Bruiser Spitting out a mouthfull of blood and cleaning his chin with the back of a bandaged hand, the battered dwarf assumes his defensive stance, as the orcish brute before him swings her club, once more aimed to crush his skull, the dwarf ducks. In a flash, he closes the distance and delivers a deadly uppercut unto his opponent's jaw. With an audible crack the orc falls motionless on the ground as a crowd cheers. A tall, burly, and highly inebriated dragonborn stands on a table, challenging all who hear to take her down. Chairs, drinks, and fists fly, as a multitude of equally intoxicated patrons lunge at her. With a clenched fist and a broad smile, the dragonborn laughs as they charge, ready for the wild frenzy she has proudly instigated. From all walks of life, be they proud nobles trained in traditional hand to hand techniques passed down by their line, bodyguards or bouncers paid to keep order in rowdy taverns, or just common rufians who love combat with a more personal touch; Bruisers are combatants that have gone through arduous training and self improvement to turn their bodies into the most efficient weapon at their disposal. Peak Performance Bruisers have honed their bodies to the very peak of physical capacity. Trained to take as much punishment as they dish out; Some may consider them vulnerable due to their lack of armor or weaponry. Those few quickly realize what a grave mistake it was to underestimate them. Strong and sturdy, most Bruisers love a good brawl, and are often eager to challange new opponents or to incite others to join the fray. They can control the battlefield through adrenaline alone; taunting enemies and becoming the center of attention while kindling the fire in their allies. Their hardy bodies make them resilient targets, blinding enemies with frustration as they desperately try to break through the Bruiser's impenetrable defense. Rough Around the Edges Bruisers are commonly hired muscle, bouncers, or mercenaries, contracted to reign in disruptive patrons within private establishments, or hired as prison guards to keep problematic inmates in check without lethal force. Though often, they may very well be the rowdy patrons themselves. Sailors, thugs, or pirates, all eager to display their strength; be it for coin or just to prove a point. In some circles, they may in fact be professionaly trained combatants. Participants of sanctioned bouts for the entertainment of the masses. From high nobles to lowly paupers, it is very common for such combatants to earn their living partaking in sports of strength. For many onlookers are often eager to make hefty wagers upon the results of such fearsome bouts. Creating a Bruiser While forging your bruiser, you should take under consideration what might be the reason you chose to perfect your skills in unarmed combat. Was it through specialized training? Did you have a teacher? Or did you learn through experience? What was your early life like? Were you born into money, and developed a taste for fisticuffs, or was it through necesity that you learned to use your bare hands as a means to defend yourself? Were you the type to provoke conflict, or were you there to dissolve it? Consider what could lead your character to seek fortune or adventure beyond home. Your character may have been able to make a living with their skills, perhaps as hired muscle or as a sanctioned fighter in official bouts at which others could wager gold. It may be that you have gained some local infamy or renown in your home. Perhaps you've run out of competition, or you have found those near you to be beyond your skill, and seek to grow strong before facing them once more. Perhaps you always sought to travel, seeking newer challengers wherever you go, eager to prove your strength. Or it could be that you are on the run, having perhaps taken a fight too far, or having wounded the pride of one whose influence could prove a threat to your wellbeing. Regardless, your hands have proven thus far to be your most trusted weapons, and your body your stalwart armor. Quick Build You can make a bruiser quickly by following these suggestions. First, make sure Strength is your highest ability score, followed by either Constitution or Dexterity. Next choose the sailor background. 1

The Bruiser Level Proficiency Bonus Bruised Knuckles Adrenaline Points Features 1st +2 1d6 ---- Unarmored Defense, Bruised Knuckles 2nd +2 1d6 2 Adrenaline 3rd +2 1d6 3 Fisticuffs Stance, Impenetrable 4th +2 1d6 4 Ability Score Improvement 5th +3 1d8 5 Extra Attack 6th +3 1d8 6 Forceful Impact 7th +3 1d8 7 Fisticuffs Stance Feature 8th +3 1d8 8 Ability Score Improvement 9th +4 1d8 9 Efficient Strikes, Imposing Figure 10th +4 1d8 10 Fisticuffs Stance Feature 11th +4 1d10 11 Counter 12th +4 1d10 12 Ability Score Improvement 13th +5 1d10 13 Stalwart Body 14th +5 1d10 14 Fisticuffs Stance Feature 15th +5 1d10 15 Unyielding 16th +5 1d10 16 Ability Score Improvement 17th +6 1d12 17 Fisticuffs Style Feature 18th +6 1d12 18 Stalwart Body (2) 19th +6 1d12 19 Ability Score Improvement 20th +6 1d12 20 Powerhouse Class Features As a bruiser, you gain the following class features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d10 per bruiser level

