Discover everything you need to know about the Tavern Brawler in Baldur’s Gate 3 and how it works with best classes.

Tavern Brawler is one of the best feats in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can turn any Strength build into an absolute powerhouse. This unique feat provides you with incredible versatility if you’re punching enemies or throwing weapons in combat. Tavern Brawler in Baldur’s Gate 3 makes unarmed attacks, improvised weapons, and throwing builds extremely powerful. Improvised Weapons are basically the objects that are used to attack such as furniture, barrels, corpses, mugs, and shields. The Tavern Brawler feat affects your unarmed strikes by multiplying your Strength modifier to both attack rolls and damage. In this guide, we’ll discuss how Tavern Brawler works in Baldur’s Gate 3 and the best tips and tricks to consider when choosing this feat.
How does Tavern Brawler Work in Baldur’s Gate 3?
You can either focus on a Monk, Barbarian, or Moon Druid build to play a Tavern Brawler in BG3. After that take the Tavern Brawler feat at level 4, enhancing unarmed and improvised weapon attacks by adding your Strength modifier twice to both damage and attack rolls. Simply put, at level 4 you will get a massive power spike by unlocking your first feet, Tavern Brawler. This adds your Strength modifier twice to your damage and attack rolls when you make an unarmed attack use the improvised weapon or throw something.
At this point, unequip any weapon you are using and use unarmed attacks. Make sure to always have an Elixir of Hill Giant Strength on at all times because we want a high Strength modifier. Since we dumped all our Strength, the Elixir is mandatory. You can find ample supply from Auntie Ethel in the Grove in Act One. Any time you level up a character or long rest, her supply will refresh. Be sure to put the ability point you get from Tavern Brawler into the Constitution to bring it to 16.
Best Classes for Tavern Brawler

Tavern Brawler works perfectly with the classes that excel at Strength-based attacks. Monks can take advantage of the Tavern Brawler to deal heavy damage with their unarmed attacks. Barbarians can use Tavern Brawler to boost their melee capabilities and also to throw enemies or any object. Moon Druids, on the other hand, use Tavern Brawler to enhance their wild shape attacks. This makes them even more powerful, allowing them to dominate enemies with unarmed attacks.
Feats in Baldur’s Gate 3 are the special talents that grant unique capabilities to the players. You get an opportunity to select between an Ability Score Improvement Feature or a Feat at specific levels. Keep in mind that Tavern Brawler applies to any improvised weapon, not just thrown weapons. Equipping gear like Mighty Cloth, Gloves of Dexterity, and Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo can boost your Strength.
Effects of Tavern Brawler

Tavern Brawler can add +10 to your attack rolls and damage rolls when using unarmed attacks, improvised weapons, or throwing objects when you have a +5 Strength modifier. This feat also allows you to make a bonus action grapple attempt when you hit an enemy with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon. Unarmed attacks are not considered weapons for weapon-based Fighting Styles. The weapons with the thrown tags or return on their own like Returning Spike and Bloodthirst work with this feast. Normal damage from these weapons is also applied in addition to damage provided by this feat.
If you use unarmed strikes, then it can trigger effects from other items like Flawed Helldusk Gloves and The Sparkle Hands. If you have the weapon without the Thrown Tag, then they can work as improvised weapons in the game. Thrown is basically a weapon property that allows a weapon to be used as a projectile with the Throw or Enraged Throw action. The improvised weapons can apply damage depending on the Strength modifier and the weight of an item. Tavern Brawler also works well with the Devilfoil Masks and they increase the Strength. The extra damage this feat provides is DRS if Tavern Brawler is applied to the damage roll from a thrown weapon. However, the Tavern Brawler does not work with the Duelling fighting style in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Tavern Brawler for the Monk
By the time you get to Act 3 as a Monk, the amount of damage you can do is absolutely outrageous. Not only are you taking down enemies in a single blow in some cases. You are also crowd-controlling them, knocking them down to the ground, and giving your allies an advantage on each of their attacks as well with the help of Tavern Brawler. Your damage gets an extra +4 when your Strength is 18 (+4) and your attack roll gets +4. This makes it a total of +8 bonus to damage. This is the best feast to choose for the players who depend on unarmed attacks or improvised weapons.
Tavern Brawler Tips and Tricks in BG3
Here are the best tips and tricks for Tavern Brawler in Baldur’s Gate 3.
- Crusher’s Ring, Titanstring Bow, Gloves of Dexterity, and Frost Giant Strength Potion are the best items and gear for Tavern Brawler in BG3. Crusher’s Ring provides +1 Strength, Titanstring Bow increases strength-based attacks, and Gloves of Dexterity sets Dexterity to 18.
- Tavern Brawler boosts your Strength modifier twice for attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes and improvised weapons. So, it’s best to abuse the Strength modifier for massive damage.
- This feat works for attack rolls but not damage in Wild Shape.
- Consider getting a Berserker Barbarian with Tavern Brawler to obtain the strongest and most accessible combat classes at Level 4. You need to add Throw Weapons to allow 18 Strength high hit rates and high damage.
- Experiment with a Barbarian Sniper with Throw Weapons and Eagle Heart.
- Make sure you have enough supply of Elixir of Hill Giant Strength to trivialize the game.
- Your bonuses will be STR + STR when your STR is higher than your DEX. However, the bonuses will be STR + DEX when your DEX is higher.
- Throw dead bodies at enemies to deal massive damage as the damage dealt is based on the weight of an item.
- You can stack Rage, Enlarge, and Hill Giant Strength for heavy melee attacks.
- You can also mix Monk’s Extra Attacks & Flurry of Blows for up to 7 attacks per turn.
FAQs about Tavern Brawler in Baldur’s Gate 3
What counts as an Improvised Weapon?
Improvised Weapons are basically the objects that are used to attack such as furniture, barrels, corpses, mugs, and shields.
Does Tavern Brawler feat make Unarmed Strikes stronger?
Yes, the Tavern Brawler feat makes unarmed strikes stronger. This allows you to deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 plus your Strength modifier. It also provides benefits like damage rerolls and proficiency with improvised weapons.
Does Tavern Brawler feat work with thrown weapons?
Yes, the Tavern Brawler feat in Baldur’s Gate 3 works with thrown weapons. This adds your Strength modifier twice to both attack and damage rolls when you throw an object.
Does this work with Wild Shape (Druid)?
Yes, the Tavern Brawler feat does work with Druid’s Wild Shape. It provides a bonus to attack rolls and, in some cases, damage rolls while attacking with unarmed strikes in animal forms.
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