The Pugilist Class

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Level	Proficiency Bonus	Fisticuffs	Moxie Points	Features
1	+2	1d6	-	Fisticuffs, Iron Body
2	+2	1d6	2	Moxie, Street Smarts
3	+2	1d6	2	Unflinching, Subclass I
4	+2	1d6	3	Ability Score Improvement, Dig Deep
5	+3	1d8	3	Extra Attack
6	+3	1d8	4	Subclass II
7	+3	1d8	4	Brush Off, Magic Fist
8	+3	1d8	5	Ability Score Improvement
9	+4	1d10	5	Unyielding
10	+4	1d10	6	Subclass III
11	+4	1d10	6	School of Hard Knocks
12	+4	1d10	7	Ability Score Improvement

Basic Stats:

Level 1 HP = 10 + your Constitution Modifier; Gaining an additional [1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution Modifier] HP with every additional Pugilist Level

Proficiencies

• Proficiencies

• Armor: Light Armor

• Weapons: Simple Weapons, Whips, Improvised Weapons

• Tools: Your Choice of any Tool (or a Skill from the list below)

• Saves: Proficiency with Strength and Constitution Saving Throws

• Skills: Choose 2 Between Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Perception, Sleight of Hand, and Society

Equipment:

• Simple Light Armor and any 2 Simple Weapons of your choice

• The Tool you selected to have Proficiency with (or another Simple Weapon)

• a Backpack w/ A Bedroll, a Saex, a Mess Kit, a Tinderbox, 10 Torches, 10 Day of Rations, a Waterskin, and a 15m bundle of Hempen Rope

Features:

• Fisticuffs - Your years of fighting in the dirty streets, back alleys, and taverns have given you a proper skill with fighting using your fists and Pugilist weapons (simple melee weapons without the Large or Heavy Property, Whips, and Improvised Weapons). In addition you can’t utilize the Finesse or Balanced Properties for any weapons while treating it as a Pugilist Weapon. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or only using Pugilist Weapons and are wearing Light Armor with no Shield or Buckler equipped

• When dealing Damage with Unarmed Strikes you roll the dice according to the Fisticuffs table above, its size increasing as you gain Pugilist Levels. 

• When you use the Attack Action on your turn and make only Unarmed Strikes, Pugilist Weapon Attacks, Shoves, or Grapple (either to grab a creature or escape from a grapple) then you can use your Bonus Action to make an Unarmed Attack

• Iron Body

• While you are not utilizing a Shield or Buckler your AC = 12 + your Constitution Modifier (your choice, if you would gain a different benefit from your armor utilizing this feature doesn’t grant you the armor’s benefit)

• You gain Proficiency with Intimidation and it becomes a Constitution based Skill for you

• Moxie - Starting at 2nd Level your focus in combat is strong enough that you can channel it into special abilities using your Moxie Points, the number of which you can see in the table above. You start with 3 of these and regain them all whenever you finish a Short or Long Rest. You start with the following abilities…

• Brace Up (1 Moxie) - You use your Bonus Action to Brace for Attacks, gaining Shielding equal to a roll of your Fisticuffs Die + your Pugilist Level + your Constitution Modifier. If you still have some of this Shielding after a minute it fades away and you regain HP equal to half this amount

• The One-Two (1 Moxie) - Whenever you utilize your Fisticuffs ability to make an Unarmed Strike with your Bonus Action you can utilize this ability as a part of that Bonus Action to make an additional 2 Unarmed Strikes

• Sprint (1 Moxie) - You can use this ability as a Bonus Action to Dash a distance up to twice your Movement Speed, you do not Provoke Opportunity Attacks with this Movement

• Street Smarts - Your training never stops and you slowly come into a true understanding with your locale

• Your training never stops, training by carousing, shadowboxing, and sparring all become light activity for the purposes of resting

• You can spend 1 Day of Downtime spending time in a city’s streets to learn all about this city, gaining knowledge of its locations and important people as if you were born and raised there. In addition, you cannot become lost in this city unless by magical means. Whenever you use this ability again you replace the knowledge you learned about the last city with this one. You can also ask your GM if you can designate a Home City as a part of this ability which you never lose these bonuses of.

