The Mentor 3.

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The Mentor

A
n affable dwarf weathers the onslaught of
the attacking bandit, making helpful
remarks about their footwork before The Mentor
concluding the lesson with a single,
Proficiency Bided
powerful blow.
Level Bonus Features Time Max
The elven combat-scholar clutches a
notebook full of training regiments as she 1st +2 Bided Time, Strike Now 1d4
motivates her mage companion to dig deep for his last Hidden Reserves, Time
2nd +2 2d4
remnants of magic. She barks warnings at another ally, Heals
narrowly saving them from a series of otherwise deadly 3rd +2 Archetype feature 3d4
blows. ASI, Bided Time
A gruff dragonborn veteran gives one mournful smile 4th +2 4d4
improvement
over their shoulder, knowing what needs to be done, and Life Lessons, Strike Now
singlehandedly holds off an insurmountable threat so that 5th +3 5d4
improvement
their found family may survive.
6th +3 Archetype Feature 6d4
Eyes for Potential 7th +3 Full Potential 7d4
Few heroes achieve prominence all on their own, and ASI, Bided Time & Lesson
8th +3 8d4
many great tales feature those mysterious figures who improvement
take it upon themselves to guide, aid, and advice a future 9th +4 I’ll Hold Them Off 9d4
generation of legends. By sharing their experience,
10th +4 Archetype Feature 10d4
supporting their allies or personally stepping up to face
the threats that might otherwise cut another hero’s Forgotten Strength, Strike
11th +4 11d4
journey short, mentor figures play a crucial part in many Now improvement
epic tales. Their influence may persist even in death. ASI, Bided Time & Lesson
12th +4 12d4
Mentors leave their mark on the world by seeing allies improvement
not just for what they are, but for what they could be. 13th +5 Improved Hidden Reserves 13d4
Whereas some might inspire with charm, or empower 14th +5 Archetype Feature 14d4
through divine magics, a mentor simply encourages
15th +5 Montage 15d4
people to strive, and helps them use their individual skill
sets to the fullest extent. 16th +5 ASI, Lesson improvement 16d4
17th +6 Nothing Left to Teach 17d4
Selfless Supporters 18th +6 Renewed Strength 18d4
Mentors achieve their greatest impact when they work to
19th +6 ASI 19d4
help companions shine. This ability to coax excellence
from others grants the mentor a great degree of freedom 20th +6 The Time has Come 20d10
in how they carry themselves.
An eccentric lifestyle or intentionally disarming
demeanor can become tools by which this sage ally tricks
foes into underestimating them, whilst cultivating a
powerful bond with the friends who know their true value.
Alternatively, the mentor might use their reputation and
experience to draw ire away from their fellowship, and risk
martyring themselves for the greater good.
Whether the mentor is a well-meaning family member,
an analytical genius, or an old legend seemingly past their
prime, they provide a much-needed support structure for
anyone taxed by the strains of adventuring.
  
Class Features  
 
As a Mentor, you gain the following class features
 
Hit Points  
 
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Mentor level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier  
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your  
Constitution modifier  
 
Proficiencies  
Armor: All armor, shields  
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons, improvised  
weapons
 
Tools: Choose one set of tools
 
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom  
Skills: Choose any three skills  
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the Hidden Reserves
equipment granted by your background:
Starting at 2nd level you can spend a bonus action to
(a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial restore one use of a creature’s ability or spell slot that
weapons. otherwise restores on a short rest. They must be able to
(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack see or hear you.
(a) a set of Chain mail or (b) leather armor Alternatively, if the creature has a pool that refills during
One set of tools that you are proficient in a short rest, such as Ki points, Superiority dice or a 5th
level bard’s Inspiration dice, you may use Hidden Reserves

Versatile Teaching to restore half that pool (rounded up).

