Pugilist (5e Class)
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This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: Almost no class page is in a finished state when it is first posted. For guidance, see the 5e Class Design Guide.
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The Pugilist[edit]
Creating a Pugilist[edit]
- Quick Build
You can make a pugilist quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score. You should choose Strength if you plan on playing a pugilist who swings for the fences, trying to make every hit a knockout punch with disregard if you get hit in the process. If you want to play a pugilist who is light on their feet and able to dash around the battlefield, Dexterity is the best choice for you. Your next-highest score should be Constitution or Dexterity, if you chose to make Strength your highest ability score. Lastly, choose folk hero, urchin, or gladiator as your background.
Class Features
As a Pugilist you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Pugilist level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 1d10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Pugilist level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, Medium armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength and Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Survival.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) Leather armor or (b) A chain shirt
- (a) A dungeoneer's pack or (b) An explorer's pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 × 10 in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Rhythm | Pugilism Dice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Pugilism, Thick Skin, Flow | 1 | 1d6 |
| 2nd | +2 | Tricks | 1 | 1d6 |
| 3rd | +2 | Cross Counter, Boxing Styles | 2 | 1d6 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 1d6 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Brace | 3 | 1d6 |
| 6th | +3 | The Essence of Determination, Iron Body | 3 | 1d8 |
| 7th | +3 | Pugilist's Instincts | 4 | 1d8 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 1d8 |
| 9th | +4 | Boxing Style feature | 5 | 1d8 |
| 10th | +4 | Comin' Out Swinging | 5 | 1d8 |
| 11th | +4 | Physical Prowess | 6 | 1d10 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 1d10 |
| 13th | +5 | Boxing style feature | 7 | 1d10 |
| 14th | +5 | Tough Stuff | 7 | 1d10 |
| 15th | +5 | Won’t Stay Down | 8 | 1d10 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 | 1d12 |
| 17th | +6 | Boxing style feature | 9 | 1d12 |
| 18th | +6 | Body of Iron improvement | 9 | 1d12 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 10 | 1d12 |
| 20th | +6 | Champion | 10 | 1d12 |
Pugilism[edit]
At 1st level, you start to master the art of pugilism, and you gain the following benefits:
- Deadly Fists
In addition, you can choose to use either Dexterity or Strength, for attacks and damage rolls.
Your punches are as potent as many weapons. You can roll a d6, instead of the normal damage for your unarmed strikes. This die changes as you gain pugilist levels, as shown in the Deadly Fists Column of the Pugilist table.
You can make a single unarmed strike as a bonus action.
- Nimble Combatant
When not using a shield or wearing heavy armor, your speed increases by an amount equal to 5ft x half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).
Flow[edit]
Starting at 1st level, you can build a consistent rhythm to gain control over the fight. This rhythm is represented as flow points. You can use a flow point to do the following techniques.
- Feint
- You can spend 1 flow point to give yourself Advantage on the next unarmed strike or melee weapon attack you make before the start of your next turn.
- Sucker Punch
- You can strike with surprising force. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend a number of flow points up to your proficiency bonus and add a number of d6s equal to flow points spent to the damage roll.
- Iron Will
- When you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to expend flow points and gain a bonus to your roll equal to the number of points spent, potentially turning a failure into a success.
You have no flow points when initiative is rolled, but can gain 1 Flow Point in each of the following ways:
-when you successfully hit a creature with an unarmed strike or melee attack.
-when you successfully avoid getting hit by an attack roll.
You can only have a number of flow points equal to your Proficiency Bonus at a time. All Flow Points are lost after finishing a short or long rest. You learn more ways to gain Flow as you gain pugilist levels. At higher levels, certain features will grant additional ways to spend and regain rhythm points.
Thick Skin[edit]
Also at 1st level, your thick skin makes you more resilient in a fight. When you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, your AC can be calculated as 13 + your Constitution modifier.
Tricks[edit]
At 2nd level, you learn three pugilist tricks that help you get an edge in the fight: Guard, Lunge, and Rush. You can use these tricks as a bonus action, and gain 1 Flow point when you do so.