• Unflinching

  • Once per Long Rest when you are reduced to less than half your maximum HP by a hostile Creature dealing you Damage you can use your Reaction to gain Shielding equal to a roll of your Pugilist Die + your Pugilist Level + your Constitution Modifier. This Shielding lasts for up to an Hour

• Ability Score Improvement

  • When you reach a Level with this Feature you can increase any Ability Score by +2 or two separate Ability Scores by +1 each

• Dig Deep

  • You can put up tough defenses whenever you feel a big hit incoming by forcing a shot of adrenaline through your system. As a Bonus Action you can grant yourself Resistance to all Damage until the start of your next turn. However, as you lose these defenses you gain 1 Level of Exhaustion 

• Extra Attack

  • When you take the Attack Action you can make 2 Attacks instead of 1

• Brush Off

• You gain Proficiency with Dexterity Saving Throws

• Whenever you are affected by the Blinded, Charmed, Dazed, Deafened, Frightened, or Slowed Conditions you can use your Action to automatically end this effect

• Magic Fist

• Your Unarmed Strikes and Weapon Attacks (with Weapons you’re Proficient with) are treated as Magical for the sake of overcoming Resistances

• Unyielding

• When you are reduced to 0HP you can choose to ignore it, instead remaining at 1HP even if the effect would instantly kill you instead of reducing you to 0HP. You can utilize this feature once per Long Rest

• School of Hard Knocks

• Your training and experience in this life has granted you the benefits of being punched in the head repeatedly and so you have Resistance to Psychic Damage and have Advantage on all Mental (Charisma/Intelligence/Wisdom) Saving Throws

• Subclass - These types of Fighting Styles change how a Pugilist approaches the world both in and out of combat, some pick up more brutal strikes while others utilize their charisma to modify their style, and some even pick up a companion to help their fighting

  • Bruiser - This rough and tumble street dweller takes things into their own fists, making trouble for all kinds of people who assert their authority over others while being capable enough to keep track of who that is

    • I

    • Steady Fighter I

    • Choose 2 of the following to gain Proficiency with (Insight, Investigation, Perception, or Survival). If you already selected one at 1st Level of this Class you can replace it from that list. The Skills you select become your Bruiser Skills

    • Whenever you roll one of these chosen Skills you can expend a Moxie Point to gain Advantage on the Roll

    • Bruiser’s Vigilance I

    • You have Advantage on all Rolls in the 1st Round of Combat

    • II

    • Steady Fighter II

    • You can select another one of the listed skills form Grounded Fighter I to gain as your Bruiser Skills

    • Once per Short Rest you can use a Bonus Action to designate a Creature you can see as your Target, lasting for up to 1 Hour. This grants the following benefits

    • Advantage on Attack Rolls with Melee Attacks (that utilize your Proficiency Bonus)

    • They have Disadvantage on Attacks against you

    • You have Advantage on your Bruiser Skills when it involves your target

    • Bruiser’s Vigilance II

    • You cannot be Surprised

    • You gain 10 m of Movement Speed and do not Provoke Opportunity Attacks during the 1st Round of Combat

    • You gain Proficiency with Perception (or Expertise if you’re already Proficient)

    • III

    • Steady Fighter III

    • You can select another one of the listed skills form Grounded Fighter I to gain as your Bruiser Skills

    • Your Target has Disadvantage on Attacks Rolls against Creatures other than you and you have Advantage on your Damage Rolls as well 

    • Bruiser’s Vigilance III

    • You have Low Light Vision up to 40m

    • You gain Expertise with Perception (or Insight if you’re already an Expert)

