The Brawler

The Brawler is a Hybrid of Fighter and Monk, a powerful melee combatant capable with close quarter weapons and maneuvers, and with great flexibility when it comes to dealing with its opponents. It’s up there amongst the classes that I truly enjoy playing in Pathfinder and herein I shall present five builds to showcase how fun Brawlers can be.

The Base Brawler

Where the monk, while incidentally a martial artist, is more a student of enlightenment, the brawler is a martial artist through and through. With this build I will thus make the ultimate martial artist build for Pathfinder.

Class

Brawler 20

Race

Human, despite the Brawler’s Martial Flexibility ability, we will need all the feats we can get because this will be one of the most feats intensive builds we’ve made so far. Put that floating +2 in Strength.

Ability Scores

15Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 8/Wis 13/Cha 11 Round up Dex then everything else in Str

20Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 8/Wis 13/Cha 11 Round up Dex then everything else in Str

25Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 8/Wis 14/Cha 12 Put everything in Str.

Traits

Heavy Hitter for more unarmed strike damage, Reactionary for more Initiative

Favored Class bonus

Dude, you are literally going to play someone who will try to have a boxing match with a Dragon. If you put these anywhere else than HP that’s a you problem.

Skills

Acrobatics, Perception, Sense Motive and Intimidate will be your skills.

Feats by Level

1-Power Attack

Human Bonus-Weapon Focus(Unarmed Strike)

Brawler-Improved Unarmed Strike Bonus

2-Dazzling Display

3-Intimidating Prowess

5-Weapon Specialization(Unarmed Strike)

Bonus 5-Combat Reflexes

7-Cornugon Smash

Bonus 8-Greater Weapon Focus(Unarmed Strike)

9-Stunning Fist

11-Improved Critical(Unarmed Strike)

Bonus 11-Combat Expertise

13-Greater Weapon Specialization(Unarmed Strike)

Bonus 14-Penetrating Strike

15-Shatter Defenses

17-Greater Penetrating Strike Bonus

17-Improved Bull Rush

19-Improved Grapple

Bonus 20-Greater Grapple

So this feat list may seem…bland. Power Attack+Cornugon Smash+Intimidating Prowess is a classic Intimidate combo, and the Weapon Focus feats chain add a few static bonuses to attack and damage to your unarmed strikes. Penetrating Strike reduces your target’s DR and all that. But why choose such bland feats when we can easily qualify for Style feats?

Bear with me for now, I’ll explain.

Equipment

Grab a Chain Shirt. This is pretty much all you will ever need for starting equipment. Maybe grab a dagger for damage type variation.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, our feat selection is sorta bland, but as we can attack seven times per round, our damage per round goes up to 14d10+96 (156 points of damage on average per round) unarmed which in itself is pretty damned poggers by itself. But then we add the fact that Dazzling Display lets us make a show of prowess with our weapon focus weapons to intimidate people around us.

Except our weapon focus is on our unarmed strike. So what we are going is we are intimidating dragons by flexing which is the single most gigachad thing ever. Or punching said dragon in the face too.

Now, okay, all that is cool but I really wanted to get into a Style feat tree.

Here’s the great thing with Brawlers: Martial Flexibility. You have a pool that you can use to gain any combat feat you qualify for for a set period of time each day. Why limit yourself to a style when you can use all the styles according to your damn fancy or need of the moment? And with our bland list of feats, we satisfy the basic conditions of almost all the styles, meaning we can pick and choose any style we want as the situation demands. We are the ultimate Martial Artist. I promised. I delivered.

Stranglhair

So now that we have made the ultimate martial artist, let’s get into the weird builds.

This build has been hinted at since a while now. We will strangle people with our terrible haircut. We will take the Strangler Archetype and multiclass into Witch with the White Haired Witch Archetype and in Cavalier with the Constable Archetype. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Brawler 1/Witch (White Haired Witch) 2/Cavalier (Constable) 2/Brawler +15

Race

We are going with Human with the Giant Ancestry Alternative Racial Feature. Put your +2 in Intelligence.

Ability Scores

Round up Constitution then everything in Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 11/Int 18/Wis 13/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 13/Int 19/Wis 13/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 11/Dex 14/Con 13/Int 20/Wis 13/Cha 7

Traits

Bred for War for an additional +1 to CMB, and Reactionary for more initiative.

Favored Class Bonus

Yeah, it is, in fact, HP.