1d10 per bruiser level Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

10 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per level after 1st Proficiencies Armor: None

None Weapons: None

None Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tool and a gaming set Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity

Strength, Dexterity Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Sleight of Hand Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a dice set or (b) a playing card set

(a) an explorer's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack Starting Wealth Funds: 4d4 x 10gp Unarmored Defense Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Strength modifier. Bare Knuckles At 1st level you are already well versed in the use of your body as an effective weapon. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed, and not wielding a shield: You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike. This die changes as you gain bruiser levels, as shown in the Bruised Knuckles column of the Bruiser table.

When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike you can make one additional unarmed strike as a bonus action. 1

Adrenaline Starting at 2nd level, your sheer presence and brawn can turn the tide of battle by adrenaline alone. You can provoke your enemies to lose focus, kindle the fire in your allies, or perform impressive feats of strength. Your access to this adrenaline is represented by a number of adrenaline points. Your bruiser level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Adrenaline Points collumn of the Bruiser table. You can spend these points to perform various bruiser features, including certain taunts that may affect enemy morale. You start knowing three such features: Declare Challenge, Hold Craven, and Encourage Ally. You will learn more bruiser features as you gain levels in this class. Targets must be able to see or hear you and must have an Intelligence score of 3 or above in order to be affected by your taunts. They do not need to share a language with you to feel the intent of your words. When you spend an adrenaline point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you recover all your expended points. You must spend at least 30 minutes of rest to regain your adrenaline points. Some of your abilities and taunts require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Taunt save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier Taunt: Declare Challenge You may expend 1 adrenaline point as an action to goad a hostile creature within 30 feet into attacking you. They must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on all attacks against any creature other than you for 1 minute, or until they land a number of attacks against you equal to your Strength modifier. The effect also ends if a creature friendly to you makes a harmful action against it, or if you or the target fall unconscious. You may only have 1 creature affected by this taunt at any given time. If you successfully goad another creature with this taunt, the effect immediately ends on the first creature. Taunt: Hold Craven You can spend 1 adrenaline point as a reaction to shout at a creature you can see within 60 feet of you when it tries to use its movement to move away from you or towards a creature other than you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall for your taunt, their movement speed becoming 0 until their next turn unless they can use their movement to move toward you instead. If the target is standing in a location that is immediately harmful to it, such as a fire, it automatically succeeds on its saving throw against this taunt. Encourage Ally You can spend 1 adrenaline point as a reaction to grant an ally within 10 feet of you a bonus 1d4 to their roll as they perform an ability check, attack, or saving throw. You can choose to use this feature after your ally makes their roll, but before your GM determines if it succeeds or fails. Fisticuffs Stance Upon reaching 3rd level, you must choose an style that defines your fighting prowess. Your chosen fisticuffs stance grants you features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 17th level. Taunt: Impenetrable Starting at 3rd level, while you are wearing no armor or wielding a shield, you may use your reaction to expend 1 adrenaline point in order to attempt and resist or avoid a melee attack that is made against you. You can use this ability after the damage for the attack is rolled. When you do so, the damage you would recieve is reduced by 1d10 + either your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice). You can expend additional adrenaline points to add an additional 1d10 to the damage reduction for each point used. If you reduce an attack's damage to 0 by the use of this feature, you taunt the attacker for their weakness and gain advantage against them on your next attack. Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Forceful Impact Starting at 6th level, you have learned to harness your raw power into an almost unnatural force. All your unarmed strikes can deal either force damage or bludgeoning damage (your choice).

