Feral Striker (Brawler Archetype)
(art by Mariusz Grochalak on Artstation)
A common trope of fantasy martial artists is to take the theme of animal-themed styles to the extreme and give them powers based on those animals.
Somewhat blurring the line between brawler and shifter, today’s subject can draw upon the minor aspects of various animals to enhance their own abilities.
Since they are not monks, it can be assumed that they learned these techniques for practical reasons rather than any sort of spiritual enlightenment, though their power is undeniable.
Such martial artists might physically transform to resemble those animals, or they might manifest a psychic echo of that animal around or near themselves when they tap into the aspect.
Remember, however, that animal spirit stuff comes unfortunately close to terms and concepts from closed cultures that people have abused and appropriated, namely “spirit animals”, so please keep that in mind.
In any case, this brawler has some fun aspects that give them some unique ways to handle foes.
As suggested above, these warriors have access to the same animal aspects as shifters, gaining them at the same rate. However, they only ever get the minor forms, and they draw upon a much more limited list, improving anything from various ability scores to movements speed, armor class, and so on. Eventually they gain the ability to take on multiple aspects at once, but doing so takes more focus to do and drains their reserves faster, though they increase their reserves later. At the true zenith of their power, however, they can quickly take on all their aspects at once with minimal power drain.
This archetype has only one change, but it’s a doozy since it replaces martial flexibility, i.e., the ability that makes brawlers truly unique, so it truly does change everything about the assumptions you make when building a character. The shifter aspects lasting minutes per day, and the fact that using multiple accelerates the time lost means that you need to carefully manage your remaining minutes, whether to use them only when needed, or saving them for a big fight and burning them up all at once. The aspects are much more straightforward than picking and choosing temporary feats, so there is that, but you also miss out on more dramatic abilities. Beyond that, you definitely have to have a specific build in mind with this archetype, so keep that in mind.
Exactly how your brawler came by these powers can be interesting to explore as well. Perhaps they stumbled upon a secret druidic martial arts. Perhaps they tried to become a shifter but could never progress beyond the basics. Or maybe they were imbued with these powers by divine will or an accident of fate.
Malgorn the Bear is not called such purely for his prodigious size, though that is part of it. The famed wrestler practices a rare technique for imbuing himself with the stamina of his namesake, but when he really needs to get serious, he can invoke other aspects as well.
Not every kitsune is suited for magic or trickery. Instead, some seek the path of the martial warrior, and a rarer few make use of limited shapeshifting powers to temporarily enhance their martial arts. Such is the case with the House of Hidden Strikes, where many kitsune hone their arts far from the eyes of other peoples.
Creatures of foul magic, the qallupilluk are notorious for turning others into monsters with their touch. Most in the icy regions of the north know to avoid them whenever possible. However, Lukkuaz cannot do that. A mighty warrior empowered by animal totems, she knows she is still not strong enough to hunt the one that took her brother. She will need help to find a way to get him back, not just from the monster, but to his original form and mind.