Path of the Pugilist

Barbarians who follow the Path of the Pugilist are barbarians only in the lightest terms. Rather than beings of rage and fury that channel this anger and focus from their connection to nature, gods, or their ancestors, Pugilists channel an innate athletic focus and pure desire to win that results in their heightened senses and increased physical prowess when enraged. Driven by an intense desire to completely and totally dominate opponents in bouts of physical combat, a Pugilist prefers to fight unarmed - and in fact may be better at fighting with their fists than with weapons. However, that is not to say that Pugilists are useless with a weapon in their hands. Dangerous combatants all around, a Pugilist lives for the satisfaction of a bone-cracking haymaker and the exhilaration wrought by performing a successful suplex on the enemy.

Hardened Knuckles

As a Pugilist, you have put your fists through significant physical conditioning. This has led to your unarmed strikes dealing extra damage, 1d4 at 3rd level, 1d6 at 5th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 15th level.

In addition, when you choose this subclass at 3rd level, you can make one additional unarmed strike as a bonus action on your turn. You can perform this a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.

Fighting Forms

As a Pugilist, you have trained enough to become proficient in several different fighting forms - which have been named after the monikers of famous pit fighters- which you can adopt when you enter rage. When you reach 6th level as a Pugilist, choose two fighting stances that you prefer. You may pick another at 12th level, and another at 18th level.

• Brass-Knuckled Bastard: You slip on brass knuckles as you enter rage. On a critical hit your opponent must make a CON Save equal to 8+STR+Proficiency Bonus or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
• Grapplin' Git: When you enter rage, you prepare to lock your opponent up in a brutal submission move. You can sacrifice your bonus action unarmed strike to attempt a grapple on the opponent. The same rules apply on how many times you can perform this action. For every one of your turns that the opponent remains grappled, they take 1d4+STR bludgeoning damage from being in your submission hold.
• Takedown Trickster: When you enter rage, you prepare to target your opponents and throw them to the ground. You can sacrifice your bonus action unarmed strike to make a takedown attack on the opponent. This deals bludgeoning damage equal to your unarmed strike damage, without the bonus from your strength score. In addition, if the attack hits, you immediately throw the opponent prone.
• Dirty Fightin' ******: As you enter rage, you prepare to fight as dirty and with as much foul intent as possible. You can choose to direct your bonus action unarmed strike as one of the following: an eye jab, an ear clap, or a low blow. The target must make a CON save equal to 8+STR+Proficiency Bonus or have the appropriate disabling effect applied.

Brass-Knuckled Bastard

You slip on brass knuckles as you enter rage. On a critical hit your opponent must make a CON Save equal to 8+STR+Proficiency Bonus or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Dirty Fightin' Douche

As you enter rage, you prepare to fight as dirty and with as much foul intent as possible. You can choose to direct your bonus action unarmed strike as one of the following: an eye jab, an ear clap, or a low blow. The target must make a CON save equal to 8+STR+Proficiency Bonus or have the appropriate disabling effect applied.

Grapplin' Git

When you enter rage, you prepare to lock your opponent up in a brutal submission move. You can sacrifice your bonus action unarmed strike to attempt a grapple on the opponent. The same rules apply on how many times you can perform this action. For every one of your turns that the opponent remains grappled, they take 1d4+STR bludgeoning damage from being in your submission hold

Takedown Trickster

When you enter rage, you prepare to target your opponents and throw them to the ground. You can sacrifice your bonus action unarmed strike to make a takedown attack on the opponent. This deals bludgeoning damage equal to your unarmed strike damage, without the bonus from your strength score. In addition, if the attack hits, you immediately throw the opponent prone.

1-2 Combo

At 10th level as a Pugilist, you have learned how to string together combinations of blows to down your enemy in a flurry of hard-hitting strikes. If you land all of the attacks on your turn, you can attempt a Haymaker attack, which automatically critically strikes.

Quickest Hands in the Pit

By 14th level, you have learned to take advantage of every drop in an enemy's guard, and can punish them for any maneuver they make against you. This class feature gives the Pugilist 3 options, which can be used a total of times every long rest equal to their STR Modifier.

• Counterpunch: As a reaction to an enemy landing a melee attack on you, you can make one unarmed strike.
• Brutal Moxie: If you reduce an enemy to 0 HP, you can immediately heal yourself for an amount of hit points equal to the total damage you dealt on the attack that reduced the enemy to 0 hp, regardless of how much HP the enemy had left.
• Show of Force: If you land a critical hit on an enemy, you can attempt to frighten the rest of the enemies within visual range of you. They must make a CHA save equal to 8 + STR + Proficiency bonus or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.