Way of the Pugilist (5e Subclass)
Way of the Pugilist[edit]
Most monks spend their time training to become as swift as possible, focusing more on the speed of their punches and few weapons they use instead of the force of them, and usually rely on dodging out of the way of enemy attacks using that same swiftness instead of taking the hit. Monks that go down the Way of the Pugilist however, see these things as secondary skills in their arsenal, seeing the use of physical strength and whatever objects that are around them as a better means of offense and defense. Pugilist monks train themselves to instead focus on becoming as physically strong as possible, using their muscular might to not only knock their opponents off their feet but also push against the attacks of their foes instead of dodging away from the blows. They also focus on the use of whatever is around them as a means of offense, being trained to use their surroundings to their advantage with great effectiveness. Whether its a punch or a chair, a Pugilist monk feels right at home throwing either one.
- Martial Might
A Way of the Pugilist monk has honed their body to peak physical strength and been taught how to make use of any object that is around them. A Pugilist monk is trained in a special type of Martial Arts that is similar to what is taught to most monks, but has a few additions that define their style. At 3rd level, you gain the following benefits:
Might Training: For any Monk class feature that uses Dexterity, you can choose to use Strength instead.
Improvised Fighting: You have proficiency in Improvised weapons, and Improvised weapons count as Monk weapons for you.
Furious Strike: When you make an attack that uses Strength that you are proficient in, you can choose to remove the proficiency and add it to the damage of the attack if it hits.
- Improviser
You have become much more effective with your offensive use of your surroundings. At 6th level, you can use Improvised weapons in place of Unarmed Strikes for any monk feature that uses them. Additionally, you can choose to expend a number of ki points up to your Wisdom Modifier (minimum of 1) to make your Improvised weapon attacks count as magical for a number of turns equal to the number of ki points spent.
- Inner Might
Through meditation and practice, you have learned how to manipulate your ki to strengthen you. At 11th level, you gain the following ki abilities:
Giant Power: As a bonus action, you can expend 2 ki points to count as one size category larger when determining how much you can push, drag or lift. At 17th level, you can choose to expend an additional ki point to increase this to two size categories larger.
Brutal Force: You can expend a ki point to increase the force of your blows. Any creature you hit with a Strength attack on your turn must make a Constitution save. On a fail, they are pushed 5 feet per attack that hit them in any direction. This can affect multiple creatures at once, for example if you were to hit two creatures each with an attack, they would both be pushed 5 feet away if they failed. At 17th level, you can expend a number of additional ki points up to your wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) to increase the distance of one of the affected creatures by 5 feet per ki point, and this can be spread out between multiple creatures.
- Legendary Might
At 17th level, you have completely mastered your craft, becoming a force to be reckoned with. Flurry of Blows no longer requires ki, you deal double damage to objects and structures, and you can expend 5 ki points to add 1d6 to the damage of your Unarmed Strikes and Improvised weapons for 1 minute.
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