PF - good unarmed damage progression

[Man on Fire]

New player in my group wants to play a Barbarian fighting with bare fists. In order to not make him weak I decided to slap monk's Unarmed Damage on his sheet for free, but later I came to think that it may still be quite underpowered.
I should add the guy is clearly interested in using his fists, not any sort of natural attacks - he rejected beast totem, when I suggested it, saying he wants to be brawler, not Wolverine.
So, my question here is - how would you improve Monk's unarmed damage progression so the character won't feel underpowered?

[NOhara24]

Let him enchant his fists as if they were weapons.

[Feralventas]

There's a Barbarian Archetype in PF specifically designed for grappling and beating people up.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/archetypes/paizo---barbarian-archetypes/brutal-pugilist

It also gives a list of suggested Rage powers to go with it.

House-rule to allow him to Constrict or have it take up a feat slot so that he can qualify for the Final Embrace feat line, dealing extra damage and debuffs when grappling and constricting (Still tackling the target, grabbing on to them, and beating them senseless and crushing them fluff-wise).

Improved Grapple, Greater Grapple, Constrict and Final Embrace line after that. The last feat of the Final Embrace line doubles your natural attack damage on a constrict. Doing this with Unarmed Damage should be just fine.

This is pretty feat-heavy though, so a 2 level dip in Fighter, with either the Brawler or Free Hand Fighter archetypes to work well with the intent. Some of these feats require higher BAB, so you might want to wait until mid-levels to do that.

In the mean time, Monk's unarmed damage is a decent amount for the level it's gained at. A Monk's belt raises it by one die type, and if you want to port it, Superior Unarmed Strike from the Tome of Battle can raise it one higher from that (So, 5th level unarmed strike hits as if 15th level, 2d8 instead of 1) Plus strength modifier (which on a Barbarian should be plenty high). Amulets of Mighty Fists allow you to add magical enchantments, as can simple Brass Knuckles, so that you're also hitting for fire damage, or critting your damage more often, or beating up ghosts too.

[VanIsleKnight]

Brutal Pugilist Archetype for Barbarians. Won't increase damage but will give nifty things for grappling which would come in very handy for a bare handed brute that wants to dive in there and brawl.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/archetypes/paizo---barbarian-archetypes/brutal-pugilist

Rage Powers that would be useful

Brawler

Benefit: While raging, the barbarian is treated as if she has Improved Unarmed Strike. If she already has the feat, her unarmed strikes deal 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if she is Small).



Brawler, Greater


Prerequisite: Brawler rage power

Benefit: While raging, the barbarian is treated as if she has Two-Weapon Fighting when making unarmed strike attacks.




Powerful Blow (Ex)

Benefit: The barbarian gains a +1 bonus on a single damage roll. This bonus increases by +1 for every 4 levels the barbarian has attained. This power is used as a swift action before the roll to hit is made.

Special: This power can only be used once per rage.


Bleeding Blow (Ex) HULK ANEMIC! SHARE HULK'S PAIN!
:smallfurious:
Prerequisite: Barbarian 8, powerful blow rage power

Benefit: When she uses her powerful blow rage power, the barbarian also deals bleed damage equal to her bonus damage with the powerful blow. This bleed damage bypasses damage reduction.





Ground Breaker (Ex) HULK SMASH!! :smallfurious:

Prerequisite: Barbarian 6

Benefit: Once per rage, the barbarian can attack the floor around her as a standard action. This attack automatically hits and deals damage normally. If the barbarian manages to deal more damage than the floor’s hardness, the space she occupies and all of the squares adjacent to her become difficult terrain. Creatures in these squares, except the barbarian, must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be knocked prone.



Ground Breaker, Greater (Ex) HULK SMASH 15 FEET FURTHER OUT!! :smallfurious:

Prerequisite: Barbarian 8, ground breaker rage power

Benefit: When using the ground breaker rage power, the barbarian can extend the radius of the effect by 5 feet.

Special: This rage power can be selected up to three times, and its effects stack.



Unexpected Strike (Ex) HULK SMASH SNEAKY STUPID MAN!! :smallfurious:

Prerequisite: Barbarian 8

Benefit: The barbarian can make an attack of opportunity against a foe that moves into any square threatened by the barbarian, regardless of whether or not that movement would normally provoke an attack of opportunity.

Special: This power can only be used once per rage.



Body Bludgeon (Ex) A very hilarious maneuver that has a big wall of text that comes with it. Basically you pick somebody up that's smaller than you and beat others to death with it. The person you're holding also takes damage as well as the poor bastards that get hit by their friend's face.

Prerequisite: Barbarian 10

Benefit: While raging, if the barbarian pins an opponent that is smaller than her, she can then use that opponent as a two-handed improvised weapon that deals 1d8 points of bludgeoning damage, assuming the opponent is sized Small. Larger or smaller creatures used as a bludgeon deal damage based on their size using this base damage. A size Tiny creature deals 1d6 points of damage, a size Medium creature deals 1d10 points of damage, and so on. The barbarian can make a single attack using the pinned opponent as part of the action she uses to maintain the grapple, using her highest attack bonus. Whenever the barbarian hits using the pinned opponent as a weapon, she deals damage to her target normally, and the grappled opponent used as a bludgeon also takes the same damage she dealt to the target. If the pinned opponent is unable to resist being pinned for any reason, the barbarian can use that opponent as an improvised weapon without grappling or pinning the opponent, until the creature is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, at which point the creature becomes useless as an improvised weapon.

