Fighter - Knuckle Duster
The great sport of Knuckle Dusting originated in the back alleys of Strydidewig. Up-and-coming competitors for the city's famous brawls wanted every advantage they could get their hands on; so, infusion of magic into the arms' muscles, tendons, and bones became par for the course. If you didn't "dust your knuckles," as they called it, there was no way you would ever win, much less hold a base of loyal fans.
Bonus Proficiency
3rd-level Knuckle Duster feature
You gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, Athletics, Intimidation, or Performance.
Dirty Fighting
3rd-level Knuckle Duster feature
When you take the Attack action and make an unarmed strike or attempt to grapple a creature, you can use a bonus action to make an unarmed strike with your other hand if it is free. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative or you have the Two-Weapon Fighting Style.
The Magic Touch
7th-level Knuckle Duster feature
Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage, and they gain a +1 bonus to their attack and damage rolls.
Building a Knuckle Duster
Unlike almost all other subclasses, the Knuckle Duster's usefulness is very contingent on what your DM allows. Specifically, the subclass assumes you have access to the Unarmed Fighting Style from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything or the Tavern Brawler feat from the Player's Handbook in order to increase the damage of your unarmed strikes.
In lieu of these options, the Handy weapons from Expanded Weapons can be used if your DM allows.
Coming to Grips
10th-level Knuckle Duster feature
As a veteran of hand-to-hand combat, you gain the following additional benefits:
- If you are grappled by another creature, you can use your bonus action to attempt to escape.
- When a hostile creature that you can see moves out of your reach, you can use your reaction to attempt to grapple it.
- You can attempt to grapple any creature that is no more than two sizes larger than you, instead of only one size larger. The target must still be within your reach.
The Mystic Clutch
15th-level Knuckle Duster feature
The bonus to your unarmed strikes' attack and damage rolls provided by your Magic Touch feature becomes +2.
Creature Controller
18th-level Knuckle Duster feature
At the pinnacle of your close-quarters combat prowess, you find that you can control the creatures grappled by you. The degree of control differs depending on how the size of the largest creature grappled by you compares to your own size:
Smaller. You can move the grappled creature without halving your speed. Additionally, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with one of the creature's actions. You choose the targets for any actions taken this way. If the creature can cast spells, you can only force it to cast spells at no higher than 3rd-level.
Equal. You can move the grappled creature without halving your speed, and it can't target you with attacks.
Larger. You can mount the creature on your turn, treating it as an intelligent mount that takes actions independently. The mount's speed returns to normal, but it only moves on your turn, and only as you direct it. If your grapple ends, you are dismounted immediately. While you are mounted this way, the grappled creature can't target you with attacks.
Credits
Original Homebrew Content by Acenm5. Take the Survey.
Context: D&D 5th Edition by Wizards of the Coast, LLC.
Page 49 Art: Isfas by Alexander Hausman.
Made w/ GM Binder.
