D&D 5E PF Brawler in 5E - new class or fighter subclass.

[Chriscdoa]

I'm loving the look of some of these new classes for Pathfinder but really want to be playing 5E (I think).

Just taking the Brawler - would it work better as a subclass or a full class.

I Initially thought subclass, but then that doesn't kick in until level 3. Also a lot of their setup is different (unarmed damage etc) from a fighter or a monk. IF it was a full class then you could use subclasses to represent archetypes.

Thoughts?

 

[jadrax]

I think the first step is to work out the core principles of what the Brawler would need mechanically as a basis.

 

[the Jester]

My inclination would be as a monk subclass, but we haven't seen the final monk, so it's hard to be sure.

But to be a full class, I think it needs a much stronger identity than "another guy who fights unarmed". I'd ask- could this work as a subclass? Under the answer is an absolute no, I'd avoid new base classes, personally.

 

[Crothian]

I would make a it a subclass. But not just of the fighter I think a thief version of the brawler could be cool too.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Oh the caveats: I'm not familiar with the Brawler class, though I can guess, based on its name. I don't know the 5e monk rules or the 5e feat rules, and those might provide a better answer.

Just using 5B as the basis, the easiest answer seems to be adding a Fighting Style.

Brawling
When you make an unarmed attack, your unarmed attack counts as a finesse weapon and deals 1d8 damage.

Make a fighter, take that as his fighting style, and you're off.

I'm not sure about that damage amount, but it's lower than a long sword with duelist.

Thaumaturge.

 

[ccooke]

Reading the description from the PFSRD, there's very little that the battlemaster/weaponmaster fighter wouldn't be able to do very well - the Close Control ability is easily replicated by manouvers (see the playtest version, or the plausible leaked stuff that went up on rpg.net a few days ago).

About all you'd need would be a Close Melee Fighting Style (which any of the big martial classes could take) to capture the basic feel of a melee fighter like that - maybe +2 bonus to unarmed damage and proficiency with improvised weapons? (off the top of my head; probably unbalanced)

 

[Xodis]

With the new power of a single feat, and ideas of being a rogue/monk/fighter brawler, a feat may be what would work the best. Incorporate some type of specialized unarmed combat abilities that work with other classes and can be worked into the monk without making it just a "must" for them.

 

[Jester David]

Monk would get the unarmoured defence and unarmed attacks from level 1 while the fighter would wait until level 3.

I imagine there could be an "brawling" fighting style that lets you attack with your fists as light finesse weapons and deal 1d6 damage, allowing attacking as if using two weapons. That'd allow you to either go Str or Dex and choose your armour. And the two weapon fighting would boost the damage a little.
Then there could be a Brawler or Scrapper subclass just increases unarmed strikes to a d8 at level 3, and bumps the die with each new subclass benefit. Plus maybe some maneuvers at higher levels.

 

[Chriscdoa]

Good ideas guys. I had forgotten about syles. A sub class would be easier. Need to wait until PHB and ACG really.

 

[nightspaladin]

With the new power of a single feat, and ideas of being a rogue/monk/fighter brawler, a feat may be what would work the best. Incorporate some type of specialized unarmed combat abilities that work with other classes and can be worked into the monk without making it just a "must" for them.

Possible Spoiler Text....................................................













There is a leaked version of the phb alpha.(not that I support piracy or nda breaks, well apparently I do in that I read it, but curiosity was killing me... ), but it has a feat that makes you a tavern brawler and does that.

Take this with a grain of salt, as it isn't the final version or even confirmed, but it's cool to see the subtle possibility of making characters that would require their own mechanics in other rules heavier systems, with a simple feat. Much props to the design work that allows this to happen.