Skills

We will want Heal, Escape Artist and Acrobatics, and we want Perception anyway. Everything else is up to your discretion.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

Human Bonus-Piranha Strike

3-Agile Maneuvers

Bonus 4-Improved Unarmed Strike

5-Improved Grapple

7-Greater Grapple

9-Stunning Fist

11-Jawbreaker

13-Bonebreaker

15-Neckbreaker

17-Improved Initiative

19-Toughness

So we start simple with Weapon Finesse+Piranha Strike for some easy damage with a dagger early on. We really only start grappling starting lvl 3 when we multiclass into White-Haired Witch, we grab Agile Maneuvers to key our subsequent grapples(first one is with Intelligence) with Dex. As we further multiclass into Cavalier, as a Constable we get Improved Unarmed Strike for free, letting us subsequently take Improved Grapple and Greater Grapple. We will also take Stunning Fists as it unlocks the Bonebreaker feats chain, letting us deal some significant Ability Damage when we Stunning Fist, which will eat at Str/Dex and then Con, and also disable the target’s jaw making spellcasting impossible.

Spells

All you really need here is Enlarge Person

Cavalier Order

Take the Order of the Penitent to get Expert Captor which lets you tie someone up that you have grappled.

Equipment

A Dagger and a Chain Shirt. Take a King Crab Familiar for a +2 to Grappling.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So our initial Hair grapple is done at a whopping +34 before buffs, and we can constrict as a swift action. The next turn we can tie the target with a rope, completely and utterly shutting them down, meaning we can Coup de Grace them next turn. Or we can Neckbreak them for instant death, or Stunning Strike them for Ability Damage meaning quite possible instant death, or we can suffocate them for instant unconscious meaning we can Coup de Grace them next turn for more instant death…You get the point I believe. Use Martial Flexibility to grab Combat Reflexes and then AoO into auto grapple multiple targets like that for hilarity and shutting down multiple targets per turn. The fact that you deal Sneak Attack damage on grapples is just extra gravy.

The Perfectionist

You wanted to be the perfect martial artist and strongest athlete ever. So you’ve resorted to doping yourself via a mutagen and became an Olympic champion.

We are taking the Mutagenic Mauler Archetype and the Darechaser Prestige Class. We will also variant multiclass into Barbarian Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Brawler (Mutagenic Mauler) 5/Darechaser 10/Brawler +5/Variant Multiclass Barbarian.

Race

We are going for Orc here, with the Dayrunner Alternate Racial Trait.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Strength.

15Point-Buy

Str 22/Dex 13/Con 15/Int 6/Wis 5/Cha 5

20Point-Buy

Str 22/Dex 14/Con 15/Int 7/Wis 5/Cha 5

25Point-Buy

Str 22/Dex 15/Con 16/Int 7/Wis 5/Cha 5

Traits

We will take Reactionary as we are used to rushing rapidly into action, and Tusked because we want to bite people who say we cheat with mutagens.

Favored Class Bonus

Skills, actually, as we need a fair few of those.

Skills

Climb, Swim and Acrobatics. As soon as we qualify for Darechaser, put 3 ranks in Knowledge(Religion).

Feats and Variant Multiclass by Level

1-Power Attack

3-Rage

5-Athletic

7-Uncanny Dodge

9-Deific Obedience

11-Rage Power(Lesser Beast Totem)

13-Iron Will

15-DR 3/-

17-Improved Initiative 19-Greater Rage

We get Rage from our variant multiclassing, otherwise, we combine our high damage with

Power Attack.

Equipment

We need a Climbing Kit, that’s about it. Some posters we can autograph for fans.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So this build is a bit of a meme build, but it still remains fairly strong.

Between our stupidly high Strength (27 at lvl 20, +6 from Greater Rage and +4 from Mutagen(they do stack) for a Strength of 37 before buffs and magic items, for an attack routine of fists that deal some 1d10+19 each for 6d10+126 damage per round. As for our physical skills, Acrobatics, Climb and Swim, we are reaching easily into the +40s, and with Darechaser, even higher via our Dares.

Truly, doping ourselves made us the best athlete there ever was!

The Golden Archer

We are taking the Shield Champion Archetype and the Sentinel Prestige Class. We’re also taking a single level of Fighter.Our leveling should look like the following:

Brawler (Shield Champion) 1/Fighter 1/Brawler (Shield Champion) +5/Sentinel 10/Brawler (Shield Champion) +3

Race

We are once again going for human. Put that floating +2 into Dexterity

Ability Scores

Put everything in Dexterity.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 10

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 19/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 12

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 20/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 13

Traits

Rich Parents for all the goodies, Dangerously Curious nets you Use Magic Devices as a Class Skill.

Favored Class Bonus

HP, HP, All the HP.

