Sohei Class Overview: The Sohei combines martial prowess with divine ki abilities, offering a mix of offensive strikes, defensive resilience, and minor spellcasting to adapt to various combat situations.
Barebear the Bugbear Bearbarian[1]: A ferocious bugbear who shifts into a Dire Bear mid-battle, excelling in brute force, grappling, and crowd-pleasing transformations.
Gladiator Champion[2]: A lionfolk gladiator wielding a two-bladed sword to unleash rapid, high-damage attacks while applying bleed effects to wear down opponents.
Polearm Iaijutsu[3]: A master of Iaijutsu and polearms, this build delivers explosive burst damage through precision strikes and battlefield control.
Phalanx Leader[4]: A defensive powerhouse that anchors any team, using shield-based tactics and Phalanx Fighting to protect allies and absorb punishment.
Veteran Soldier[5]: A tactical glaive-wielder who locks down enemies with reach, AoOs, and feats like Stand Still, ensuring no foe escapes the battlefield unscathed.
Superior battlefield control using reach, AoOs, and Stand Still to lock down enemy movement and dominate skirmishes.
Heavily reliant on positioning and specific feats to maintain control.
Barebear the Bugbear Bearbarian
A ferocious bugbear gladiator who transforms into a Dire Bear mid-fight, bringing devastation to the arena with raw power, spiked armor, and Iaijutsu techniques. Combining the brute strength of a Bear Warrior and the versatility of a Sohei, this build thrives on overwhelming aggression and crowd-stunning transformations.
– Incredible melee power, with bear form adding raw strength and damage alongside Iaijutsu Focus for massive single strikes.
– Limited range combat abilities and reliance on maintaining rage or Ki-Frenzy for peak performance.
– Equip the best spiked armor and utilize grapples when in bear form to maximize damage and control.
Gladiator Champion
A lionfolk gladiator wielding a two-bladed sword, this combatant devastates foes with rapid, relentless attacks while dazzling the crowd. With feats enhancing two-weapon fighting and Gladiator bonuses like bleed damage, this build excels in high-damage flurries that don’t rely on precision or charging.
Potential for nine attacks per round with cumulative damage bonuses and bleed effects.
Relatively low defensive abilities compared to the damage output.
Leverage the Gladiator’s “Make them Bleed” ability to apply bleed damage and control healing-heavy opponents.
Polearm Iaijutsu
A master of Iaijutsu and polearm techniques, this Sohei build combines devastating charges and Iaijutsu damage with crowd control. By setting up enemies with Leap Attack and Shock Trooper, the Polearm Iaijutsu[3] build dominates encounters with precision and power.
Huge burst damage potential with Iaijutsu Focus, Shock Trooper, and Ki-Frenzy synergy.
Positioning and setup are critical; requires pre-combat planning for maximum effectiveness.
Use reach and Ki-Frenzy to control the battlefield, forcing enemies into unfavorable positions.
Phalanx Leader
A stalwart defender who transforms the Sohei into an immovable wall of defense by combining shield-based tactics with Defender of Sealtiel’s durability. With feats like Phalanx Fighting and abilities like Defensive Stance, this build protects allies and anchors any formation.
Exceptional defense and utility, capable of withstanding tremendous punishment and shielding allies.
Limited offensive capabilities compared to other gladiators in this list.
Coordinate with allies to maximize Phalanx Fighting bonuses for the entire party.
Veteran Soldier
A tactical genius and battlefield controller, this glaive-wielding Sohei build locks down foes with reach, Combat Reflexes, and Stand Still. Featuring abilities from Tactical Soldier and Human Paragon, the Veteran Soldier[5] is a combatant who blends battlefield control with damage output.
Masterful battlefield control with reach, AoOs, and lockdown tactics to dominate skirmishes.
Relies heavily on feats and proper positioning to control enemy movement.
Combine Robilar’s Gambit and Stand Still to punish opponents who dare approach your reach.
FAQ
What makes the Sohei class unique in D&D 3.5?
