How to Unleash the Power of Unarmed Strikes in D&D 5e
Want to turn your character into a hand-to-hand combat powerhouse? Unarmed strikes offer a unique and often overlooked avenue for damage dealing in D&D 5e. But how do you go beyond just a basic fist bump and truly maximize their potential? The short answer: you increase your Strength (or Dexterity if you’re a Monk), exploit class features, utilize feats, and strategically use magic items and spells. Here’s a deep dive into making those unarmed strikes hit harder.
The Core Principles of Unarmed Strike Enhancement
Before we delve into specific methods, let’s lay the foundation. Unarmed strikes are considered melee weapon attacks, even though they aren’t made with a traditional weapon. This means they use similar mechanics for attack rolls: d20 + proficiency bonus + Strength modifier. However, the base damage is typically a flat 1 + Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. This is the core issue we aim to address.
Strength (or Dexterity): The Foundation of Power
The most fundamental way to increase unarmed damage is to boost your Strength score. The higher your strength, the higher your damage modifier, and the harder your strikes will hit. Leveling up and allocating Ability Score Improvements to Strength is the most direct method. However, if you are playing a Monk, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength for both attack and damage rolls, making Dex a crucial ability to focus on instead.
Monks: Martial Arts Masters
Monks are the undisputed masters of unarmed combat. Their Martial Arts feature allows them to use Dexterity for attacks and damage. Critically, it also changes the damage die of their unarmed strikes, starting at a d4 and increasing as they gain levels. This progressive scaling gives monks a significant advantage in unarmed damage compared to other classes. Furthermore, they can use their Ki for special attacks like Flurry of Blows, effectively doubling their number of unarmed strikes per turn, resulting in a damage spike.
Feats: Expanding Your Arsenal
Feats offer a versatile way to enhance unarmed strikes:
- Crusher: This feat is exceptionally useful, allowing you to move an enemy 5 feet when you hit with a bludgeoning attack, which includes unarmed strikes. It also grants an additional +1 to Strength or Constitution.
- Tavern Brawler: While it doesn’t directly increase damage, this feat grants proficiency with improvised weapons, a +1 to Strength or Constitution, and lets you grapple as a bonus action after hitting with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon. Grappling can set up further opportunities for damaging an opponent.
- Fighting Initiate (Unarmed Fighting Style): This feat grants access to the Unarmed Fighting fighting style, providing a solid base damage for unarmed strikes.
Magic Items and Spells: The Extra Edge
Magic items can significantly impact unarmed strikes:
- Eldritch Claw Tattoo: This item makes unarmed strikes magical for overcoming resistances, provides a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, and can extend reach to 15 feet for a minute. This is a powerhouse item for unarmed combat.
- Belt of Giant Strength: Increases your Strength score, leading to a direct boost in damage.
- Enlarge/Reduce: Although the spell technically only increases weapon damage by 1d4, many DMs allow it to apply to unarmed strikes as well.
Class Features Beyond Monk
While Monks excel at unarmed combat, other classes can enhance their strikes through specific features:
- Barbarian’s Rage: Rage damage does not usually directly apply to the flat damage of an unarmed strike, unless used on an attack, but barbarians still benefit greatly from the advantage it gives on strength attack rolls.
- Paladin Smite: If you’re a Paladin, you can smite with an unarmed strike as it is considered a melee weapon attack.
The Importance of Advantage and Accuracy
While raw damage is crucial, making sure your attacks hit in the first place is equally important. Advantage on attack rolls dramatically increases your chance to hit, resulting in more opportunities to deal damage. Gaining advantage through flanking, spells, or class features (like Reckless Attack) can be more effective than simply trying to increase the base damage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions to help you further understand how to strengthen your unarmed strikes.
1. Can unarmed strikes do 0 damage?
Yes, absolutely. Unlike some other mechanics in D&D 5e, the rules don’t specify a minimum of 1 damage. Therefore, if your damage modifier is negative, your damage could indeed be zero.
2. Do you add your Dexterity modifier to Unarmed strike damage?
Only if you’re a Monk using their Martial Arts feature. Other classes rely on their Strength modifier for unarmed strike damage.
3. Does Rage add damage to unarmed strikes?
Barbarian’s rage damage bonus does not apply to the base damage of an unarmed strike, instead it applies when a strength based melee weapon attack roll is made. You will still get the benefits of advantage on attack rolls and damage resistance.
4. Does One-Handed skill increase unarmed damage?
No. One-Handed perks only affect equipped one-handed weapons, not unarmed strikes.
5. What do you roll for damage for an unarmed strike?
The base damage is 1 + Strength modifier (or Dexterity modifier for a Monk). Certain class features or feats change the damage die to a d4, d6, etc.
6. What is the strongest Unarmed Strike damage?
For a regular PC, the highest base unarmed strike damage, unaltered by buffs or spells, is 11. This requires a Strength score of 30.
7. Why is the Monk considered weak?
Monks face challenges in dealing high damage in early levels, they are a short rest class, and their power curve is sometimes considered lacking. However, with proper build and play style, they can be very effective combatants.
8. Does Crusher feat work with unarmed strikes?
Yes! Crusher works with any bludgeoning weapon attack, which includes unarmed strikes.
9. Can unarmed strikes be finesse?
No. Unarmed attacks are not finesse weapons unless a feature specifically says otherwise (like the Monk’s Martial Arts ability).
10. Does Booming Blade work with unarmed strikes?
No. Booming Blade and other similar spells specify that they are used with a weapon, so an unarmed strike doesn’t qualify.
11. Who is proficient with unarmed strikes?
Everyone is proficient with unarmed strikes. This means that for your attack roll, you add your proficiency bonus.
12. Are unarmed strikes simple weapons?
Yes. Unarmed strikes are considered simple weapons, meaning most characters start with proficiency.
13. What do Monks add to Unarmed Strike damage?
Monks can use their Dexterity modifier instead of Strength, and they can roll a damage die (which starts at d4 and goes up as they level) instead of using 1 base damage.
14. Does unarmed strike count for two weapon fighting?
No. Two-weapon fighting requires the use of light weapons in both hands. Unarmed strikes are not weapons, so they do not qualify.
15. Are unarmed strikes natural attacks?
No. Unarmed strikes are not considered natural weapons for the purpose of spells and abilities. They are melee weapon attacks made with a part of your body.
Conclusion
Maximizing unarmed strikes in D&D 5e requires a holistic approach. Focus on your core ability score, choose the right class (Monk is the most powerful in this area) and feats, utilize beneficial magic items, and consider spells that increase strength or damage. Understand the fundamental mechanics of how unarmed strikes work, and you’ll be well on your way to unleashing powerful attacks without ever wielding a traditional weapon. Remember, it’s not just about the raw damage; accuracy and opportunities to hit also play a significant role in your success.