Feats


Bleeding Attack (Combat)

Your unarmed strikes cause your opponent to bleed.

Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike.

Benefit: When you damage an opponent with an unarmed strike, you deal an extra 1d4 bleed damage.

Special: This ability does not stack with other special abilities, attacks, or items that allow you to deal bleed damage.





Elemental Fist (Combat) (this is part of a feat tree btw)

You empower your strike with elemental energy.

Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.

Benefit: When you use Elemental Strike pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). You may attempt an Elemental Fist attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (see Special), and no more than once per round.





Hamatulatsu Strike (Combat) (feel free to refluff if you want)

You have mastered a deadly fighting form inspired by the hideous attacks of the barbed devil.

Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike).

Benefit: Your unarmed attacks can deal either bludgeoning or piercing damage. You decide which type of damage you deal whenever you attack a foe, but you may only choose one type at a time. If you critically hit a foe with your unarmed strike while doing piercing damage, the additional pain caused by the strike causes the foe to become sickened for 1 round (or staggered for 1 round if the target is already sickened). Multiple critical hits in a round against a single foe do not increase the duration of the sickened or staggered condition.





Jawbreaker (Combat) (also part of a feat tree)
You deliver a powerful strike to the mouth, breaking teeth and bone.

Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Heal 6 ranks.

Benefit: When you make a successful Stunning Fist attempt against an opponent that is grappled, helpless, or stunned, instead of imparting any other Stunning Fist effect, you can cripple that opponent’s mouth, dealing normal unarmed strike damage and 1d4 points of bleed damage. Until the bleed damage ends, the target is unable to use its mouth to attack, speak clearly, and employ verbal spell components. A creature that is immune to critical hits or that has no discernible mouth is immune to the effects of this feat.





Vicious Stomp (Combat)

You take advantage of the moment to brutally kick an enemy when he is down.

Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike.

Benefit: Whenever an opponent falls prone adjacent to you, that opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from you. This attack must be an unarmed strike.





Punishing Kick (Combat)

Your kicks are so powerful you use them to push or knock back your foes.

Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.

Benefit: You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally and you can choose to push your target 5 feet or attempt to knock them prone. If you decide to push the target, it is moved 5 feet directly away from you. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and the target must end this move in a safe space it can stand in. If you decide to attempt to knock the target prone, the target receives a Fortitude saving throw with a DC of 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wisdom modifier to avoid the effect. You may attempt a punishing kick attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round.




You could also decide to make a rule that the barbarian is able to Power Attack and Two Handed Attack his opponents by using both of his fists clenched together, that'd give a nifty bonus to damage.

Honestly though it would have to come down to tactics. I think the feat Catch Off-Guard lets him use anything as an improvised melee weapon that will do various amounts of damage based on how big the item is, if he doesn't specifically care about only using his fists and just wants to Hulk it up.

Being good at grappling (like a brawler/wrestler could be) would make it easier for him to use his fists to make attacks and restrict his opponents from using scarier weapons.

Improving the damage dice he does naturally with his bare fists would be difficult, even with feats, unless he was a monk. There's probably some magic gear you can give him, and making him Large would probably improve the damage dice of his fists, I'm not sure though off-hand.

[Blyte]

dip monk(martial artist) for bonus feat + flurry + improved unarmed strike + d6 punch, call the martial arts fug yu, and have it consist of head butts and kicks to the groin.

also dip 3 levels into fighter(brawler) for 2 bonus feats + (+1/+3) with unarmed attacks + ability to wear dueling guantlets for more bonuses to hit/damage

also I suggest you have him wear the light armor enchant that gives a +2 to unarmed strike damage.

also wear a furious necklace of mighty fists. (+2 enhancement bonus while raging)

also take some style feats like dragon style 1 & 2 (bonus strength damage to unarmed strikes and ability to charge through difficult terrain).. refluff it to "raging barbarian style"

I made a similar barb to this, but focused him as an overrun machine, with greater overrun and elephant stomp and rage powers like strength surge.

it's pretty sweet being an unarmed barb when a monster grabs you, as opposed to a barb relying on 2handed sword damage. the Dm would grab me and I would flurry of blows the monsters face off on my turn.

edit ok so a barb with dueling gloves, brawling enchant on armor, dragon style 2, 1 level monk(martial artist), and 3 levels in fighter(brawler), power attack, reckless abandon, furious necklace of mighty fists and a 26 base str (30 raging) [20 +2lvls +4item +4rage] will be doing...

by level 9:
1d6 + 2(dueling gloves) +2(brawler enchant) +3(weapon expertise) +2(mighty fists) +15(strength with dragon style) +9(power attack with dragon style's 1-1/2 str bonus)

that's 1d6+33

and your too hit bonus is pretty sick as well...

8(BAB) + 2(necklace) +10(str) -3(power attack) +3(reckless abandon) +2(dueling gloves) +2(brawler enchant) +1(weapon expertise)

that's full attacking at +26/+26/+21/+16 since your monk level counts for one additional BAB while flurrying.

you might be missing out on pounce since you have no beast totem, but you can get plenty of attacks if you make him into an overrunning machine.. greater overrun + elephant stomp + combat reflexes + iron destroyer = a whole lot of attacks without pouncing.

this is done on a very low budget for a 9th level character. you can do better with a bigger budget. additional enhancement on your necklace of mighty fists (perhaps vicious) and perhaps rhino hide armor. that's an additional +4d6 damage on charging attacks (of course you suffer 1d6 from vicious as well though). perhaps you can afford an enlarge person with a permanency spell.