Sohei (5e Class)

Introduction

An experienced warrior carrying an unusual number of weapons stands over his fallen opponent after a bloody battle, carefully taking their sword and adding it to his collection. Believing the soul of his opponent still resides within the sword, he feels as though he has unlocked greater potential in his own strength.

Creating a Sohei

Quick Build

You can make a Sohei quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the Hermit background. Third, choose the spear, chain mail, club (soul weapon), and explorer's pack.

Class Features

As a Sohei you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Sohei level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Sohei level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium, Heavy
Weapons: All simple and martial melee weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength,Wisdom
Skills: Choose 2 of the following: Athletics, History, Insight, Perception, or Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a Spear or (b) a Trident
• (a) Scale mail or (b) Chain mail
• (a) a Club (soul weapon) or (b) a Sickle (soul weapon)
• (a) Explorer's pack and Specialized Weapon Carrier or (b) Dungeoneer's pack and Specialized Weapon Carrier
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4x10 gold in funds.

Table: The Sohei

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Soul Weapons, Sohei's Mark
2nd	+2	Soul Bursts, Sohei Path
3rd	+2	Execution
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack
6th	+3	Awakened Souls
7th	+3	Sohei Path Feature
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Soul Bursts II, Soul Charged
10th	+4	—
11th	+4	Restful Soul
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Sohei Path Feature
14th	+5	Honed Strength
15th	+5	Ultimate Soul Bursts
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	—
18th	+6	Sohei Path Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Master Sohei

Soul Weapons

A Sohei believes that the weapons of their fallen foes contain the previous owner's soul. The Sohei then draws upon the power of these souls to increase their own strength in combat.

At 1st level, you gain the ability to collect a melee weapon with the light or versatile property off the corpse of a worthy foe and use it as a Soul Weapon (A creature can be marked as a worthy foe using the Sohei's Mark feature). You cannot use a melee weapon as a Soul Weapon unless it was looted off the corpse of a worthy foe or if it does not have the light or versatile properties. If you collect a magic weapon from a worthy foe that requires attunement you automatically attune to the magic weapon when you convert it to a Soul Weapon. A Sohei can have up to 6 soul weapons at a time, holstered on their backs using a specialized weapon carrier to do so. Furthermore, you can replace a Soul Weapon with a new one at any point, but you are unable to convert that specific weapon into a soul weapon again if it was replaced.

As a bonus action, you can make an off handed attack with 1 of your soul weapons. On a hit, you do not add your strength to the damage roll. Furthermore, on a successful hit you gain a Soul Point specifically tied to that weapon. You cannot gain Soul Points from creatures that are CR 0 or are not hostile towards you. A soul weapon can only have 1 Soul Point tied to it at any given time. Soul Points can be used to fuel other abilities called Soul Bursts. (It is recommended that you number each soul weapon in order to keep track of which Soul Weapons have a "Soul Point").

Sohei's Mark

At 1st level as a bonus action, you can mark a creature within 60ft of you as a worthy foe. When making a weapon attack against a worthy foe, you may add +1 to your attack and damage rolls. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level and +3 at 15th level. This feature can only be used once and can only be used again after a long rest.

Soul Bursts

You have learned to use the souls within the Soul Weapons to assist you in combat. At 2nd level, you gain the following Soul Bursts:

Soul Burst: Strength - When you hit an attack with a Soul Weapon that has a Soul Point, you may expend that weapon's Soul Point to add your wisdom bonus to the damage roll. You do not gain a Soul Point from this attack.

Soul Burst: Enhance - You may expend 1 Soul Point to gain advantage on any ability check. This must be used before rolling the ability check.

Soul Burst: Protect - As a bonus action, you may spend 2 Soul Points to temporarily increase your AC by 2. This benefit lasts for 1 minute and requires concentration.

Sohei Path

At 2nd level, you choose a Sohei Path. Choose between Path of the Seven, Path of Harmony, and Path of Elements detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 7th, 13th, and 18th level

Execution

Defeating your foes causes the souls within the weapons to resonate with power. At 3rd level, when you kill a creature that has a CR higher than 0, you gain a Soul Point for a Soul Weapon of your choosing (The Soul Weapon must not already have a Soul Point). Furthermore, if you kill a worthy foe you gain 5 temporary hit points.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Awakened Souls

The weapons surge at your will. At 6th level, you can give up to 3 soul weapons, that do not already have a Soul Point, a Soul Point as an action. You may only use this feature once per long rest.

Soul Bursts II

You have found greater potential with the souls. At 9th level you gain the following Sacrificial Soul Bursts:

Soul Burst: Evade - Whenever you fail a saving throw, you may spend 1 Soul Point to succeed instead.

Soul Burst: Pursuit - As a bonus action, you may spend 1 Soul Point to Dash and Disengage.

Soul Burst: Defend - As a reaction, when an ally within 5ft of you is hit by an attack, you may spend 1 Soul Point to take the damage yourself instead and reduce the damage you take by half.

Soul Burst: Heal - As an action, you may spend 2 Soul Points to heal 4d6 + wisdom bonus hit points. This Soul Burst can only be used once per long rest.

Soul Charged

Your attacks made with weapons and soul weapons are considered magical for overcoming resistances.

Restful Soul

During times of rest, you have learned to make the most of it. At 11th level after a short or long rest, you gain a Soul Point for a Soul Weapon of your choosing that does not already have a Soul Point.

