Would like help and advice on unarmed homebrew barbarian subclass

[Sir cryosin]

I have a player playing a fanalis from Magi: magical kingdom. At first he was going to do a monk, barbarian, druid multiclass. But I told him if he just want to just play a barbarian with a unarmed strikes scaling like monk but starting at a d6 going up to d12 he can. I did this because we had a long argument about him trying to flavor a maul as unarmed strikes. So should I just keep the added unarmed strikes scaling. Or can we create a new subclass?

[Ninja_Prawn]

Or can we create a new subclass?

We already did!

Check out our Paths of the Brawler (http://www.middlefingerofvecna.com/2015/12/path-of-brawler.html) (MMA theme), Haka (http://www.middlefingerofvecna.com/2016/12/path-of-haka.html) (Māori theme) and Frostrager (https://www.patreon.com/posts/tundra-update-7377427) (ice theme). The frostrager is patreon-only, but the other two are available for free.

[Clone]

One thing you could do would be taking the tavern brawler feat, then at later levels make a version of the feat which changes the d4 to a d8? That way there isn't any crazy rulings and you still get the +1 STR or CON from both feats, so he wouldn't be falling behind too much. So at level 4 take normal tavern brawler, then level 8 get the new feat giving a d6/d8.

For the third part of the feat of the improved tavern brawler, you could make it that when you hit someone in melee you can send them flying back 10ft or so in any direction, or just givem a bonus attack like the monk. That'd keep up the theme of the Fanalis jumping around the battlefield

[blurneko]

trying to flavor a maul as unarmed strikes.

Seems good to me. Your player is wielding a maul and follows all rules associated with using a maul.
The only difference is that your player is calling it punching.

[Sir cryosin]

Seems good to me. Your player is wielding a maul and follows all rules associated with using a maul.
The only difference is that your player is calling it punching.

I don't feel like getting into this again. But a weapon and unarmed strikes are mechanically different. And such they interact differently in combat situations. Not mention he just doesn't want to punch everything either he wants to kick and use other different unarmed strikes.

[Deleted]

I don't feel like getting into this again. But a weapon and unarmed strikes are mechanically different. And such they interact differently in combat situations. Not mention he just doesn't want to punch everything either he wants to kick and use other different unarmed strikes.

No they aren't.

Unless a specific class feature calls for a specific type of attack (like rage calls for strength based melee weapon attack so you can't use a thrown strength based weapon attack)... An unarmed strike is a weapon attack.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/06/15/melee-weapon-unarmed-strike/

There was an errata on the subject.

They are mechanically no different from a weapon attack with a longsword except damage is different (1 damage, 1d4 damage, or monk unarmed strike damage).

[Sir cryosin]

No they aren't.

Unless a specific class feature calls for a specific type of attack (like rage calls for strength based melee weapon attack so you can't use a thrown strength based weapon attack)... An unarmed strike is a weapon attack.

http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/06/15/melee-weapon-unarmed-strike/

There was an errata on the subject.

They are mechanically no different from a weapon attack with a longsword except damage is different (1 damage, 1d4 damage, or monk unarmed strike damage).

Unarmed strikes use a weapon attack but are not considered weapons.

[Deleted]

Unarmed strikes use a weapon attack but are not considered weapons.

They are weapon attacks for all purposes. Doesn't matter if you want to not count them as weapons or not. If an ability says "make a weapon attack" you can make an unarmed attack.

You don't have to like it, but that doesn't change what it is.

[N810]

How about you give him some 2D6 Brass Knuckles ?
(that count as gauntlets)

[Sir cryosin]

How about you give him some 2D6 Brass Knuckles ?
(that count as gauntlets)

I already tried that. He don't want a weapon.






I hate when people try and bring anime into D&D!!!!!

[Clone]

Again, he could take the Tavern Brawler feat. No need for making anything up, its all there. Yes its a d4, but I'm sure you as the DM can buff that at later levels in some way.

Besides that, if beating people up like a Fanalis is just what he wants, go level 1 Barbarian then go straight Monk. Maybe at Monk 5 or 6 he switches back to Barbarian, but otherwise he can play them exactly like a Barbarian with high CON, using Strength with his unarmed strikes. He'd also just use the Barbarian version of unarmored defense, and the Rage damage will buff his attacks making maybe a 16 STR decent damage output for a while. We would only be as MAD as a normal Barbarian if played this way.