Efficient Strikes By 9th level, you have learned how to maximize the output of your unarmed strikes. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with an unarmed strike, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. Counter Starting at 11th level, if you have at least one free hand when an enemy within 5 feet of you misses an attack against you, you may use your reaction to attempt one unarmed strike against them. Stalwart Body When you reach 13th level, your body can resist blows that would shatter lesser folk. While wearing no armor or wielding a shield, critical hits from melee attacks against you become normal hits and you gain resistance to bludgeoning damage. After 18th level, while wearing no armor or wielding a shield, all critical hits against you become normal hits and you gain resistance to slashing and piercing damage. Uyielding Starting at 15th level, if you drop to 0 hit points, instead of rolling death saving throws, you may use your action on your turn to immediately stabalize and stand up, regaining 2d10 + your bruiser level in hit points. You cannot use this ability again until you finish a long rest. Powerhouse At 20th level, you reach the absolute peak of your physical prowess. Choose an ability score between Strength or Dexterity. The chosen ability score increases by 4, and your maximum for this score becomes 24 instead of 20. If you wish, you may choose two of the listed ability scores and increase them each by 2 instead, to a maximum of 22. 2 Fisticuffs Stance The Boxer In the clearing stands a boxer; a fighter by his trade. Boxers can use their quick footwork, powerful jabs, and unyielding tenacity to overwhelm single targets, making them fearsome opponents in close quarters. Duck and Weave At 3rd level, after you take this archetype, you master the art of unarmored defense. While wearing no armor and having both hands free, you can use a bonus action to take up a defensive stance, adding +2 to your AC until the start of your next turn. This bonus increases to +3 at 14th level. Quick Jabs After choosing this archtype at 3rd level, you have become almost unaturally quick with your unarmed strikes. If you use a reaction to make an unarmed strike against a creature within 5 feet of you, you can expend 1 or up to 2 adrenaline points to make an additional attack against them for each adrenaline point used as a part of the same reaction. Measured Breaths Beginning at 7th level, you regain 1 adrenaline point every time you land a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points. Jawbreaker Starting at 10th level, you may expend 2 adrenaline points after landing an unarmed strike against a creature. If you do so, the target creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is incapacitated for a number of rounds equal to half your Strength modifier (rounded down; minimum of 1). A creature that is already incapacitated is immune to this effect. The creature can repeat its saving throw at the start of each of its turns. Unshakeable After 14th level, you are unshakeable. You cannot be put to sleep against your will and have advantage on saving throws against being stunned, restrained, knocked prone, or pushed out of your position unless you allow it. Tenacious Starting at 17th level, if you drop to 0 hit points again after having already used your Unyielding ability, you can spend 2 adrenaline points to use it again, despite not having made a long rest. However, every time you use Unyielding in this way you gain 1 point of exhaustion.

