Ok, getting ready to play a Ss'ressen Fighter, and I had a few questions.

1. How does Ss'ressen claw damage interact with the Pugilist Fighting Style?

2. Can Ss'ressen Frenzy in Heavy armor, like how the val'Tensen can Rage?

Lucas

I'm no one official, but my thinking is:
1. It doesn't. If you take pugilist fighting style as a Ss'ressen, you can attack with your claws as the Ss'ressen entry details, or with your fists as pugilist details. The advantage would be that it gives you a blunt weapon option.

2. I don't believe that Ss'ressen have any control over when they frenzy - its a genetic control device bred into them by the Ssanu to keep the different Ss'ressen clutches from cooperating. So I don't think that wearing heavy armor could be used to suppress the effect, so I do think they can frenzy in heavy armor.

1. The reason that I am asking is that the pugilist fighting style specifically calls out the Tavern Brawler feat, wondering how that is different from the claws...

2. Ahh, maybe I should clarify. Do the Ss'ressen get all of the benefits of Rage in Heavy Armor, when they are in their Frenzy?

Lucas

Two excellent questions Lucas, here are some answers for you.

1) Ss'ressen claws are actually weapons, not their unarmed strikes. 5e makes a distinction between weapons, even natural weapons like claws, and unarmed strikes because of how weapons interact with other class features. So the a ss'ressen with the Pugilist Fighting Style could attack with the claws as a weapon or with an unarmed strike (a kick, headbutt, tail swipe) as per Pugilist.

2) Ss'resen frenzy is a fact of biology, not a conscious choice. So a ss'ressen will enter frenzy regardless of what armor they are wearing. A ss'ressen in heavy armor that enters frenzy gains no benefits, just as a barbarian that rages gains no benefits if they are wearing heavy armor.