Weaponized Unarmed Strike

[Yack]

Hello GITP, I'll make this quick.

Is there some kind of weighted, lined gauntlet a character can use that
1. Keeps them unarmed, and
2. Gives a slight boost to damage for Unarmed Strikes?

I was considering regular leather gauntlets with a mythril chain net inside, but I don't know if this would work.

Thank you,
Yack

[Mikal]

Hello GITP, I'll make this quick.

Is there some kind of weighted, lined gauntlet a character can use that
1. Keeps them unarmed, and
2. Gives a slight boost to damage for Unarmed Strikes?

I was considering regular leather gauntlets with a mythril chain net inside, but I don't know if this would work.

Thank you,
Yack

RAW, no.
If you're the DM, do what you feel is best for your game if you want them. Questions you should ask when doing so include
a) why do i want them in my game
b) what breaks if i add them to my game

[Spectrulus]

Just fluff / flavor a club. Done.

[Mikal]

Just fluff / flavor a club. Done.

Except that doesn't do what he wants.
He wants the item to help remain unarmed while boosting unarmed damage.

What I would likely do is the weapon idea you had, OP. I would then either provide a flat bonus to damage (+2 perhaps), or if I don't mind the damage being boosted by crits, add +1d4 to the damage. I would also require tavern brawler or the monks unarmed strike feature to be able to use it.

[ProsecutorGodot]

There are several ways to increase your unarmed strike damage but none of them are equipment based. Any kind of enhanced gauntlets or knuckles would be treading into the realm of homebrewing, which is fine, but nothing published comes to my mind.

If you're not planning on taking monk levels, consider the Tavern Brawler feat. It makes your unarmed strikes deal a d4 damage die as opposed to 1+STR.

[RedMage125]

The "weapon" in question the op is looking for is called a cestus.

I would rule it as a non-Light, non-Finesse simple weapon that does 1d4 damage, while allowing the wielding hand to be considered "empty".

You want to keep it from being a DEX weapon, because the whole point is that it is heavy with weights, and more about pounding someone with a lead lined glove than precision.

Or take the Tavern Brawler feat, as mentioned above.

[NaughtyTiger]

Except that doesn't do what he wants.
He wants the item to help remain unarmed while boosting unarmed damage.

What I would likely do is the weapon idea you had, OP. I would then either provide a flat bonus to damage (+2 perhaps), or if I don't mind the damage being boosted by crits, add +1d4 to the damage.

The flat bonus is strong: rage bonus or dueling feat fighting style
bumping the attack to d4+str is the half feat tavern brawler, so also strong


Crit boost isn't a bad idea.
refluff the Insignia of claws is +1 tohit/+1 damage

[Mikal]

The flat bonus is strong: rage bonus or dueling feat fighting style
bumping the attack to d4+str is the half feat tavern brawler, so also strong

I agree. I also think that it's not a big deal, when compared to the largest weapon damage dealers, GWM attacks and Sharpshooter, so adding 1d4 or a +2 to an existing attack that can't actually use the rage bonus or dueling feat fighting style isn't a big deal. But good note. I'd also specify that even if it's a weapon, it does not allow the use of rage or dueling since it is still not a melee weapon attack.

[NaughtyTiger]

I agree. I also think that it's not a big deal, when compared to the largest weapon damage dealers, GWM attacks and Sharpshooter, so adding 1d4 or a +2 to an existing attack that can't actually use the rage bonus or dueling feat fighting style isn't a big deal. But good note. I'd also specify that even if it's a weapon, it does not allow the use of rage or dueling since it is still not a melee weapon attack.

Unarmed attacks ARE melee weapon attacks.
https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/670685588488605697?ref_src

so it can be used with Rage.
it doesn't break dueling style (but doesn't help it.)

[Mikal]

Unarmed attacks ARE melee weapon attacks.
https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/670685588488605697?ref_src

so it can be used with Rage.
it doesn't break dueling style (but doesn't help it.)

Ah good point. Still usable with rage, though not with dueling style. But even if all three stacked, unless you're a high level monk the unarmed damage dice still make it comparable to a GWM or Sharpshooter attack/damage IMO.

[NaughtyTiger]

Ah good point. Still usable with rage, though not with dueling style. But even if all three stacked, unless you're a high level monk the unarmed damage dice still make it comparable to a GWM or Sharpshooter attack/damage IMO.

After rereading your original comment, i neglected that you are charging them a feat for it (require tavern brawler)
i have no complaints about your suggestion.

[crookedtree]

I was playing a brawler monk and my DM let me have brass knuckles (Edit: Instead of a weapon) that gave me +1 to damage (just damage) with unarmed strikes. The math/balance works out pretty well for a bit.

[Mikal]

After rereading your original comment, i neglected that you are charging them a feat for it (require tavern brawler)
i have no complaints about your suggestion.

Not your fault. I believe I edited that in after thinking about it.

[Yack]

Thank you to everyone who responded!

The idea is to use DEX and still gain a bonus. My unarmed damage isn't bad (1d6, I'm a monk) but I'd like a little more than a regular punch. Thank you especially to cestus guy, for giving me the name of the weapon I envisioned.

My idea to use mythril-lined gloves is because you'd still be getting hit in the face with a bar of metal, but I could hit you skillfully with a bar of metal. Ultimately, the idea is to hit somebody with something flat and hard that's not my fist.

[crookedtree]

Again, I'd like to advocate for a simple +1 to all unarmed damage (instead of a weapon). Your dice will be smaller (for a bit), but the smaller max damage is made up for by a much higher minimum.

At level 1 with 16 dex, damage would be 1d4+4 and 1d4+4 (with knuckles for +1 damage) vs. 1d8+3+1d4+3 (with a quarterstaff 2 handed). Your minimum with the knuckles is 10 and the max is 16. Your minimum with the staff is 8 and the max is 18. It gets a little trickier with flurry of blows and as your martial arts die goes up, but I don't think it's game breaking.