What is the best warfighting tool set for the brawling skill?

[Engurrand]

Originally Posted by Varyon

While I'm not thrilled with the way it works out, you can still claim the DB for a shield even if you lack any skill in using one. So, you can strap on a medium shield for a free(ish) +2 to Dodge and Brawling Parry.

This is what I had in mind in suggesting a shield. Also, IIRC you can shield rush with the brawling skill. While shield rushes are subject to some situational funkiness, they -can- be a good way to knock people down so your allies can stab them.
Personally, I would allow a Brawling shove with the shield, and I'd even permit a bash but at -2 to skill for an improvised weapon. Not raw, but I'd allow it.

I like the Katar idea. Lots of quality musings in this thread.

[Donny Brook]

Spiked cestus.
Like Schwartzenegger had in Conan the Barbarian pit fight.

[Hide]

Originally Posted by Engurrand

(...)I like the Katar idea. Lots of quality musings in this thread.

I feel like weapon adaptation katar to brawling stretches things a bit (it would be OK with a natural weapon), so I would pick the bladed hand, as Varyon and SID said. Also, since the bladed hand is designed for brawiling/karate/boxing it grants you the brawling/karate/boxing bonus to damage. My only concern would be reach, but you could buy a larger one. Anyway, if you are going unarmed, it does not matter because unarmed punches are (usually) range C.

Also, check natural weapons.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Hide

I feel like weapon adaptation katar to brawling stretches things a bit (it would be OK with a natural weapon)

A natural weapon doesn't need Weapon Adaptation - they generally use Brawling by default. As for the katar example, I believe Weapon Adaptation typically lets you essentially combine two skills into one, while my suggestion is more limited - rather than Knife weapons being incorporated into Brawling, it takes a single attack form of a single weapon (specifically, an attack that is nearly identical in execution to a normal punch) and allows it to be used with Brawling (also, note katars are already usable with Brawling, albeit for defense only). Granted, it does deviate from the RAW requirements for Weapon Adaptation - Knife and Brawling don't have a default between them. Personally, I feel they should (indeed, when I opt to condense weapon skills, I tend to combine the two into a single one), but that's just not the case by RAW.

Originally Posted by Hide

Also, check natural weapons.

If available, Claws, Strikers, and Natural Weapons (Pyramid #3/65) are very useful for an "unarmed" character. In particular, Natural Weapons can readily stand in for normal weapons, such that characters with that Advantage don't need weapons for warfare.