Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Tavern Brawler should be nerfed, now that I’ve finished Tactician

After thoroughly exploiting Tavern Brawler to breeze through Tactician difficulty, I can safely say the feat needs to be powered down.

Tavern Brawler should grant an additional 50% strength bonus to hit and damage, rather than the current 100% doubling. And or, it should only apply to non-standard weapons, like thrown chairs, rocks, corpses, etc. If you throw a pike with it with a standard throw damage, the bonus should not apply. But if you throw a weapon that would deal damage simply based off its weight, you would get the bonuses. Also, it probably shouldn’t apply to monk fists, as that is a martial art, not tavern brawling.

It's a ridiculous feat that should be removed from the game.

Who knew the best people to defeat an army of cultists happened to be the Saturday night brawlers down at the ye olde pub.

I'd go further and say it's a playstyle I don't take seriously at all. If I see Tavern Brawler suggested in a build video, it's an immediate dislike, click away.

If I see a streamer trying to use Tavern Brawler, I'm to the point where I'm done with them.

Just like people who build their characters around the idea of using strength potions.

Actually, for DnD, there's the logic that Str based combat is more brutish and unrefined.

For example, there's the "Thug" style of subclass for Rogues that is Str based and enables them to sneak attack with non-Finesse weapons (Replacing speed and precision with brute force)

Meaning, thematically a Str based Monk would be less martial artist and more tavern brawler.

Of course, the feat is incredibly powerful as it stands. Giving so much hit and damage, it's absolutely bonkers the damage output that can be done using it.

The issue that people have been having with the tavern brawler feat in BG3 is the exact reason why the feat does not affect either your martial arts or wildshapes in base 5e. We already went through something like this in past editions with the Druid/Monk/Shifter powerhouse builds.

Larian changed it from the original feat both for technical reasons, and because they can't let go of the cheese for any reason, and made it affect wildshapes on purpose. It's unfortunately intended, but that doesn't mean it's good. I'd like to see it reigned in.

You know what's great? There are a bunch of other feats you can take. It's a single player game, just ignore it. What do you care if someone else uses it in their playthrough? It has absolutely no affect on your game.

There's a reason people want balance between choices in games.

This "don't use it if you don't want it" argument is so tired. Here's a level one instant death spell. Don't like it? Don't use it. Here's a sword that always rolls twenty. Don't like it? Don't use it. Such a nonsense position. Basically arguing there shouldn't be any developmental balance in games.

"Want a harder challenge? Don't want to keep winning the fight in one round? Skip your action." Uhm, thanks for the suggestion.

Now if we could actually get the developers to consider the relative balance of feats and spells and such, that'd be nice.

You mean there is certain group of people who can't stand when everyone doesn't play like they think they should. Immediate dislike and click away. Someone uses tavern brawler and I'm so fake offended I can't even watch. Oh the travesty. Go back to the crybaby fest. I'll leave you to it.

I can watch. I choose not to because it's broken. There's a difference.

I also don't take using cheat modes seriously when it comes to gameplay.

I've never taken TB. I remember looking at it in original playthrough, doing a bit of calc and realizing how OP it is. It's a shame.

Pop one Str21 potion, which are plentiful if you know how, and you're like a base +12 to hit at level 4.

If they made it improvised weapons only, it'd be okay I guess.

Having tried it with Druid’s shapeshifting, I now can safely say it is 50% too strong there too. Also, it doesn’t make thematic sense there either. How often do you see bears in a tavern brawl?

How often do you go drinking with someone who can turn into a bear at will?

In the epilogue, Halsin cautions himself not to drink to much, out of fear he would lose control and turn into a bear.