Arrows rain down around her as she runs towards the hobgoblins. Desperate to close the distance, the half-orc fights through the sting of a dozen cuts to reach her foes.
The pain only makes her stronger. As she descends on the snarling pack she swings wildly, knocking several hobgoblins off their feet and sending the rest scattering
before her.
The human braces himself for the impact as the orc rushes him. Then the monster makes a mistake, telegraphing its next move, and that’s all the opening the human needs. He ducks beneath the orc’s wide swing then raises both hands high above his head and brings them
down on the orc’s back, forcing the brute to the ground.
The dwarf smiles broadly and chuckles as the petty noble raises his hand to strike him for the impudent remark. Quick as a flash, the dwarf shatters the bottle in his hand against the bar and brandishes it before the noble. The young dandy flinches, stumbles backward,
and runs away as the dwarf turns back to the bar to order another round.
Wherever they come from, pugilists live a rough and tumble life that leaves them full of determination and reckless, either from overconfidence or desperation. In
a fight they can channel this strength of character to dig deep and fight off foes with greater strength of numbers, arms, or armor than anyone else would think possible.
Swagger for Days
Pugilists unconsciously tap into their own inner strength in the form of moxie. This is not an esoteric or mystical energy that flows through the multiverse, but the result of determination forged over a lifetime of hardship with a never-say-die attitude. You can teach someone how
to fight but you could never teach someone how to be a pugilist. The secret of mastering moxie doesn’t come from disciplined study or rigorous training, it comes from years of wanting and needing.
Life on the Street
Every city in the worlds of D&D has its back alleys, its underground fighting rackets, its ghettos. The pugilists who live in these places don’t have time to consider the lofty ideals of philosophy or ponder the mysteries of the universe. The pugilists, growing up on the wrong side of
the tracks, spend all their time chasing down their next meal or, if they’re fortunate enough to have that, their next drink, bedfellow, or flophouse.
Fight Clubs
Despite the name, fight clubs are not formal fraternities or sororities, but collections of pugilists who, by training or happenstance, share a similar style. In some D&D worlds, fight clubs can tell you a lot about where a person comes from, while in others there are representatives of many fighting styles in all metropolitan areas.
Arena Royale
Pugilists in the Arena Royale fight club travel the world earning their keep as equal parts performer and gladiator. Whether performing in staged physical competitions, or fighting it out in unscripted brawls, pugilists in the Arena Royale care as much about the theatrics of a fight as they do its outcome. Pugilists in this fight club also care deeply about their reputation
and work to build up local and regional legends about their performing personas.
Bloodhound Bruisers
Pugilists in the Bloodhound Bruisers fight club are notorious for looking for trouble and finding it every time. Members of this fight club are highly observant of character traits and physical evidence and can form an almost supernatural connection to the cities they live in. Most use these abilities to become urban defenders of the downtrodden but others lend their talents to less savory organizations.
Dog & Hound
You’ve never had a friend you could rely on that walked on two legs. Lucky for you, you’ve got the best four-legged friend a body could ask for. Pugilists in the Dog & Hound fight club are as faithful to their canine companions as their canine companions are to them.
Piss & Vinegar
Pugilists in the Piss & Vinegar fight club revel in their reputations as heels. Widely despised for their obscene curses and dirty tricks, these pugilists take pride in their ability to provoke and fight to win at all costs.
The Squared Circle
Pugilists who fight in the Squared Circle know you don’t have to knock an opponent senseless to get them to submit. Of course, members of the Squared Circle do beat their opponents senseless, they just know they don’t have to.
The Sweet Science
Pugilists who practice the Sweet Science hit hard, fast, and often. This style is sometimes used by fighters who battle for the entertainment of the upper classes, but is
just as often practiced in the back alleys and the bars by those whose next breath depends on a knockout.