The Brawler Those who love the frenzy of a riot or just the thrill a good tavern brawl are at their best at the center of a fight. Attacked from all directions, they are bolstered by the chaos, inspiring those around them to join in the uproar. The greater the danger, the more dangerous they become. Taunt: Provoke Ire After 3rd level, when you select this archtype, you may now target and affect multiple creatures with your Declare Challenge taunt at once, using a single action. The number of creatures targeted equals the number of adrenaline points used. In addition, the effect of Declare Challenge can now only end after 1 minute or until you or the target fall to 0 hit points. However, if there are 2 or more creatures actively affected by your Declare Challenge, they gain advantage on all their attacks against you until the effect ends on them. Brawling Frenzy Starting at 3rd level, if at least 2 creatures are being affected by Declare Challenge, you enter a brawling frenzy. While in this state, for every hostile creature actively affected by Declare Challenge you add +2 points of damage to every unarmed strike. If a hostile creature loses the effect of Declare Challenge, you lose all bonuses granted by them. Imposing Figure After 7th level, the exceptional state of your well honed body becomes clearly evident to those around you. When you try to intimidate a creature, instead of rolling a (Charisma) Intimidation check, you can force the creature to attempt a Wisdom saving throw against your Taunt save DC. On a failure, the intimidation check is considered a success unless the creature is immune to fear, or otherwise incapable of being intimidated. Bolstering Roar Starting at 10th level, as soon as a skirmish begins, your sheer adrenaline and presnece emboldens your allies. When initiative is rolled at the start of combat, allies within 60 feet of you can add half your Strength modifier (rounded up) to their initiative roll. Unrelenting Beginning at 14th level your body will refuse to accept defeat, even at the verge of death. If you drop to 0 hit points while under the effects of Brawling Frenzy, you will enter a blind rage. While in this state, you are still considered unconscious, but you do not fall prone and are not incapacitated. Instead, you may continue to take actions as if you were conscious for a number of rounds equal to your Strength modifier or until the conditions for Brawling Frenzy end; after which you gain 1 point of exhaustion, fall prone and are incapacitated unless you regain consciousness. While in this state, targets will continue to be affected by Declare Challenge as if you were still conscious, but you will gain double the bonus damage granted to you by Brawling Frenzy. In addition, you are immune to all charm, sleep, and stunning effects for the duration; you cannot be restrained, unless you already were, you automatically succeed all grapple checks, and you add double your Strength modifier to all strength checks and saving throws. However, you must still roll death saving throws in this state, and will still receive failed death saving throws when taking damage. Blood and Tears Starting at 17th level, your fervor increases the more intense a fight becomes. If you have less than half your hit points left, you gain a +2 bonus to your attack rolls. If you have less than your Bruiser level in hit points left, this bonus becomes +4. If you have 0 hit points left, in addition to this bonus all your unarmed strikes are considered a critical hit if they land. 3

The Opportunist Ready to do whatever it takes to win, the opportunist seeks to capitalize on every advantage at their disposal. Always willing to use trickery, deceit, and provocation to disarm and fool their targets. There are no limits when it comes to victory. Dirty Fighting After taking this archtype at 3rd level, you learn a series of new techniques used to exploit your opponent's weaknesses and win by any means necessary. Taunt: Distracting Jeer. When a friendly creature makes an attack or effect that requires a target creature you can see to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to distract the target creature. Expend 1 adrenaline point to impose disadvantage on the target's saving throw. Taunt: Incessant Shouting. You can expend 2 adrenaline points as an action to shout at a creature that is concentrating on a spell. They are forced to make a Wisdom saving throw to block out your voice or lose concentration. Taunt: False Warning. When a hostile creature makes an attack roll, you can spend 1 adrenaline point as a reaction to tauntingly "warn" them of having left their guard down against an attack from behind. The target creature suffers a 1d4 penalty to their attack roll as they hesitate. Eye Gouge If you have at least one free hand when you make a melee attack against a creature within 5 feet of you whose eyes you can reach, you can expend 1 adrenaline point in order to attempt to poke at their eyes. The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be blinded for a number of rounds equal to your Strength modifier. The creature can repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns. Low Blow. When using your bonus action to make an unarmed strike, you can expend 1 adrenaline point to aim your attack towards an exceptionally volunareble point on your opponent. For example, their kidneys. If the attack connects, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature doubles over in pain; stunned until the end of your next turn. Headbutt. When using your bonus action to make an unarmed strike against a creature, you can make the attack a headbutt. The attack is made at disadvantage, but if it lands, the target must roll a 1d4 on their next attack roll, and subtract the result from their total. Trip Attack When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend 2 adrenaline points to attempt to knock the target down. If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is knocked prone. If you are prone, the target makes this save with disadvantage. Opportunistic Starting at 3rd level, you have advantage on all attacks made as a reaction. In addition, you can double your proficiency bonus on the first attack roll of your turn made against a creature that was affected by one of your Dirty Fighting techniques during the previous or current rounds. Belligerent After 7th level, you are quite skilled at provoking conflicts. You have advantage on (Charisma) Persuasion and (Charisma) Intimidation checks made to provoke fights or brawls. Slippery Target Beginning at 10th level, you become difficult to pin down. Creatures no longer gain advantage against you as a result of you being prone, restrained, or stunned. After 14th level, if an attack made against you is affected by conditions that would grant it both advantage and disadvatnage simultaneously, the attack is treated as if it were at disadvantage. Advantageous After 17th level, you are so gifted at seizing opportunities in combat that you can no longer have disadvantage on any unarmed strikes.