Pugilist

A pugilist takes matters into their own hands, opting to engage in fisticuffs rather than use a proper weapon. Unlike monks, who focus on evading attacks and striking critical points in their foes, a pugilist uses their physical strength and superior athleticism to take opponents head on. They excel at forcing key targets to engage with them and are adept at using nearly anything as a weapon.

Fighter Level	Feature
3rd	Guard, Scrapper
7th	Athletic Build, Gritty Technique
10th	Strong Man
15th	Cargo Carry
18th	Knock-Out Punch

Guard

3rd-level Pugilist feature

You know how to take a hit. When you take damage from a melee weapon attack and aren’t holding a simple or martial weapon, you can use your reaction to brace yourself against it. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Strength modifier + your fighter level.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can make an unarmed strike against the attacker as part of your reaction. You can do this twice, and you regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. You gain an additional use of this feature at 7th level (3 uses), 10th level (4 uses), 15th level (5 uses), and 18th level (6 uses).

Scrapper

3rd-level Pugilist feature

You know how to handle yourself in a scrap. You gain the following benefits:

• You are proficient with improvised weapons if you aren’t already, and the damage dice you roll with improvised weapons cannot be less than your unarmed strike.
• When you use the Attack action on your turn using an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already used your bonus action this turn and you aren’t wielding a shield.
• You know how to take advantage of a distracted enemy. When the creature you last damaged is within 5 ft. of you and targets a creature other than you with an attack or spell, you can use your reaction to make 1 attack with an unarmed strike or improvised weapon against the creature.

Athletic Build

7th-level Pugilist feature

Your athletic pursuits have made you stronger than anyone in your weight class. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. If you have the Powerful Build trait, then you count as two sizes larger instead.

Additionally, you can add your proficiency bonus to any Strength check as long as you aren’t holding a simple or martial weapon. If you already add your proficiency bonus to the roll, then your proficiency bonus is doubled for that skill check.

Gritty Technique

7th-level Pugilist feature

Your mighty fists can break through the tough hide of a resilient foe. Attacks made with unarmed strikes and improvised weapons have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, and are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

The bonus you get for your unarmed strikes and improvised weapons increases by 1 when you reach 10th level (+2), and 15th level (+3).

Strong Man

10th-level Pugilist feature

Your raw physical power lets you guard against certain area effects, such as a black dragon’s acid breath or a lightning bolt spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can choose to take the effect head-on and make a Strength saving throw instead, so long as you aren’t holding a simple or martial weapon.

You can do this an amount of times equal to your Strength modifier (minimum 1). You regain expended uses after you finish a long rest.

Cargo Carry

15th-level Pugilist feature

As long as you aren’t holding a simple or martial weapon, you no longer receive a penalty to your movement speed when dragging or carrying a grappled creature, regardless of its size. You can throw a grappled creature up to 10 + 10 times your Strength modifier ft. (minimum 20 ft.) as part of the same attack made to grapple the creature. A thrown creature only takes fall damage when it falls further than it is thrown. For example; if a creature is thrown 20 ft. upwards, and falls 30 ft. downwards, it only takes fall damages as if it fell 10 ft.

Knock-Out Punch

18th-level Pugilist feature

You can unleash a concussing blow against your opponent to discombobulate and knock them out cold. When you aren’t holding a simple or martial weapon, you can use your action to strike a critical blow upon the target. Roll a melee weapon attack. On a hit, the creature takes 8d8 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage and must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failed save, the creature is knocked unconscious until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until the end of a short or long rest.