Once used, you cannot use this ability again until you’ve
Great teachers come from many walks of life, and their had a long rest. At 13th level, you may use this ability twice
strong suits vary. When you first select this class, or gain a per long rest.
new level in Mentor, you must select one ability score from
Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. This score's modifier
now counts as your Lesson modifier as well.
Time Heals
You instill the strength to push past injuries, and can
Bided Time soothe aches with a reassuring word or expert touch.
From 2nd level onwards, you may as a bonus action
When you spend a turn in combat not attacking or dealing expend any number of dice from your Bided Time pool
damage, add 1d4 to your Bided Time pool. The number of and heal one creature you can touch by the amount rolled.
Bided Time dice added to your pool on such a turn You may use this feature a number of times equal to
increases to two at 4th level, three at 8th level and four at your proficiency bonus + your Lesson modifier. You regain
12th level. all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The pool can contain a number of dice equal to your
Mentor level. When you deal damage to a target, you may
remove any number of dice from the pool and add those
Mentor Archetype
to the damage rolled. At 3rd level you choose which archetype of mentor you will
Half the dice in your Bided Time pool (rounded down) be, the Eccentric or the Martyr. Your choice grants you
disappear when you roll initiative for combat. features at 3rd, 6th, 10th and 14th level.

Strike Now Ability Score Improvement

As an action, you allow one creature within 60 feet of you When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and
to immediately make a singular weapon attack against a 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your
creature of your choice. A creature can only be granted choice by 2, or you can increase 2 ability scores of your
this additional attack once per round of combat. choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score
Starting when you hit 5th level, the target of your Strike above 20 using this feature.
Now feature can add 1d10 to their damage roll if the
attack hits. This bonus damage increases to 2d10 once you
become level 11.
 Once your allies are out of initiative (either by escaping or
Life Lessons defeating the remaining enemies), roll a d20 that cannot
be modified or rerolled.
By 5th level, your experience allows you to teach friends
and foes valuable life lessons. Select two options (for On a 1-3 you die heroically. This death is permanent
which you meet the prerequisites) from the Lessons and cannot be reversed via resurrection spells, nor can
detailed at the end of the class description. You gain one the loss of the character be staved off by any other
additional option at 8th, 12th and 16th level. means, such as a Death Ward or Clone spell. Having
  protected your allies, your soul is at peace and does not
  return.
 
On a 4-19 you somehow managed a tense standstill or
 
daring escape. Reduce your HP to half of what it was
 
when you enacted this ability (minimum of 1). If your
 
allies stayed to continue the fight, have everyone roll
  for initiative again. If they escaped, you show up to
  greet your allies during their next rest.
 
  On a 20, you killed all enemy creatures that were
  removed from combat. Put yourself at 1 HP. If your
  allies escaped, you return to greet them during their
  next rest. Should the critical success occur, future 20’s
can only result in a standstill for the next month.
 
 
  Forgotten Strength
 
At level 11, choose one class feature that another class
  could gain at level 7 or lower. Alternatively, choose a spell
  of level 4th or lower. You now have that feature, OR the
  capacity to cast that spell once per long rest. This choice
  may reflect powers your Mentor had in their prime.
  If the chosen ability forces creatures to make saving
  throws the DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Lesson
  modifier. Your spellcasting ability if necessary is your
  Lesson modifier's.
  If the desired ability is an improvement of a prior feature
  that you do not have, you are ineligible for the choice.
 
 
 
Montage
  Starting at 15th level, you begin to spot potential
improvements in people that can be accomplished via an
 
extended period of training. With 1 week of practice, for
 
which you must be present 8 hours every day, the
target/targets of your montage may choose one of these
Full Potential benefits:
Starting at 7th level you may, as an action, restore one use Gain proficiency in a skill tied to their lowest ability
of a creature’s ability or spell slot that otherwise restores score.
on a long rest. They must be able to see or hear you. Increase their daily number of prepared spells by 1.
Once used, you cannot use this ability again until you’ve Boost their max HP by 5.
had a long rest.
If that week is extended to 1 month of training, the

