Path of the Contender

Some of the strongest warriors find weapons and armor to be unwieldy and limiting, instead preferring to fight using fisticuffs and powerful grapples. Although this up-close-and-personal fighting style comes with many risks, these brawlers have learned how to maximize its rewards. Barbarians of this ilk may have been prizefighters, gladiators, or simply ruffians who love tavern brawls. In any case, finding one's self within arms reach of the Contender is very likely to result in a great deal of pain.

Unarmed Brawler

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you give up your weapon training and have learned how to deliver devastating strikes and throws with your bare hands. When you make an attack other than an unarmed strike, you make the attack with disadvantage.

While you are raging, your unarmed strikes now use a d6 for their damage. This increases to a d8 at 6th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 14th level.

Master Grappler

Your combat experience has taught you to how to increase your versatility when grappling opponents. At 3rd level when you choose this path, you gain the following benefits:

• If you hit with an unarmed strike, you can forgo the damage and grapple the target instead.
• You can choose two Grappling Techniques, which are detailed under "Grappling Techniques" below. You can choose two more techniques at 6th, 10th, and 14th level. Some techniques are not available until later levels.

Grappling Techniques

The Master Grappler feature allows you to choose from the techniques listed below. You can only use Grappling Techniques if you are not holding anything in any of your hands.

Rally Points. You have four Rally points, which can be expended to use certain grappling techniques. You regain all of your expended Rally points when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another Rally point at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Saving Throws. Some grappling techniques require the target to make a saving throw. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier.

Body Slam

1 Rally Point

When you have a creature grappled, you can use a bonus action to perform a basic wrestling throw such as a body slam or spine-buster. The creature must make a Strength saving throw, taking 3d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. If the target failed the save, they also fall prone in an unoccupied space of your choice within 5 feet of you.

Choke-out

Prerequisite: 6th level
1 Rally Point

When you have a creature grappled, you can use a bonus action to attempt a asphyxiating chokehold. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become unconscious until the end of your next turn. The creature also wakes up if it takes damage, or if someone uses an action to shake or slap them awake.

Undead and constructs are not affected by this feature. The GM may also decide that other creatures are immune to this effect due to their unique physiology.

Clinch Strike

Passive

If you have a creature grappled, you can use a bonus action to make an unarmed strike on that creature.

Cut Promo

Prerequisite: 6th level
Prerequisite: at least 13 Charisma
1 Rally Point

If you select this technique, you passively gain proficiency in Performance and Intimidation.

You can use an Action to deliver a beguiling appeal or scathing threat to your opponents. Anyone who can hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw contested by your own Performance or Intimidation check.

Performance. Any creature who loses the contest becomes charmed by you until the end of your next turn.

Intimidation. Any creature who loses the contest becomes frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Fireman's Carry

Passive

If you have only one creature grappled, you move at normal speed.

Flex

Prerequisite: 10th level
Passive

You can use a bonus action to hype yourself up with an energetic pose, restoring 1 of your missing Rally points.

Foreign Object

1 Rally Point

You can use a free action to remove the disadvantage penalty this subclass imposes on weapon attacks until the start of your next turn. During this time, you are proficient in all weapons and all weapons use the same damage die as your unarmed strike.

Hammer Throw

1 Rally Point

You can use a bonus action to attempt to fling a creature you have grappled. They must make an Athletics or Acrobatics check contested by your own Athletics check. If they lose the contest, they are flung up to 20 feet in the direction of your choice. If the creature hits a solid object, it takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage. If the creature hits another creature, both creatures take the same damage.

Power Slam

Prerequisite: 6th level
2 Rally Points

When you have a creature grappled, you can use a bonus action to perform a devastating wrestling throw such as a pile driver, vertical suplex, or backbreaker. The grappled creature must make a Strength saving throw, taking 5d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The creature then falls prone in an unoccupied space of your choice within 5 feet of you.

Reversal

1 Rally Point

When a creature within 5 feet of you misses an an attack, you can use your reaction to make an unarmed strike against them.

Signature Move

Prerequisite: 10th Level
Prerequisite: Power Slam
1 Rally Point

When you use your Power Slam, you can expend a Rally point to turn it into a more powerful Signature Move, causing it to deal 8d6 bludgeoning damage instead. You must spend this point before the saving throw is made.

Submission Hold

Prerequisite: 14th Level
1 Rally Point

You can put a target you have grappled on your turn into a painful submission hold. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or become restrained. They can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns.

If the target is restrained, they remain so until they succeed on the saving throw or you break the hold. They take 4d6 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of their turns while in the submission hold.

Alternatively you can demand that your target Tap Out at the beginning of their turn (before they make the saving throw). If they agree, you break the hold and you gain 2d8 temporary hit points.

Unyielding Offense

Prerequisite: 14th level
2 Rally Points

When you miss an attack, you can reroll the attack and add +2 to the roll.

Furious Strikes

Starting at 6th level; while you are raging, damage from your unarmed strikes and grappling techniques are strong enough to overcome resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Additionally, if you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll, you can restore one of your missing Rally points.

Charge

Beginning at 10th level, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action while you are raging.

Unarmed Brawler

Your unarmed strikes now use a d12 for their damage.