When conflicts between monastic factions grew ever more intense, it became evident that it was not long until they grew violent. Indeed, monks often burned down temple complexes of opposing factions, and upon the advent of such violent deeds, others began to bear arms and don armor, ready to engage in armed conflicts and assert pressure upon both Imperial and military governments of their homeland in a contest of political power. Such was the birth of the sohei (僧兵), then called akuso (悪僧), and since those days they have become powerful and organized, such that any one faction of sohei could prove a powerful and fearsome ally to those who would gain their favor.

An individual sohei is skilled with weapons on the field of battle, and though they remain skilled in unarmed combat like other monks, they often prefer to use weapons as they fight on foot and on horseback.

Path of the Sohei

When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your martial training grants you proficiency with armor and certain weapons. You gain the following benefits.

Sohei Armaments

You gain proficiency with longswords, glaives, mauls, and longbows, and they count as monk weapons for you.

You also gain proficiency in light and medium armors. Unarmored Movement applies even while you wear such armors, but its effect is halved.

Devoted Guardian

If you are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren't incapacitated, you can spend 1 ki point to act normally on your first turn. In addition, you gain a bonus to your initiative roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Sohei’s Weapon Training

Melee monk weapons count as unarmed strikes for the purpose of Flurry of Blows and Martial Arts. If a magic weapon provides an additional effect upon landing a hit, they do not apply to weapon attacks made during Flurry of Blows or the bonus action attack Martial Arts allows.

Ki-Empowered Soldier

At 6th level, you extend your ki into your battlefield armaments, granting you the following benefits.

Ki-Empowered Weapons. Attacks you make with monk weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance.

Ki-Empowered Armor. You can spend 2 ki points as a bonus action to add your Wisdom modifier to your AC while wearing light or medium armor. This bonus lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature again.

Combat Meditation

Starting at 11th level, you manage to remain collected even in the heat of battle. Whenever you land a critical hit or reduce a hostile target to 0 hit points with a weapon attack, you regain 2 ki points.

Extra Attack (2)

At 17th level, you can attack 3 times whenever you take the Attack action.