The Sohei blends martial prowess with divine abilities, offering access to Ki-Frenzy for extra attacks, Mettle for enhanced resilience, and minor divine spellcasting. This combination makes it versatile and adaptable for both offensive and defensive roles.
The Barebear build excels due to its Dire Bear transformation, which grants immense physical power and combat utility. Combined with spiked armor and grappling techniques, it can overpower most opponents with brute force.
By using a two-bladed sword and feats like Two-Weapon Fighting and Flurry of Strikes, the Gladiator Champion[2] can make up to nine attacks per turn. Bleed effects and cumulative damage bonuses further increase its effectiveness.
The Phalanx Leader[4] focuses on defense, leveraging Phalanx Fighting and the abilities of the Defender of Sealtiel to create an immovable wall. Positioning and teamwork are critical to maximizing its benefits for the entire party.
Using a glaive for reach, Combat Reflexes for extra attacks of opportunity, and Stand Still to halt enemy movement, the Veteran Soldier[5] excels at locking down foes and preventing them from advancing. This makes it an invaluable asset in any melee-heavy encounter.
Join the Conversation!
Ready to master the battlefield with Sohei-powered gladiator builds? Whether you’re drawn to the unstoppable defense of the Phalanx Leader[4] or the raw power of the Barebear Bearbarian, there’s a build for every playstyle. Share your strategies, get advice, and discuss your favorite combinations with other passionate players on the Stellar Dragons Discord.
Writer, Editor, GM, Technologist – Andrew’s been playing TTRPGs since as far back as he can recall… at least sometime in the nineties… or was it the early 2000s?
One of the gladiators was gathering the attention and favor of the crowd rapidly. An unusual participant, a bugbear, armed with a goblin stick and spiked armor, made blood flow in the arena with an extreme expression of violence. That in itself didn’t make him a crowd favorite that day, nor his unusual race being present in a largely human city.
No, what really gave him the crowd’s favor was when a lucky opponent struck him in the eye and threw him to the ground. The bugbear grew angry and shifted into the form of a massive dire bear. The crowd roared in unison with the beast as it massacred everything that moved within sight. Many of the crowd hoped that he would make it to the finals.
Race
Bugbear
Class
Humanoid 3/Sohei 7/Bear Warrior 10 (1 LA buyback)
Ability Scores
Str 20/Dex 16/Con 16/Int 10/Wis 12/Cha 10
Skills
Jump, Iaijutsu Focus
Equipment
Goblin Stick, a spiked gauntlet, the best spiked armor you can afford.
Goal
You’re a bugbear that can shift into an actual bear, how cool is that? You have several combat tools in your backpocket, between a polearm, grappling with spiked armor and did I mention turning into a bear? Yeah, add to that Iaijutsu Focus and you’re a great melee combatant.
As the victor stood triumphantly in the arena, magical lights illuminated one of the corridors blocked with a metallic gate. The crowd went silent as the heavy gate’s chains slowly lifted up the barricade. A massive lionfolk strode and circled the outer wall of the arena slowly, deliberately. He had his two-bladed sword in one hand and his helmet under his free arm. Not a glance towards his new challenger yet, he roared fiercely as the crowd erupted in joyous celebration.
Truly, no one could defeat the arena’s Champion.
Race
Anthropomorphic Lion
Class
Humanoid 2/Sohei 4/Fighter 1/Gladiator 10/Exotic Weapon Master 3(1 LA Buyback)
Ability Scores
Str 18/Dex 20/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 14
Skills
Craft(Weaponsmithing) 3, Intimidate 4
Equipment
A Two-Bladed Sword, the best armor you can afford.
Goal
Double weapons can benefit from two weapon fighting feats, Flurry of Strikes and ki-frenzy add an additional attack, meaning you can attack nine times per turn. At high level as a Gladiator, each time you hit, you get cumulative damage bonuses and give a bleed damage, forcing the enemy to heal themselves to stop the bleeding. Add to that again Iaijutsu Focus, and suddenly you deal damage so high leap pouncers raise an eyebrow at you. This build is one of the highest damage dealers that doesn’t rely on precision damage, nor on leap charging with a two handed weapon, proving once again that there are ways to stay relevant as a combatant.
