Idea for a class: Oblate (martial adept and update of Sohei).

I think the Sohei(3rd Oriental Adventures) was too interesting a concept to be forgotten or relegated to just a subclass. I also miss the martial adepts from "Battle Tome: Book of Nine Swords," and to top it all off, I wanted a new class inspired by manga that would appeal to female players seeking empowerment through their own efforts rather than relying on magic like stereotypical magical girls.

An oblate is someone who has dedicated their life to serving a religious order, even if they haven't taken religious vows. They are usually protectors of monasteries or shrines, but they can also be sent on missions to eliminate unholy monsters like infernals or undead.

My intention isn't to create a complete class with a perfect power balance but to be a source of inspiration for other players who wanted a new class with a little touch of manga flavor.

OBLATE

Consecrated Warrior of Monasteries and Shrines

Oblates are martial guardians of religious or philosophical orders. Unlike traditional monks, they do not reject armor or weapons. Their power comes from mastery of the body, breath, and technique.

They are known for three things:

Battle Stance

Martial Maneuvers

Ki Frenzy

🧬 Class Identity

Role: Technical Combatant / Tactical Duelist

Hit Die: d10

Proficiencies Armor: Light and Medium

Weapons: Simple and Martial

Savings: Dexterity, Wisdom

Skills (Choose 2) Athletics Acrobatics Perception Insight Religion Medicine Survival

🌀 Primary Resource: DISCIPLINED KI The Oblate uses Ki Points. Approximate Amount: Level = Ki Points (as a Monk) But they are mainly used for: Ki Frenzy Special Maneuvers Maneuver Recovery

⚔️ Core System: Martial Maneuvers Inspired by Tome of Battle. The Oblate knows maneuvers that function as combat techniques.

Characteristics: Activated upon attacking Some require Ki expenditure Some consume the maneuver

Maneuver Recovery Instead of attacking, you can use an action to: Recover all used maneuvers. This creates an interesting tactical rhythm.

🧘 Battle Stances You can only maintain one active stance. Changing stance = additional action. Stances are not consumed; they are combat states.

⚔️ Core System: Martial Maneuvers Inspired by Tome of Battle. The Oblate knows maneuvers that function as combat techniques.

Features:

Activated upon attacking

Some require Ki expenditure

Some consume the maneuver

Maneuver Recovery Instead of attacking, you can use an action to: Recover all used maneuvers.

This creates an interesting tactical rhythm.

🧘 Battle Stances You can only maintain one active stance. Changing stance = additional action. Stances are not consumed; they are combat states.

🔥 LEVEL 1 — Ki Frenzy As an additional action: You enter Ki Frenzy for 1 minute.

Benefits: Advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks +2 damage on melee attacks Advantage against being knocked down You can make 1 additional attack when using an Attack action

Limitation: You cannot cast spells or concentrate.

Uses: BP for long rest.

🥋 LEVEL 1 — Starting Stance You learn 2 stances.

Stance Examples

Stance of the Lifespring When you hit in melee: You regain 1d4 + WIS hit points Only once per turn.

Stance of the Flowing River +2 AC against attacks of opportunity +3 m movement

Stance of the Unmoving Pillar Advantage against being pushed or knocked down.

⚔️ LEVEL 2 — Martial Maneuvers You learn 3 maneuvers.

Examples:

Bone-Crushing Strike After hitting: You deal +1d8 damage and the target must succeed on a CON save or be knocked prone.

Purifying Slash Against infernals or undead: +2d8 radiant damage.

Hawk's Deflection Reaction: Reduces weapon damage by 1d10 + DEX.

⚔️ LEVEL 5 — Extra Attack Two attacks.

🌀 LEVEL 7 — Iron Breathing As an action: You regain: Ki equal to WIS or 1 additional maneuver.

⚔️ LEVEL 9 — Advanced Maneuvers Examples:

Tiger's Strike You advance 6 m and attack: If you hit, you deal +2d8 damage and push 3 m.

Monastery Guard Reaction: Interpose yourself when an ally takes damage. Reduce damage by 2d8.

🧘 LEVEL 11 — Stance Mastery You can change stance for free once per turn.

🔥 LEVEL 13 — Enhanced Frenzy During Frenzy: Advantage on attacks against large or greater creatures +1d8 additional damage once per turn.

⚔️ LEVEL 15 — Superior Maneuvers Examples: Nine-Step Strike Attack that ignores resistance.

🧘 LEVEL 17 — Stance Duality You can maintain two active stances.

🏯 LEVEL 20 — Master of the Sanctuary When you enter Ki Frenzy: You recover all Ki points Your attacks deal +2d8 damage You are immune to fear. 1/Long rest.