I'll Hold Them Off target/targets of your montage also gains one of these
benefits:
Starting at 9th level you may spend an action to remove
Learn one cantrip of their choice. Spellcasting ability is
yourself, and a number of enemy creatures whose
determined by which class’s spell list they choose the
combined CR sum equals no more than 2 times your
cantrip from.
Mentor level, from combat. You “hold off” the removed
creatures long enough for your allies to finish the
remainder of the encounter and/or escape.
 Gain either the Martial Adept, Crusher, Slasher or
Piercer feat
Get proficiency in a saving throw tied to their lowest
Renewed Strength
At level 18, choose one class feature that another class
ability score.
could gain at level 15 or lower. Alternatively, choose a spell
Your Montage ability can at no point in time be affecting of level 8th or lower. You now have that feature, or the
a number of creatures greater than your Lesson modifier. capacity to cast that spell once per long rest.
A creature that undergoes the Montage again may swap If the chosen ability forces creatures to make saving
their choice of benefits. throws the DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Lesson
modifier. Your spellcasting ability if necessary is your
Nothing Left to Teach Lesson modifier's.
If the desired ability is an improvement of a prior feature
At level 17, a number of allies equal to your Lesson that you do not have, you are ineligible for the choice.
modifier add +2 to one ability score of their choice. This
feature can push ability scores higher than 20.
The bonus fades if the allies spend more than 1 week
The Time has Come
separated from the Mentor, but if said Mentor leaves the Upon reaching 20th level, your Bided Time dice become
narrative entirely the DM may deem it appropriate for the d10s. You no longer lose any Bided Time dice from your
bonus to become permanent. pool when rolling initiative.
This feature can never be applied from multiple
Mentors.
 Mentor Archetypes
The Eccentric

T
heir methods are often inscrutable, but Resistance to psychic damage and immunity to either
they have much wisdom to impart. the frightened OR charmed condition.
Eccentric mentors tend to be affable or Their weapon attacks can deal psychic damage instead
unimposing figures who forge wholesome of the normal damage type, as you show that true
bonds with their allies and only show their battles are won in the mind.
true capabilities when things are most dire. The next time they ask you a yes or no question, you
have a hunch about the correct answer. This functions
Lesson in Humility as though you were the deity being beseeched by a
Commune spell.
Starting at level 3, you teach your allies that the more
powerful one is, the healthier a dose of humility can be.
When you engage a creature in a contested ability check,
Puzzling Wisdom
you may gain a bonus on your check equal to that By 10th level, insight checks against you are made at
creature’s challenge rating OR level (minimum of 1). You disadvantage. You add a bonus to Charisma-based ability
can choose to use this ability after making the roll, but checks equal to the number of dice in your Bided Time
before knowing whether it succeeded or failed. pool (to a max of 10).
Once used, this feature cannot be used again until
you’ve finished a short rest. The opposing creature’s CR
(and thus the bonus) can be kept a secret if the DM so
Bumbling Success
chooses. Starting at 14th level, when forced to make a saving throw
by another creature, you may choose to roll the saving

Apply the Wax, Then Clean throw at disadvantage.

Should ANY of the d20’s you roll for this saving throw be

it Off a natural 20, you succeed and impose the effect of a

failure back on the creature that forced you to make the
By 6th level, during a long or short rest, you may spend saving throw. If the effect requires concentration to
time with an ally that involves acts like telling them a story, maintain, you can choose to be concentrating on it. Future
teaching them about a tool you’re proficient in or having saves against the effect have a DC equal to 8 + your
them help you with chores. proficiency bonus + your Lesson modifier.
Grant that ally one of the following benefits that persists Once this reversal has happened you may not use the
until your next rest: feature again until you’ve finished a long rest.
The Martyr

A
lifespan is limited, but some acts ring For example, if you wish to Hold Off enemies with a CR
eternal. The Martyr dedicates themselves sum that is 3 higher than you could normally Hold Off, you
wholly to the promise they see in their may do so. But you now die on a roll of 1-6 instead of 1-3.
companions, and strives to further the Should a Martyr of this level or higher die when using
party’s journey at all costs. Even when it their “I’ll Hold Them Off” ability, one of the following effects
means risking their own life. occur (DM’s choice):

Shield of the Passing Torch The Martyr’s party members level up.
The Martyr kills, seals away or fundamentally defeats
Starting at level 3, when a creature within your movement one creature of their choice among the enemies held
speed range becomes targeted by an attack or spell, you off.
can use a reaction to move adjacent to them and become The Martyr returns to life, but changes their class from
the target in their stead. You may choose whether to Mentor to something else.
trigger opportunity attacks or not during this movement.
Should the targeting effect leave you at 0 hitpoints, the
shielded creature gains a bonus to their attack and
damage rolls equal to half your mentor level (rounded up).
This bonus persists until you are stable again or the
combat is over.