The arena was even more crowded than usual. In celebration of the City’s victory over the dark army and the new alliance with the Warmage College, the city officials opened a special tournament with the chance of facing off against the arena’s reigning champion.
One of the prospective gladiators, a traveling man armed with a glaive, was watching the competition. Many great warriors were present: the Traveler, another master of Iaijutsu, a Berserker with scarification on his face, and a young nobleman with only a rapier. This tournament was sure to bring glory to its victor. The man caressed his glaive. As for him, he fought only because he wanted to know how good he really was. And no better place to test one’s skills as in such a high profile competition.
Race
Human
Class
Sohei 20
Ability Scores
Str 16/Dex 12/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 12
Skills
Iaijutsu Focus, Jump
Equipment
A Glaive, a Spiked Gauntlet, the best armor you can afford.
Goals
The Sohei is one of the few classes that has Iaijutsu Focus as a class skill. And between Ki-Frenzy and Mettle you are no slouch in melee combat. With Leap Attack, Iaijutsu Focus, Shock Trooper and Combat Brute, you can deal tons of damage rapidly in an encounter and set yourself in position with your polearm and Ki-Frenzy to start dishing out the hurt on the next round while making a nuisance of yourself for enemies wanting to target your allies in the back. You can cast a few spells to round up an overall excellent package.
It was the last match of the tournament before the finale. The bugbear’s assault was relentless, but the man’s shield would simply not move. The crowd held their collective breaths as they watched the bugbear, as he lost his patience shift into its bear form. After changing form Barebear charged the poor man. Surprisingly, though, the man would not be moved. With a powerful shield bash, he stopped the bear in its tracks. A quick blow from his shortsword, and he sent it rolling back in pain.
The battle was not over, but the man’s determination would not fail.
Race
Human
Class
Sohei 10/Defender of Sealtiel 10
Ability Scores
Str 16/Dex 14/Con 15/Int 10/Wis 12/Cha 10
Skills
Listen 5
Equipment
A heavy shield, a shortsword and the best armor you can afford.
Flaws
Shaky, Murky Eyed
Goal
The sohei strike people usually as a high mobility class, with its Ki-Frenzy ability to deal more attacks, but combine it with Phalanx Fighting(and hopefully your allies also take this feat for truly massive benefits), but the with all the defensive abilities of the Defender of Sealtiel, you can truly turn into an immovable wall, capable of absorbing the worst the battlefield throws at you.
Level
Class
HD
Feat
Special
1
Sohei
15
Weapon Focus(Shortsword), Endurance, Diehard, Servant of Heaven, Toughness
As the first few matches roused the crowd’s appetite, one of the competitors watched from the shadows of the corridors that lead to the arena. He was a veteran soldier, a higher up among the city garrison, and one of their best warriors. A natural genius when it came to tactics, the garrison headmaster had tasked him with entering the competition to find great prospects to join the city’s finest. Many of them certainly fit the bill alright, he thought to himself.
As the trumpets signaled his turn in the arena, he slowly walked to the center of the simple sand field, among four other gladiators. After the usual commendations, he turned to the others and simply declared.
-“Let’s wrap this up quickly, I have a report to make, you three versus me.” The others laughed.
-“Old man, against the three of us you don’t stand a minute.”
-“You are correct, it won’t take a minute.”
After the fight, the guard walked slowly back into the shadows with a sigh. Some of the gladiators were fitting the bill to join the guard, but those three certainly weren’t…
Race
Human
Class
Sohei 7/Tactical Soldier 10/Human Paragon
Ability Scores
3 Str 16/Dex 15/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 12/Cha 10
Skills
Sense Motive 2
Equipment
A glaive, a spiked gauntlet, the best armor you can afford.
Goal
Take the previous build, which was already great, and crank it up to eleven. Now you completely lockdown your threatened area, can still dish out ridiculous damage and overall be an excellent melee combatant. And with Standstill, a reach weapon and Combat Reflexes, no one is going past you.
Level
Class
HD
Feat
Special
1
Sohei
12
Weapon Focus(Glaive), Combat Reflexes, Stand Still
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