- Guard
As a Bonus Action, you can take a defensive stance. Until the start of your next turn, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up.)
- Lunge
Your unarmed strikes gain the benefits of reach until the end of your turn.
- Rush
You can take the Dash Action as a Bonus Action.
Cross Counter[edit]
At 3rd level, You can block an attack and return a strike in one swift motion. Whenever an attacker within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + your Constitution modifier + your Pugilist level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can make a melee attack against a creature within range as part of the same reaction.
Extra Attack[edit]
At 5th level, when you take the Attack action, you can make two attacks instead of one.
Brace[edit]
Also at 5th level, You've learned how to grit your teeth through the toughest of hits. When you suffer a Critical Hit, you can spend 1 Flow point to turn that hit into a normal hit.
The Essence of Determination[edit]
Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks, as your raw will and combat prowess overcome your foe's supernatural defenses. In addition, you now regain a rhythm point whenever you succeed on a saving throw made to resist a hostile effect.
Iron Body[edit]
Also at 6th level, the school of hard knocks has made you even tougher. When you take damage, you can reduce the damage you take by an amount equal to your Constitution modifier
Pugilist's Instincts[edit]
Starting at 7th level, You've learned how to get a good read on the other contenders in the ring. You can learn certain information about your enemies by carefully observing them in combat. While fighting one or more creatures in combat, you can spend 1 flow point in the following ways to gain knowledge about who you're squaring up against:
- Size 'Em Up
When you or another creature misses an attack roll against a creature you can see, you can spend 1 Flow point to learn the current Armor Class of that creature.
- Hit Where It Hurts
When a creature you can see succeeds on a saving throw, you can spend 1 flow to learn the value of the saving throw bonus that the creature used to make the save.
- What Strength Remains
Immediately after a creature you can see takes damage, you can spend 1 Flow point to determine if it is above or below half it's maximum hit points.
Comin' Out Swinging[edit]
At 10th level, you've learned how to get into the flow of a fight fast. When you roll initiative, you immediately gain 2 flow points.
Physical Prowess[edit]
At 11th level, whenever you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
Tough Stuff[edit]
At 14th level, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws. Additionally, you gain advantage on saving throws to resist poisons and have resistance to poison damage.
Won’t Stay Down[edit]
At 15th level, your drive to win lets you dig deep and get back on your feet when you've been dealt a knockout blow. You add your proficiency bonus to Death Saving Throws. If your roll is a total of 20 or higher you regain a number of hit points equal to twice your pugilist level + your Constitution modifier.
Bloodied But Unbroken[edit]
At 18th level, you've pushed your body to the absolute limits of it's physical endurance and ability to tolerate pain. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage.
Peak Physique[edit]
When you reach the 20th level, you've reached your prime and few can compete with your athleticism. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution increase by 2, up to a maximum of 22.
Boxing Styles[edit]
At 3rd level, you choose a boxing style that coincides with your strategy and attack plan in combat. This boxing style provides you with features at levels 3, 9, 13 and 17. Some of your Boxing Style features will require the effected creature to make a saving throw. The saving throw DC is calculated as 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
Out-boxer[edit]
The Out-boxer is renowned not for its striking power but its stamina and fleetness of foot. An Out-boxer specializes in evasive maneuvers to avoid enemy strikes and capitalize on gaps in their foes' defenses before retreating to defensive flow.
- Fancy Footwork
You’re especially quick and light on your feet granting you the following benefits. At 3rd level, when a creature ends its turn within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to move up to half your movement speed. This special movement doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
- Flow Techniques
At 3rd level, you learn additional flow techniques befitting of your boxer style.
- Stick and Move When you make an unarmed strike with a bonus action on your turn, you can spend 1 flow point and gain the benefits of the Disengage action and your movement speed increases by 10 feet until the end of your turn.
- Up and At 'em you can spend 1 FLow point to stand up from prone using only 5 feet of movement instead of half your movement.
