Soheis are like monks but have a bit more bulk to go along with their front line role. They also are all about a ki frenzy for big hits and use their wisdom primarily to cast when not in ki frenzy.

Role: Tank DPS

Characteristics: Warrior monks with frenzied attacks and limited casting

Source: Oriental Adventures

Game Rule Information

The Sohei has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Strength for Combat, Con for Bulk, Wisdom for monk abilities and casting

Alignment: Any Lawful

Hit Die: d10

Starting Gold: 5d4

Class Skills

The Sohei's class skills are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge(religion) (Int), Listen (Wis) Profession (Wis), Search (Int), and Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Sohei.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Sohei is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armor, but no shields

Ki FrenzySu: Starting at 1st level, a sohei gains the ability to focus her ki power into a frenzy of berserk energy. In this frenzied state, she temporarily gains +2 to Strength and +2 to Dexterity. Her speed increases by 10 feet, and she can choose to make a flurry of blows with a full attack action in melee, making one extra attack per round while suffering a -2 penalty on every attack.

While in a ki frenzy, a sohei cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can she cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. She can use any feat she has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A ki frenzy lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the sohei's Constitution modifier. The sohei may prematurely end the frenzy voluntarily. At the end of the frenzy, the sohei is fatigued (-2 to Strength, -2 to Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. The sohei can only enter a frenzy once per encounter, and only a certain number of times per day (determined by level). Entering a frenzy takes no time itself, but the sohei can only do it during her action, not in response to somebody else's action.

Weapon FocusEx: Sohei gain Weapon Focus with a weapon of their choice as a bonus feat. Many sohei choose the naginata, the traditional weapon of the sohei.

Deflect ArrowsEx: At 2nd level, a sohei gains the Deflect Arrows feat, even if she doesn't have the prerequisite feat and Dexterity score.

Diehard: At 3rd level, a sohei gains the Diehard feat, even if she doesn't have the prerequisite feats.

Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a sohei gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the sohei must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so a sohei with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Sohei bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a Difficulty Class of 10 + Caster Level. When the sohei gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 4th level, the sohei gets only bonus spells. A sohei without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. A sohei has access to any spell on the sohei's spell list and can freely choose which to prepare. A sohei prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does.

Through 3rd level, a sohei has no caster level. Starting at 4th level, a sohei's caster level is one-half her class level.

Strength of MindEx: A sohei of at least 5th level is immune to stunning and sleep spells and effects.

Defensive StrikeEx: At 6th level, a sohei gains the Defensive Strike feat, even if she doesn't have the prerequisite feats and ability scores.

Mettle: The sohei's special blessing allows her to shrug off magical effects that would otherwise damage or harm her. If a sohei of at least 9th level makes a successful Will or Fortitude saving throw that would normally reduce the spell's effect, she suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a Saving Throw entry of "Will partial," "Fortitude half," or similar entries can be negated through this ability.

Damage ReductionEx: tarting at 7th level, the sohei gains the extraordinary ability to shrug off some amount of injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 1 from the damage the sohei takes each time she is dealt damage. At 10th level, this damage reduction rises to 2. At 13th, it rises to 3. At 16th, it rises to 4. At 19th, it rises to 5. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.

Greater Ki FrenzySu: At 11th level, a sohei's bonuses to Strength and Dexterity during her ki frenzy each increase to +4, the penalty she suffers on attack rolls when making a flurry of blows is reduced to -1, and her speed increases by 20 feet during her frenzy.

Tireless FrenzyEx: At 17th level and higher, a sohei no longer becomes fatigued at the end of her ki frenzy.

Whirlwind FrenzySu: At 20th level, a sohei's bonuses to Strength and Dexterity during her ki frenzy each increase to +6, she suffers no penalty on attack rolls when making a flurry of blows, and her speed increases by 30 feet during her frenzy.