Base Class: Monk
Deadly even with nothing in her hands, a brawler eschews using the fighter’s heavy armor and the monk’s mysticism, focusing instead on perfecting many styles of brutal unarmed combat. Versatile, agile, and able to adapt to most enemy attacks, a brawler’s body is a powerful weapon.
Armor Proficiency
You have trained and dedicated yourself to maneuvering while wearing lighter forms of armor. You are proficient with light armor. In addition, while wearing light armor you still gain the benefits of your Unarmored Defense as if you weren't wearing armor, your AC equals the AC of your light armor + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Knockout Blow
At 3rd level, you learn to cause your foes to blackout with your unarmed strikes. Once per day you can unleash a devastating attack that can instantly knock a target unconscious. You must must decide to use this before the attack roll and you must use an unarmed strike. If the attack hits and the target takes damage from the blow, then the target must succeed at a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds. Each round at the end of its turn, the unconscious target may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. At 10th level, you may use this ability twice per day; at 16th level, you may use it three times per day.
Feinting Blow
At 6th level, you have mastered the technique of confusing your opponent with your blows, causing them to be easier to hit. You can expend 1 ki and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature before the end of your turn. This attack must be with an unarmed strike.
Precision Blow
At level 6, you have mastered finding and exploiting the weak points of your enemies with precise strikes. When you make an unarmed attack roll against a creature, you can expend 2 ki points to preform a precision blow You can use this ability before or after making the attack roll, but before any effects of the attack are applied. Double the damage rolled of your attack. You can only use this ability once per short or long rest.
Awesome Blow
At 11th level, you have learned to harness the strength behind your strikes to maneuver your foes. You can expend 2 ki points and as an attack perform an awesome blow against a creature no more than one size larger than you. This attack must be with an unarmed strike. If the attack succeeds, in addition to taking damage, the target it is knocked 10 feet in a direction of the your choice, and it falls prone. You can only push the opponent in a straight line. If an obstacle prevents the completion of the opponent’s move, the opponent and the obstacle each take 1d6 points of damage, and the opponent is knocked opponent in the space adjacent to the obstacle.
Improved Blows
At 17th level, you have mastered the art of your tactical blows, causing them to be extremely viscous. When ever you would deal damage with your unarmed strikes, double the amount of die you would role.
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Posted Aug 18, 2022Thank you so much for the input, this is very helpful! I usually find myself leaning towards my homebrew being underpowered because I’m always overly cautious of leaning towards overpowered. I’ll take what you said into consideration and come back with an edit that hopefully fixes any issues
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Posted Aug 17, 2022The abilities are something you have to track by remembering them. I haven't tested whether the level 17 ability actually doubles your damage dice.
To add in the extra AC (plus any magical effects) from light armor, you have to add it in as a custom AC adjustment because equipping armor affects the character negatively, just like it does to any other monk except a Kensei. If it has any other effect, you just have to remember that it's there. For example, cold resistance or water breathing.
Also, about level 6's Feint: One ki point + bonus action = one attack with advantage (Feint) and one extra attack or four attacks (Flurry). No brainer, here, unless attacking with advantage does something extra for you. Feint is like Steady Aim that costs more than rogues have to pay (movement + bonus action) and they get it at level 3.
Spending 2 ki at level 11 for abilities that Way of the Open Hand gets at level 3 seems expensive and underwhelming. Yeah, you apparently get to skip the challenging saving throw, but at level 11, Way of the Open Hand's 15' push is a DC 18 or you can make the creature fall prone anyway or you can cause it to lose its reaction, so you can flurry and then anyone can walk right past it. All for one ki and your bonus action.
I love the ideas here, but I think it needs a little more oomph for this underpowered class. There should be balance in a character subclass that pits utility abilities against the cost of DPS abilities as well. If you are going all damage, that's cool too, but go a little bigger. Improved Blows is great, but comes a little late.