- Back Step
At 9th level, you’re ability to react to incoming threats is superior to most, allowing you to get out of harm’s way. When a spell or other effect forces you to make a saving throw due to being in an area of effect, you can use your reaction to move up to half your movement speed, potentially putting you outside the area of effect. If you are still within the area of effect after using this special movement, you make the saving throw with advantage.
- Bob and Weave
Starting at 13th level, when a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
- Boxer Reflexes
At 17th level you can take two turns in the first round of any combat, if you aren't surprised. You take the first turn at your normal initiative count and the second turn at your initiative minus 10.
Slugger[edit]
Sluggers are the hulking definition of brute strength. They're tactics are simple, but effective, relying on brute force and fearsome displays of strength to subdue and intimidate the competition.
- Flow Techniques
At 3rd level, you learn additional flow techniques befitting of your boxer style.
- Brutal Punch. You're explosive punches can enough to send your foes flying. When you make an attack roll, you can spend 1 flow point and force a creature of size large or smaller to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes additional damage equal to your pugilist level and is horizontally pushed a number of feet equal to 5 times your proficiency bonus away from you. If the creature hits an object or another creature that would prevent it from moving the full 15 feet, it takes an additional 1d6 damage per 5 feet it didn't travel.
- Demoralizing Punch. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 flow point and force the creature to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is frightened of you until the end of its next turn.
- Crushing Blows
At 3rd level, your unarmed strikes deal a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. You also gain 1 flow point when you land a critical hit.
- Mean Hook
At 9th level, You've learned to put more weight behind your attacks leaving your challengers dazed from the impact. When you hit a creature with your Sucker Punch feature, you can spend 1 flow point and force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn. On a success, the creature is not Stunned and takes additional bludgeoning damage equal to your pugilist level.
- Superior Strikes
At 13th level, your unarmed strikes critically hit a creature on a roll of 18 to 20.
- Titan's Fist
At 17th level, You can put all the force of your being into one titanic punch. When you use your Sucker Punch feature, instead of rolling d6s for the additional damage, you can use your deadly strikes die for the damage roll and can reroll any 1s or 2s on the damage die, but must use the new rolls even if they are another 1 or 2.
Swarmer[edit]
Swarmers are pugilists who fight with reckless abandon and fierce desperation, using an aggressive style of rapid blows to overwhelm the enemy in a barrage of fists and body blows. What they lack in strength, they more than make up for in numbers.
- Snap Punch
Starting at 3rd level, you know that getting the first hit in can make a big difference. You add your Proficiency Bonus to your initiative rolls and have advantage on the first attack roll you make against any creature that hasn't acted yet during the first round of combat. If the attack connects, it counts as a critical hit.
- Flow Techniques
Also at 3rd level, you learn additional flow techniques befitting of your boxer style.
- Dempsey Roll. When you take the Attack Action, you can spend additional flow points up to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) and make one additional unarmed strike per flow point spent. If at least 2 of your unarmed strikes hit, you gain 1 flow point.
- Aggresive Counter. When you use your Cross Counter feature, you can make the reaction attack regardless of whether you reduce the damage to 0 or not. Additionally, you gain 1 flow point whenever your use your Cross Counter feature.
- Desperate Striker
At 9th level, Your fierce will to win can give you a burst of speed and accuracy to help you strike true in a pinch. When you are below half your hit point maximum, you can use your bonus action to give yourself advantage on all your unarmed strike attack rolls until the end of the current turn. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
- Dig Deep
At 13th level, You can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a brief time. You can give yourself temporary hit points equal to 3 times your pugilist level.
- Overwhelm
At 17th level, on your first turn of combat, if you aren't surprised, you can use your first action to make seven punches. Once you use this feature, you must wait a short or a long rest before you are able to use it again.
Multiclassing[edit]
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Pugilist class, you must meet these prerequisites:
- Level higher than 1
- Dex or Str higher than 14
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Pugilist class, you gain the following proficiencies:
- Light and medium armor
- One skill from the class's list
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