  • Clutchmaster - This alternate form of Pugilist takes out opponents with not only their fists but also their specialized skills in grappling, shoving, and taking things down whenever they see fit

    • I

    • Muscle Mass I

    • You gain Proficiency in Athletics or Expertise if you’re already Proficient

    • Groundwork - You Gain the following 3 abilities to use with your Moxie Points

    • Compression Lock (1 Moxie) - Whenever you have a Creature Grappled at the start of your turn you can immediately deal Bludgeoning Damage equal to a Roll of your Moxie Die + your Constitution Modifier

    • Quick Pin (1 Moxie) - When an enemy moves away from your range and provokes an Opportunity Attack you can use your Reaction to attempt to Grapple that Creature. On a hit you deal Bludgeoning Damage equal to a Roll of your Moxie Die + your Constitution Modifier

    • To the Mat (1 Moxie) - You can use a Bonus Action to make an Athletics Check vs the AC of a Creature you’re within melee range of, on a Success you immediately Grapple your target and knock it prone

    • II

    • Meat Shield I

    • When you have a Creature Grappled you gain half cover against all other creatures’ Attacks

    • When a Weapon Attack made by a creature you’re not grappling misses you then you can use your Reaction to have the attacker reroll their attack, if it would hit the AC of the creature you’re grappling then that creature takes the hit aimed for you

    • You gain 5 Maximum HP

    • III

    • Muscle Mass II

    • You gain Expertise in Athletics or Mastery if you’re already an Expert

    • Meat Shield III

    • You now count as being one size larger for the purposes of grappling and shoving. In addition, you can move your full Movement Speed when you are dragging or carrying a grappled creature your size of smaller

    • You gain 5 Maximum HP

  • Dogged Striker - In the rough and tumble life this Pugilist has led they have managed to find 1 friend, a rough and dirty hound left on the streets to starve. They made an immediate bonded connection and have patrolled the streets together afterwards looking for scraps

    • I

    • The Best Friend - You gain a hound that accompanies you on your adventures and is friendly to you and your companions, following your commands with ease, with the stat block listed below. 

    • Statistics

    • HP: 10 + 5 * your Pugilist Level

    • AC: 12 + your Proficiency Bonus

    • Movement Speed: 12m

    • Strength (14), Dexterity (14), Constitution (15), Intelligence (5), Wisdom (12), Charisma (13); 

    • Proficient with Athletics and Perception

    • Abilities

    • Immune to being Charmed or Frightened; 

    • Low Light Vision (20m)

    • Advantage on Perception Checks made with Smell

    • +4 to Attack and Damage Rolls when Attacking a Creature you’ve Attacked this turn. This target must also make a Strength Saving Throw (DC = 10 + your Proficiency Bonus) or be knocked prone

    • Actions

    • Vicious Bite - Make a Melee Attack Rolls with a bonus of 2 + your Proficiency Bonus, dealing 2d4 + PB Piercing Damage on a Hit

    • In combat it shares your initiative, can move and use its Reaction on its own but only takes the Dodge Action unless you use your Bonus Action to command it to take a different Action. You do not need to spend a Bonus Action giving an order if its previous order would still apply, such as attacking a creature that is still within range

    • If your best friend has died within the last minute you can revive it to 1 HP by using your Action but can only do so once per Long Rest. If your Hound dies or is permanently separated from you in another way you can spend 8 Hours making a connection with a new Hound, granting these bonuses to that one instead

    • Mutt with Moxie - When you use your Moxie your Hound gets bonuses as well

    • Brace Up - Your Hound gains the same amount of Shielding as you

    • The Old One-Two - Your Hound has Advantage on Attacks against any Creature you target with these Unarmed Strikes on its next turn

    • Sprint - Your Hound can Dash up to 12m when you utilize this ability

    • II

    • Hound Healing

    • Once per Short Rest you can spend 1 minute giving pets to your Hound and it regains HP equal to 2d6 + your Pugilist Level 

