Baldur’s Gate 3 didn’t just take the RPG world by storm—it rewrote the rules on what a build could be. Among the countless class combos, the Tavern Brawler Feat turned a niche fantasy into a full-blown phenomenon. Monks and Barbarians stopped needing weapons entirely, pummeling everything from goblins to elder brains with bare fists. And honestly? It was glorious. Now, in 2026, with Obsidian’s Avowed finally in players’ hands, the question on every unarmed enthusiast’s mind is: can the classless, open-ended combat of the Living Lands deliver the same punchy satisfaction?

For anyone who’s been living under a rock (or just never respecced Lae’zel), the Tavern Brawler Feat in BG3 is the stuff of legend. Larian took the tabletop D&D version and said, “Nah, let’s make this fun.” Instead of a measly +1 to Strength, it lets a character apply their Strength modifier twice to unarmed attack rolls and damage. Yeah, you read that right. Twice. Combined with the right gear and class dips, a Strength-based Open Hand Monk could liquefy enemies in a single flurry. Barbarians got in on the action too, chucking enemies at each other like ragdolls. The result was so potent it even influenced the 2024 Player’s Handbook update—a rare case of a video game telling tabletop rules to sit down and take notes. 🔥

But here’s the tea: for all its success, BG3’s unarmed supremacy was kind of an anomaly. Let’s be real—most big RPGs treat fist-fighting like a forgotten side quest. Take Skyrim, for instance. Sure, you can be a punch cat with the Khajiit racial bonus, but without mods, the build hits a wall faster than you can say “Fus Ro Dah.” Progression? Barely there. Variety? Non-existent. Dragon Age and The Witcher? Forget about it. Unarmed combat in those games is either a scripted joke or relegated to a cutscene where Geralt throws a single, cinematic punch. The genre has a long, sad history of leaving hand-to-hand enthusiasts out in the cold. 👊❄️

Enter Avowed, Obsidian’s first-person action RPG that finally launched this year. The game proudly throws traditional classes out the window, letting players mix and match abilities from Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard skill trees. That “classless” philosophy is a beacon of hope for anyone craving a viable unarmed playstyle. Imagine this: you’re exploring the Shattered Wilds, and instead of drawing a sword, you start channeling arcane energy through your knuckles. A Fighter’s defensive passives keep you alive while a Wizard’s elemental buffs electrify every jab. First-person animations make each uppercut feel cinematic—way beyond the tactical, turn-based spectacle of BG3. It’s the kind of fantasy that practically begs for a dedicated fist-fighter path.

So, does Avowed actually deliver? Early community testing suggests the magic is there, but it’s spread thin. Unlike BG3’s one-feat-wonder, unarmed power in Avowed requires a clever weave across multiple trees. Stamina-regulating passives from the Fighter side are a must, otherwise you’ll be gasping for air after three swings. Ranger’s mobility tricks let you close gaps without getting turned into a pincushion, and Wizard abilities that augment melee strikes—think flaming fists or force-enhanced blows—turn you into a living weapon. The catch? There’s no single “Tavern Brawler” button to press. You’ve got to work for it. Hardcore builders live for this kind of puzzle, but casual players might feel the absence of a straightforward “punch god” path.

That said, the pieces are all on the table. Obsidian clearly took notes from the BG3 phenomenon. Unarmed builds in Avowed aren’t a gimmick; they’re a legitimate, if demanding, route. When a lightning-wreathed warrior juggles three skeletons with their bare hands, it’s the kind of power trip that turns doubters into believers. The game’s immersive first-person view makes every impact land with a visceral thud—a feeling no tactical overview can replicate. No joke, some of the combat clips floating around social media look straight out of a superhero movie. 🎬💥

To sum it up, here’s a quick look at how unarmed support stacks up across some big names:

So, is Avowed the messiah of unarmed builds? Maybe not single-handedly. But it’s a massive step in the right direction. Finally, a big-budget RPG treats throwing hands as more than an afterthought. Here’s hoping future patches deepen the support even further—because once you’ve seen a bare-fisted Envoy turn a bear inside out, you can’t go back to swords. 👀✨