Tavern Brawler Rogue

[GutterFace]

So some questions about the synergy between the Feat and Rogue.

1) like a monk since you are doing unarmed damage (d4), can you apply Dex to the attack/damage like a finesse weapon, therefore gaining the ability to add sneak attack to the damage if the situation applies?

2) if i was a Small character would i be able to use the climb another creature, feature, in place of the grapple? Since the feat gives me grapple on a hit as a bonus action, i should be able to climb in it's place? If the creature is larger than I.

Why? well of course i want to be a Lightfoot Halfling that shanks people with a broken bottle or rusty bit, right in the kidneys (do all monsters have kidneys?). and climb them so i can do it all again next round.

[Giant2005]

The answer to both of your questions is "Ask your DM",
I know that response sounds like a cop out but neither of what you want are possible within the rules - it requires house rulings that can only be made by your DM.

[GutterFace]

The answer to both of your questions is "Ask your DM",
I know that response sounds like a cop out but neither of what you want are possible within the rules - it requires house rulings that can only be made by your DM.

Ha Ha no worries, I agree. and I have. He generally asks for the rules guru's here to come out and sort of give a tribunal answer so he doesn't make any rulings based on favoritism or based on something he might not understand. since he's now traveling, I am standing in to ask :)

[Person_Man]

#1: The RAW answer is no. Finesse only applies where it explicitly says it applies. The designers have been asked this in Tweets as well, and have responded with no. It was done to protect the Monk's niche, and to limit Rogue/Monk damage synergies.

#2: The RAW answer is no. Feats, abilities, spells, etc, do what they say, and not what you think they might do, even if that it would be logical.

Your DM may rule otherwise, obviously. But those are the rules as written.

[-Jynx-]

If I were the DM I would rule:

1 - Sure why not, you don't have flurry of blows so really for all intensive purposes you're fist just now does the damage your dagger would but it thematically fits your concept which is fine. I don't see an issue applying dex to your fist strikes because in my mind your character is going for pressure points, joints, or "weak" areas like the groin (sneak attack punch to the groin? That'll stunt puberty)

2 - I don't know about this. If climbing onto the creature and grappling it gives you advantage and you're just shiving with sneak attack damage every round until it can remove you (which would be hard with expertise in athletics) I'd probably say no or either remove or limit the amount of sneak attack dmg you could do while preforming said action. That being said I don't even know for sure that climbing a creature would give you advantage on attacks I'm just assuming it would someone correct me if I'm mistaken.

[Malifice]

So some questions about the synergy between the Feat and Rogue.

1) like a monk since you are doing unarmed damage (d4), can you apply Dex to the attack/damage like a finesse weapon, therefore gaining the ability to add sneak attack to the damage if the situation applies?

2) if i was a Small character would i be able to use the climb another creature, feature, in place of the grapple? Since the feat gives me grapple on a hit as a bonus action, i should be able to climb in it's place? If the creature is larger than I.

Why? well of course i want to be a Lightfoot Halfling that shanks people with a broken bottle or rusty bit, right in the kidneys (do all monsters have kidneys?). and climb them so i can do it all again next round.

1. No (unarmed strike is not a finesse weapon; heck not even a monks unarmed strike is a finesse weapon).

2. Maybe. Sounds reasonable. Its not RAW, but most DM's would allow it. I certaily would. Sounds epic.

[Xetheral]

Nothing stops you from using a weapon-like improvised weapon similar enough to a finesse weapon to use its stats. So you may not be able to sneak attack with a chair, but you could sneak attack with an improvised dagger, and then make your bonus action grapple attempt.