Honed Strength

You feel yourself get ever stronger when the souls awaken. At 14th level, whenever you have 6 Soul Points you can add your wisdom bonus to all weapon damage rolls.

Ultimate Soul Bursts

You have unlocked such overwhelming potential that you have found a way to use the souls to their fullest potential. At 15th level you gain the following Ultimate Soul Bursts:

Ultimate Soul Burst: Life - As an action, you can spend 6 Soul Points to heal 6d10 + wisdom bonus hit points.

Ultimate Soul Burst: Death - When you make a successful grapple against an opponent, you can spend 6 Soul Points to make a deadly attack with a non-soul weapon. On a hit, add 6d10 + wisdom bonus force damage on top of the normal weapon's damage. On a miss, you deal 3d10 + wisdom bonus force damage. Regardless if the attack hits or miss, the grappled creature is no longer grappled.

Master Sohei

You have experienced much on your journeys and have fully mastered your art of combat and the way of soul strength. At 20th level, when you expend soul points by any means roll a d6, if the result is a 5 or 6 you do not lose any Soul Points used.

Path of the Seven

With one weapon in hand and six more on their back, a Sohei who chooses the Path of the Seven gains significant strength and resilience when all soul weapons have awakened.

Strength of the Seven

At 2nd level, when you pick this path you gain proficiency on athletics checks or Expertise if you are already proficient.

Furthermore, once you have 6 Soul Weapons, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Vigor of the Seven

At 7th level, once you have 6 Soul Weapons, you gain advantage for constitution saving throws.

Shield of the Seven

At 13th level, whenever you reach 6 Soul Points you gain 5 + wisdom bonus temporary hit points. You lose these temporary hit points when you have less than 6 Soul Points. Furthermore you gain the following Soul Burst:

Soul Burst: Shield - As a bonus action you can spend 3 Soul Points to gain resistance to a damage type for 1 minute. You can only be resistant to 1 damage type in this way.

Master of the Seven

At 18th level, you gain the following Ultimate Soul Burst:

Ultimate Soul Burst: Focus - At the end of your turn, you can spend 6 Soul Points to immediately take another turn. During this extra turn you have 6 Temporary Soul Points that you lose after your turn is over. You may not use Temporary Soul Points to activate Ultimate Soul Burst: Focus.

Path of Harmony

A Sohei who chooses the Path of Harmony uses the power of the souls to benefit not only themselves, but their comrades as well.

Harmonic Aura

At 2nd level when you pick this path, you gain a Harmonic Aura that covers a 15ft circle centered on you. Whenever you heal via a Soul Burst or spell, allies within your Harmonic Aura heal hit points equal to 1d4 + wisdom bonus. Furthermore, you can add 1d4 to persuasion checks made to creatures within your Harmonic Aura

Guardian Souls

At 7th level for each Soul Point you have and each ally inside Harmonic Aura's radius, reduce damage taken by you and allies within your Harmonic Aura by 1.

Order

At 13th level, you gain the following Soul Burst:

Soul Burst: Order - As an action, you may spend 3 Soul Points to give you and all allies within Harmonic Aura +2 AC for 1 minute (this effect does not stack with itself and allies who leave Harmonic Aura's radius lose this benefit until they enter the radius again).

Complete Harmony

At 18th level, your Harmonic Aura increases to 30ft and allies within your Harmonic Aura can now add 1d6 to their saving throws.

Path of Elements

A Sohei who chooses the Path of Elements can use the power of souls to evoke the power of the elements

Flame

At 2nd level when you choose this path, you gain the following Soul Burst:

Soul Burst: Flame Stroke - As an action you can spend 2 Soul Points to create a pillar of flame at a point within 30ft with a radius of 5ft and height of 15ft. It can also be placed on a wall such that the pillar strechs out 15ft horizontally instead of vertically. Any creature caught in the flame must make a DC 8 + proficiency + wisdom bonus, Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 + wisdom bonus fire damage, taking half damage on a successful save.

Earth

At 7th level when you choose this path, you gain the following Soul Burst:

Soul Burst: Earthen Disruption - As an action you can spend 3 Soul Points to cause a shifting disruption in the earth in a 60ft square at a point within 120ft for 1 minute. The disrupted area counts as difficult terrain and any creature, except you, that starts it's turn in the area or enters the area for the first time on it's turn must make a DC 8 + proficiency + wisdom bonus, Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.

Lightning

At 13th level when you choose this path, you gain the following Soul Burst:

Soul Burst: Lightning Aura - As an action you can spend 3 Soul Points to surround yourself in a violent electric aura. For 1 minute, any creature within 5ft of you at the start of your turn or when this ability is cast takes 1d8 + wisdom bonus lightning damage.

Water

At 18th level, you gain the ability to walk on water. Further more you gain the following Ultimate Soul Burst:

Ultimate Soul Burst: Tsunami - As an action, you can spend 6 Soul Points to cast the Tsunami spell using 8 + proficiency + wisdom bonus for the Save DC.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Sohei class, you must meet these prerequisites: Strength 13 and Wisdom 13

When, multiclassing into Sohei you can make the Specialized Weapon Carrier during a Long Rest with 20gp worth of materials.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Sohei class, you gain the following proficiencies: Simple and Martial melee weapons.

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