    • Coordinated Attack

    • When you use the Old One-Two your Hound can make an Attack against that same Creature if it is adjacent

    • III

    • Animal Defender

    • When a Creature adjacent to you and the Hound targets one of you with an Attack the other can use their Reaction to make 2 Attacks against them

  • Vile - While all Pugilists are violent strikers there are those who take it to the mental level, striking out with cheap shots and foul words to take their foes down both inside and out

    • I

    • Foul Skillset

    • You gain Expertise with Intimidation Skill

    • You gain Proficiency with Hand Crossbows

    • You can utilize your Bonus Action to force a Creature you can see within 20m that can hear you to make a Wisdom Saving Throw 

    •  Disadvantage on all Attack Rolls on its next turn and you have Advantage on all Hand Crossbow Attack/Damage Rolls against them on your next turn

    • The DC for all of your Vile abilities = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution Modifier)

    • Cheap Shot

    • When you use your Fisticuffs Feature to make an Unarmed Strike with your Bonus Action you can make an Attack with a Hand Crossbow instead. Utilizing your Hand Crossbow in this way does not give you Disadvantage when you make your Attack Roll and deals additional Damage equal to your Dexterity Modifier (minimum +1)

    • If you make an Attack Roll with a Hand Crossbow against a Creature adjacent to you, you can utilize your Strength Modifier instead of your Dexterity Modifier for the Attack and Damage Rolls with this weapon

    • II

    • Dirty Tricks - You can spend 1 Moxie Point to utilize any of the below abilities. If your target for these abilities succeeds on the Save then you don’t expend that Moxie Point

    • Heel Stomp - When you deal Damage with an Unarmed Strike or a Hand Crossbow Attack, you attempt to slow the creature you hit. It must make a Dexterity Saving Throw and on a Failure its Movement Speed is reduced by 2m for 1 Minute

    • Pocket Sand - You can use a Bonus Action to quickly deploy some loose dirt you find nearby. You select an adjacent Creature to make a Constitution Saving Throw, taking 1d6 Psychic Damage and becoming Blinded on a Failure until the end of its next turn. On a Success it only takes the Damage

    • Quick Feet - You move rapidly back and forth with your Moxie, granting all Attacks against you Disadvantage until the end of your next turn. If one of these Attacks hits you then you can make a Hand Crossbow Attack against your attacker without expending your Reaction

    • III

    • Mean Spirited

    • You gain Mastery with Intimidation Checks

    • When you make an Intimidation Check you can spend a Moxie Point to give yourself Advantage on the Roll. If you do while in Combat the target becomes impaired, gaining the Dazed Condition for 1 Minute and all Hand Crossbow Attacks against them are performed with Advantage

  • The Sweet Science - These Pugilists have found a more precise and steady set of tricks to lead their way to the front, easily striking hard and fast and repeatedly.

    • I

    • Bare Knuckle Critical I

    • Your Unarmed Strikes’ Critical Chance increases by 1

    • Slip Strike

    • When you are hit by a Melee Attack you can use your Reaction to prep your counter. You reduce the damage by an amount equal to a roll of your Fisticuffs Die + your Constitution Modifier and you make an Unarmed Attack against them, doing bonus damage on a hit equal to what you rolled to reduce the Damage

    • II

    • Combo Striker

    • When you use your Bonus Action to activate the Old One-Two ability you can make 3 additional Unarmed Strikes instead of 2. If any of these Hit the target must make a Strength Saving Throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength Modifier) or be knocked Prone

    • Uppercut

    • Anytime you utilize a Moxie Point for or during an Unarmed Strike and Critically Strike you immediately regain the Moxie Point

    • III

    • Bare Knuckle Critical II

    • Your Unarmed Strikes’ Critical Chance increases by 1

    • Float and Sting

    • Whenever you reduce an enemy Creature to 0HP you can utilize one ability which costs a Moxie Point on your next turn without expending a Moxie Point