Skills

We need at least 3 ranks in Knowledge(Religion), beyond that, Acrobatics, Perception, Use Magic Devices and Intimidate will be your go to skills

Feats by Level

1-Deadly Aim

Human Bonus-Quick Draw Brawler-Improved Unarmed Strike Bonus

2-Point-Blank Shot

3-Precise Shot Bonus

3-Rapid Shot

5-Fiendish Obedience

Bonus 6-Two-Weapons Fighting

7-Improved Two Weapons Fighting

9-Throw Anything

Bonus 9-Weapon Finesse

11-Greater Two-Weapons Fighting

13-Equipment Trick(Heavy Scabbard)

Bonus 14-Piranha Strike

15-Iron Will

Bonus 16-Leadership

17-Greater Iron Will

19-Improved Initiative

Bonus 19-Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Spiked Chain)

We are throwing so many things. Between Rapid Shot, Greater Two Weapons Fighting and Equipment Trick, if we equip a Throwing Shield, we can attack 10 times a round. And via Throw Anything, anything in our Gate of Babylon Bag of Holding we can use anything as a thrown weapon.

Sentinel

We are worshipping The Demon Lord of Greed and Secrets, which makes it that if we are wearing a Gold Full Plate it counts as Adamantine, and by throwing money at mongrels, we can summon red dragons to murder our enemies. Plus we get a few bonuses if we use a Sickle so that’s cool I suppose.

Equipment

You have tons of gold at first so buy yourself the best armor you can, a throwing shield, a combat scabbard and all the throwing weapons.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Yep, we did Gilgamesh pretty darned accurately actually. Can throw tons of shit at people, have tons of magic items, wears a golden plate armor, and is a King via Leadership. Plus we get Ea’s Chains(Just get a few Spiked Chains and have a spellcaster cast a permanent Animate Objects on them) and we can use a Sickle to mimic Enuma Elish for tons of damage surprisingly. Have fun with this build.

The Mountain Man

And now we are making the ultimate gigachad build. A boxer who lives as a lumberjack in the woods who has a bear companion and does homesteading away in the woods because screw society.

We will be taking the Wild Child Archetype and will be multiclassing into Fighter with the Unarmed Fighter Archetype. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Brawler (Wild Child) 3/Fighter (Unarmed Fighter) 5/Brawler (Wild Child) +12

Race

Human, put your floating +2 into Strength.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Strength

15Point-Buy

Str 17/Dex 13/Con 13/Int 12/Wis 10/Cha 12

20Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 12/Wis 10/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 14/Wis 10/Cha 10

Traits

Heavy Hitter for extra unarmed damage, Silent Hunter for Stealth as a class skill.

Favored Class Bonus

Skills. Weirdly enough.

Skills

Intimidate, Survival, Handle Animal, Profession(Lumberjack), Stealth and Perception for the ultimate Mountain Man. If you’ve got the points, Climb and Swim are nice to have a few points in.

Feats by Level

1-Power Attack

Human Bonus-Weapon Focus(Unarmed Strike)

Brawler-Improved Unarmed Strike

3-Boon Companion Bonus

4-Outslug Style

5-Dodge

Bonus 5-Mobility

7-Cornugon Smash

Bonus 7-Lunge

9-Outslug Weave

11-Outslug Sprint

13-Jabbing Style

15-Weapon Style Mastery

17-Jabbing Dancer

19-Jabbing Master

Boon Companion keeps our bear only one level behind in the long run, and via Weapon Style Mastery, we can combine two styles together, namely Outslug Style and Jabbing Style. Of course, we are also using Power Attack+Cornugon Smash for great effects.

Animal Companion

Type: Bear

Power Attack

Improved Overrun 3-+2 AC, +1 Str/Dex

+1 Intelligence

Improved Unarmed Strike 6-+4 AC, +1 Str/Dex

8-Improved Grapple

+6 AC, +2 Str/+1 Dex

Greater Grapple 13-+8 AC, +1 Str/Dex

14-Improved Natural Attack(Bite) 15-+1 Str

+10 AC, +1 Str/Dex

Combat Reflexes

19-Stand Still, +12 AC, +1 Str/Dex

So here we are, with a bear animal companion that will grapple our targets while we maul it to death with our jabs and uppercuts. Plus it deals some serious damage each turn so that’s great!

Equipment

Get yourself a handaxe for woodcutting, a dagger because survival in the woods and overall survival equipment. You can get away with a Chain Shirt for armor. Get yourself a Crossbow for hunting too.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Your bear deals 1d8+2d4+42 damage per round which is not too shabby (and you can learn Sic’em for an additional 1d8+14 as a swift action each turn!). You yourself can dart in and out of reach via Lunge+Outslug Sprint, and your full attack damage is a massive 36d6+86, totaling between yourself and your bear an average of, including Sic’Em, 262 points of damage per round and you aren’t even using a weapon. And all that is before using Martial Flexibility to grant yourself Weapon Specialization and all.

Do not forget to grant yourself Dazzling Display to flex to intimidate dragons into submission because you can.