🎎 Character Fantasy

The Oblate embodies: Discipline Coordination Technique Spiritual combat without magic

Perfect for: Temple guardians Demon hunters Wandering protectors Martial cultivators

🌸 Why it might appeal to new players

This design avoids clichés:

It doesn't rely on brute force

It doesn't rely on magic

It's technique- and control-based power

It has functional armor

It has a cultivator or warrior-monk aesthetic

🏯 PATHS OF THE OBLATE

🌞 Path of the Radiant Sanctuary

Guardians of sacred temples and hunters of desecrators. These oblates protect relics and holy places. They specialize in combating undead, demons, and unholy entities.

Level 3 — Consecrated Strike When you hit with a melee attack: You can spend 1 Ki. You deal 1d8 additional radiant damage. Against infernals or undead, the damage is 2d8. You also learn the Sanctuary

Stance: Sanctuary Stance Allies within 3 yards gain +1 to saves against fear and charm.

Level 6 — Aegis of the Monastery As a reaction when a nearby ally takes damage: You reduce the damage by 1d10 + WIS + Oblate level / 2. If the attacker is an undead or infernal: It suffers radiant damage equal to your WIS.

Level 10 — Martial Exorcist When you hit an unholy creature: It must succeed on a Wisdom save or be stunned until your next turn. Uses: BP per long rest.

Level 14 — Avatar of the Sanctuary During your Ki Frenzy: You deal +2d8 radiant damage once per turn. You and allies within 6 yards have advantage against fear and possession.

🐅 Way of the Iron Tiger

Brutal discipline, speed, and physical dominance. These oblates combine aggressive combat techniques with explosive mobility.

Level 3 — Tiger's Strike When you move at least 3 m toward an enemy and attack: You deal +1d8 damage. You also learn Predator Stance:

Predator Stance +3 m movement Advantage on Athletics checks to trip.

Level 6 — Whirlwind Attack Once per turn when you use the Attack action: You can attack two different creatures if they are within reach.

Level 10 — Hunter's Instinct When a creature misses an attack against you: You can use reaction to immediately counterattack.

Level 14 — Iron Tiger Frenzy During Ki Frenzy: You gain an additional attack (maximum 3 attacks). Your attacks ignore difficult terrain.

🌑 Path of the Silent Void

Masters of inner balance and minimalist combat. These oblates perfect the economy of movement and energy.

Level 3 — Empty Mind Advantage on saving throws against: fear enchantment illusion You learn the Void Stance:

Void Stance +2 AC against the first attack received each turn.

Level 6 — Void Step As a bonus action, you can: teleport 6 m into a visible space. Uses: BP per long rest.

Level 10 — Perfect Strike Once per turn when you hit: you can treat the attack as a critical hit if the natural result was 18-20.

Level 14 — Absolute Serenity While in Ki Frenzy: you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. you cannot be knocked down or pushed back.

⚔️ Path of the Unholy Hunter

Orders dedicated to eliminating supernatural monsters. Inspired by demon hunters or martial inquisitors.

Level 3 — Sense Profanation You can detect the presence of: undead infernals aberrations within 18 yards for 1 minute. You learn the Watcher's Stance: Watcher's Stance advantage on Perception and Initiative checks.

Level 6 — Maneuvers of Execution When you hit a supernatural creature: you can spend 1 Ki to inflict 2d8 additional damage.

Level 10 — Monster Knowledge When a supernatural creature attacks you: you can use reaction to gain resistance to that damage this turn.

Level 14 — Exterminating Strike When you reduce a supernatural creature to 0 HP: You recover Ki equal to your Wisdom.

And what can you do with this AI generated class that can't be done with a fighter, monk, or paladin?

Why are there new PC species and subclasses, why are DC and Marvel creating new characters? Why each years there is a new season of Pretty Cure or Power Rangers with a different group of characters?

Why when you are wearing a costume in Halloween you try to be different and original? Why do urban tribes want to wear a different fashion style?

Why are players of Vampire: the Mascarade creating homemade new clans and bloodlines? Why do the players ask to can publish homemade classes in D&D-Beyond?

If you want to be creative, you'll need to be open-minded during the initial brainstorming phase and not dismiss any ideas too quickly. The selection and refinement process will begin later.

I miss no-core classes and I want more after the artificer and the future mystic/psion. I want to try new ideas, for example a shaman class with a touch of vestige binder and incarhum totemist, who could summon a spirit monster ally and spending essence points to unlock extra monster traits. 

 And what if I wanted to create a homemade warlord class with martial maneuvers and stances from Spirit-Mind and White-Raven from 3.5 Tome of Battle? And after to playtest it with a VTT. 

Some players prefer a smaller number of classes, but I prefer the opposite: the more the better.

* She is not a monk because she can wear armour and use ki-trance like the sohei in 3rd Ed. She is not a paladin because she is not casting divine spells (and more focused into dexterity and coordination instead of strength and endurance). She is not a fighter because she can use martial maneuvers and stances. It is a class for players who didn't want a too simple fighter either a complicated spellcaster. My idea is a class that could be interesting for new female classes who were sick of magical girls.