Cobbler’s Tools, Disguise Kit, or Thieves’ Tools.
Level 6: Butterfly Steps
Your footwork is quick and hard to track, keeping you light on your feet while maintaining a steady formation. While your Rage is active, you have Advantage on saving throws to avoid the Prone condition, and you only have to expend 5 feet of movement to stand up from Prone.
Additionally, once per turn when you hit with an Unarmed Strike or improvised weapon, you can immediately move up to half your Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
Level 10: Dirty Strike
There are no rules in a street fight, meaning there's no shame in a low blow or a mean-spirited taunt. When you hit a creature with an attack roll and activate your Brutal Strike feature, you can roll the damage die twice and choose the higher result.
Additionally, you gain the following option for your Brutal Strike effect.
Goading Blow. Until the start of your next turn, the target has Disadvantage on all attack rolls against creatures other than you.
Level 14: Combo Breaker
You’ve mastered the art of unarmed street boxing, allowing you to exploit openings to deal a devastating combo of strikes. Once per turn when you hit with an Unarmed Strike or a melee attack roll with an improvised weapon while your Rage is active, but before you deal damage, you can choose to start a combo. When you do, roll the damage die, and then roll the damage die again. Add it to the first die’s total, and if the result on the second die is equal to or greater than the result on the first die, roll again. You can make these additional damage die rolls a number of times equal to your Rage Damage, and you immediately stop rolling when a damage die rolls a number lower than the one that preceded it. When you deal the total damage, only add any additional damage bonuses (such as your ability score modifier or Rage Damage) once.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest unless you expend a use of your Rage (no action required) to restore your use of it.
Hi! For a while I've longed to play a unarmed strikes focused Barbarian, but its never been super practical. I don't wanna multi class, I don't wanna take the Martial Adept feat, I want a subclass purely focused on hitting people with the ol' 1-2 combo! Hence, why I created the Path of the Street Brawler! An improvised weapon and unarmed strike focused barbarian with a bit of roguish flair. I'm new to home brewing, so I'm not entirely sure how balanced/comprehensible this subclass is, but I thought i'd share it and get your thoughts and ideas!
Path of the Street Brawler (Barbarian Subclass)
While your rage may still be connected to more primal forces, you’ve used this power to survive in the harshest environment possible: The cobblestone jungle. Through training, experience, and cunning, you have taught yourself how to combine your bestial strength, fury, and senses with good ol’ fashioned street smarts.
Level 3: Scrapper
You’ve taught yourself that all you really need to survive the city is your own two fists and whatever else might be nearby.
Street Boxer. You have proficiency with improvised weapons, and you can roll 1d6 instead of the normal damage of your Unarmed Strike or improvised weapons. This die increases when you reach Barbarian levels 5 (1d8), 11 (1d10), and 17 (1d12).
Hard Hits. When you hit with an Unarmed Strike or an improvised weapon, you can activate the Push or Sap weapon mastery with it, in addition to a different mastery property you’re using with it.
Quick Blows. While your Rage is active, you can take a Bonus Action to make an Unarmed Strike or improvised weapon attack roll on your turn.
Level 3: Street Smarts
You’ve lived your life dealing with all the nonsense of urban society, and you’ve gained some amounts of knowledge from your experience. When you gain a proficiency from your Primal Knowledge feature, you can choose to instead gain proficiency in a skill from the skill list available to Rogues at level 1.
Additionally, you learn Thieves’ Cant, and you gain one of the following tools of your choice, and you have proficiency with it; Brewer’s Supplies, Cobbler’s Tools, Disguise Kit, or Thieves’ Tools.
Level 6: Butterfly Steps
Your footwork is quick and hard to track, keeping you light on your feet while maintaining a steady formation. While your Rage is active, you have Advantage on saving throws to avoid the Prone condition, and you only have to expend 5 feet of movement to stand up from Prone.
Additionally, once per turn when you hit with an Unarmed Strike or improvised weapon, you can immediately move up to half your Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
Level 10: Dirty Strike
There are no rules in a street fight, meaning there's no shame in a low blow or a mean-spirited taunt. When you hit a creature with an attack roll and activate your Brutal Strike feature, you can roll the damage die twice and choose the higher result.
Additionally, you gain the following option for your Brutal Strike effect.
Goading Blow. Until the start of your next turn, the target has Disadvantage on all attack rolls against creatures other than you.
Level 14: Combo Breaker
You’ve mastered the art of unarmed street boxing, allowing you to exploit openings to deal a devastating combo of strikes. Once per turn when you hit with an Unarmed Strike or a melee attack roll with an improvised weapon while your Rage is active, but before you deal damage, you can choose to start a combo. When you do, roll the damage die, and then roll the damage die again. Add it to the first die’s total, and if the result on the second die is equal to or greater than the result on the first die, roll again. You can make these additional damage die rolls a number of times equal to your Rage Damage, and you immediately stop rolling when a damage die rolls a number lower than the one that preceded it. When you deal the total damage, only add any additional damage bonuses (such as your ability score modifier or Rage Damage) once.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest unless you expend a use of your Rage (no action required) to restore your use of it.