Pugilist Question

At level 5 you get the ability haymaker. The ability says "When you make an attack with an Unarmed Strike or Pugilist weapon, you can expend 1 Moxie Point to swing with wild abandon. On a hit, regain the expended Moxie Point and you deal maximum damage with that attack." Is it supposed to say you get disadvantage??? (swinging with wild abandon)?? Or do you just get a (basically) free max damage (ik you have to hit but like still)

If it doesn't say the attack has disadvantage, the attack doesn't have disadvantage. "Swing with wild abandon" is flavor text; it doesn't have any mechanical impact.

I expect this is one of those bits people say is overtuned on the class- the basic D&D math favors hits, so you're more likely to get all gain and no loss from this than not.

Quote from The_Ace_of_Rogues >>

I expect this is one of those bits people say is overtuned on the class- the basic D&D math favors hits, so you're more likely to get all gain and no loss from this than not.

 Unless you get a lot of dice, it's not really that much extra damage. 

Quote from jl8e >>

Quote from The_Ace_of_Rogues >>

I expect this is one of those bits people say is overtuned on the class- the basic D&D math favors hits, so you're more likely to get all gain and no loss from this than not.

 Unless you get a lot of dice, it's not really that much extra damage. 

Except it's something you can do on every attack roll, not just once per turn.

Quote from The_Ace_of_Rogues >>

Quote from jl8e >>

Quote from The_Ace_of_Rogues >>

I expect this is one of those bits people say is overtuned on the class- the basic D&D math favors hits, so you're more likely to get all gain and no loss from this than not.

 Unless you get a lot of dice, it's not really that much extra damage. 

 

Except it's something you can do on every attack roll, not just once per turn.

 And if you do, it's a steady drain on the resource you use to run your character, to the tune of about 1/3 of a point per attack, unless you have easy advantage.

I'm not going to say that the pugilist is fine and balanced (don't have it for analysis, for starters), but I don't think this is troubling, at least in a vacuum.

It's not insanely broken, but it stands out as inordinately generous compared to other class/subclass features, particularly at 5th level.