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<blockquote data-quote="Colder" data-source="post: 6868843" data-attributes="member: 6807965">I would say, contrary to popular wisdom, you shouldn't take Tavern Brawler as a Battlerager.&nbsp; With any other grappler build, it's wonderful, but as a Battlerager, it's worth much less, especially the way you're playing it.&nbsp; This is completely because the level 3 Battlerager feature doesn't play well with it.Tavern Brawler gives you proficiency in improvised weapons and unarmed strikes.&nbsp; That's not terribly good for you, because you're going to be using a battleaxe and no shield.It also gives you the option of grappling your target as a bonus action, but only if you hit it with an improvised weapon or unarmed strike.&nbsp; You'll be doing less damage than if you just sub one of your attacks for a grapple and then use your bonus action to make a spike attack, and you're not even guaranteed a grapple attempt.In the long run, Tavern Brawler slightly increases your damage on turns when you want to grapple but aren't raging (1d4+Str vs 3) at the cost of making grappling slightly less reliable (since you can't grapple if you miss with your unarmed strikes), and while you're raging (which you'll be doing most of the time), you wouldn't want to use Tavern Brawler at all because the spike attack bonus action, combined with the attack action grapple bonus damage, makes for more more damage and more reliable grappling.For multiclassing, if you're going to multiclass at all, I think that 3 levels in Fighter for Battle Master's Combat Superiority is your best option.&nbsp; Although you could just use one of your ASIs for Martial Adept instead (maybe the one you were going to use for Shield Master or Tavern Brawler).&nbsp; It's not as much damage and you only get one die per short rest, but you don't want maneuvers for the damage anyway and you won't have to put off your Barbarian progression for it, either.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Colder, post: 6868843, member: 6807965"] I would say, contrary to popular wisdom, you [I]shouldn't[/I] take Tavern Brawler as a Battlerager. With any other grappler build, it's wonderful, but as a Battlerager, it's worth much less, especially the way you're playing it. This is completely because the level 3 Battlerager feature doesn't play well with it. Tavern Brawler gives you proficiency in improvised weapons and unarmed strikes. That's not terribly good for you, because you're going to be using a battleaxe and no shield. It also gives you the option of grappling your target as a bonus action, but only if you hit it with an improvised weapon or unarmed strike. You'll be doing less damage than if you just sub one of your attacks for a grapple and then use your bonus action to make a spike attack, and you're not even guaranteed a grapple attempt. In the long run, Tavern Brawler slightly increases your damage on turns when you want to grapple but aren't raging (1d4+Str vs 3) at the cost of making grappling slightly less reliable (since you can't grapple if you miss with your unarmed strikes), and while you're raging (which you'll be doing most of the time), you wouldn't want to use Tavern Brawler at all because the spike attack bonus action, combined with the attack action grapple bonus damage, makes for more more damage and more reliable grappling. For multiclassing, if you're going to multiclass at all, I think that 3 levels in Fighter for Battle Master's Combat Superiority is your best option. Although you could just use one of your ASIs for Martial Adept instead (maybe the one you were going to use for Shield Master or Tavern Brawler). It's not as much damage and you only get one die per short rest, but you don't want maneuvers for the damage anyway and you won't have to put off your Barbarian progression for it, either. [/QUOTE]

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