The main downside would be he has lower hit die than a normal Barbarian sure, but that's sometimes a consequence of trying fun and wacky character concepts. Does he care he is doing maybe 3-5 damage a round less, or does he care that he kicked ass as much as a DBZ character? Fun trumps everything I find.

Then again you could just get him to train with an NPC who teaches him the way of the raging fist or something, and just give him the benefit of the unarmed strikes when raging. Then when you feel he is going to need an upgrade, ike a d6 --> d8, bring that NPC around again. Imagine the look on his face when you suddenly reintroduce the teacher and he instantly thinks "Oh my god I'm going to get even stronger"

I admire you going as far as to create an entire subclass for the guy, but there are easier solutions!

[Maxilian]

They are weapon attacks for all purposes. Doesn't matter if you want to not count them as weapons or not. If an ability says "make a weapon attack" you can make an unarmed attack.

You don't have to like it, but that doesn't change what it is.

Until you have something that says, "When you make an attack with a Melee weapon" (like most of the Battlemaster maneuvers, though it may never become relevant in its game but this is indeed, something they should have in mind)

[Maxilian]

I hate when people try and bring anime into D&D!!!!!

We all do that, may it be anime, comic books or films

[Maxilian]

Again, he could take the Tavern Brawler feat. No need for making anything up, its all there. Yes its a d4, but I'm sure you as the DM can buff that at later levels in some way.

Besides that, if beating people up like a Fanalis is just what he wants, go level 1 Barbarian then go straight Monk. Maybe at Monk 5 or 6 he switches back to Barbarian, but otherwise he can play them exactly like a Barbarian with high CON, using Strength with his unarmed strikes. He'd also just use the Barbarian version of unarmored defense, and the Rage damage will buff his attacks making maybe a 16 STR decent damage output for a while. We would only be as MAD as a normal Barbarian if played this way.

The main downside would be he has lower hit die than a normal Barbarian sure, but that's sometimes a consequence of trying fun and wacky character concepts. Does he care he is doing maybe 3-5 damage a round less, or does he care that he kicked ass as much as a DBZ character? Fun trumps everything I find.

Then again you could just get him to train with an NPC who teaches him the way of the raging fist or something, and just give him the benefit of the unarmed strikes when raging. Then when you feel he is going to need an upgrade, ike a d6 --> d8, bring that NPC around again. Imagine the look on his face when you suddenly reintroduce the teacher and he instantly thinks "Oh my god I'm going to get even stronger"

I admire you going as far as to create an entire subclass for the guy, but there are easier solutions!

You could also go with Lizardfolk to get a 1d6 instead of 1d4, so you can ignore the Tavern Brawler feat if you plan on taking monks lvl (if you take monk lvl, the bonus action by the TB feat its not that interesting), though there i would recommend to take mostly Barbarian lvl and just get 2 lvl on Monk for extra movibility and the bonus action attack (Could go all the way to 4, but don't go over that, you won't get stunning strike, but lets try to evade being that MAD)

[N810]

I already tried that. He don't want a weapon.






I hate when people try and bring anime into D&D!!!!!

What anime ?

[Clone]

What anime ?

Magi: The kingdom/ labyrinth of magic

Good show, and I can understand why he would want to replicate one, they're BAMFs.

In regards to the Lizardman point, Fanalis are very much humanoid so that's probably out of the question.
What you could do, if he wants to stick with Barbarian is go V. Human and take the Tavern Brawler feat. He'd start with 16/14/16/8/10/10 and then could get upgrades to his attacks via a teacher or magic item. Besides that, he'd play exactly like a normal Barbarian.

Personally I'd go with the Barbarian 1/ Monk X build, or at least Barbarian 1/ Monk 6 before doing anything else. Multiclassing can be good when used for dips when its for character concepts.

[Maxilian]

In regards to the Lizardman point, Fanalis are very much humanoid so that's probably out of the question.
What you could do, if he wants to stick with Barbarian is go V. Human and take the Tavern Brawler feat. He'd start with 16/14/16/8/10/10 and then could get upgrades to his attacks via a teacher or magic item. Besides that, he'd play exactly like a normal Barbarian.


Lizardfolks are... humanoids

Note: I think you meant, that look just like humans

[Clone]

Lizardfolks are... humanoids

Note: I think you meant, that look just like humans

By bad, didn't mean to add the "oid" part lol

But yeah, aesthetically they look identical to humans with long crimson hair and white skin, so even Goliath isn't to fitting unless you tweaked some things about them.