Just Another Path

By 6th level, during a rest, you may ponder the fleeting
nature of your time left in the world. Choose one of the
following benefits that persists until your next rest:

You gain resistance to two of these three damage

types: Piercing, Slashing, Bludgeoning.

Your movement speed increases by 15 feet.

You remember or deduce two useful bits of

information about the nearby area. This functions like
the spell Commune with Nature.

Courageous Wisdom
Starting at 10th level, creatures that try to impose the
frightened condition on you suffer a backlash whether
they succeed or not. Roll a number of d10 equal to your
Lesson modifier, and you may deal that much psychic
damage to the creature.
You can add a bonus to Wisdom based ability checks
equal to the number of dice accumulated in your Bided
Time pool (to a max of 10).

Oh, Be One
Starting at 14th level, you can choose to enact the “I’ll Hold
Them Off” ability instead of making a death saving throw.
This entails the Martyr willing themselves back to 1
hitpoint for the purpose of aiding their allies.
When you use the “I’ll Hold Them Off” ability you may
increase the combined CR sum of creatures you are able
to remove from combat. If you do this, the range of rolls
that results in your death expands by a similar amount.
 Lessons
Dooooooodge! Just Be Yourself
Your teachings prove effective enough to ward against You assure a creature that they are unique, wonderful and
danger with split-second advice. As a reaction, you may worthwhile. As an action you may sacrifice up to 3 Bided
spend up to 2 Bided Time dice from your pool to increase Time dice from your pool. For the next 10 minutes, the
the AC of a creature within 60 feet by the amount rolled. creature can spend those dice to increase any Persuasion
This bonus persists until the end of their next turn. or Performance check they make by the amount rolled.
Once used, you cannot use this feature again until you
Empty Your Cup have finished a short rest.
Prerequisite: An intelligence of 13 or higher, or the ability
to cast a spell. Let me Shoulder it
You spend one minute helping a willing spellcaster go As an action, you embrace a willing creature and try to
through their components and notes. They may replace help them work through difficult emotions. If they are
one spell they have prepared for another spell on their list experiencing Exhaustion, Maximum Hitpoint reduction or
of spells known. Once used, you may not use this ability a curse, you may purge any of those effects from their
again until after a long rest. body by taking them on yourself. Make a DC 15 Wisdom
saving throw for each negative effect you choose to take,
Ex Position successful saves negate their effect. Once used, you may
Prerequisite: 8th level. not use this ability again until you have finished a short
You have been many places, and thus know many rest.
things. By smoking or otherwise enjoying 250gp worth of
incense you may bring to mind a brief summary of the Stay Alert
significant lore about a person, place or object. This When you or a creature within 30 feet of you roll for
functions like the spell Legend Lore. Once used, you may initiative, you may spend up to two Bided Time dice from
not use this ability again until after a long rest. your pool and increase their initiative by the amount
rolled. This occurs before rolling for initiative forces you to
Fly You Fools remove half of the dice from your Bided Time pool.
As an action, you may address a number of creatures
equal to your Lesson modifier. For the next minute, each Stop Trying to Hit Me and Hit Me
of them may choose to gain an additional Dash action Prerequisite: 12th level.
during one of their turns. You may also trigger this Lesson You spar with an ally, and talk them into truly striking
as part of your action when you initiate the I'll Hold Them you. After your rest has ended, a willing creature of your
Off Mentor ability. choice can make a weapon attack roll against you, dealing
Once used, you may not use this ability again until after damage as the attack normally would if they hit.
a long rest. Make note of the damage you take. The next time this
creature deals damage with the same weapon they may
I Have the High Ground remember their training and increase the damage by the
You underestimate an enemy's power to goad them into a amount you wrote down.
reckless assault. When an attack is declared against you, This bonus fades during your next rest.
you may use your reaction to enact this Lesson. If the
attack misses, you reduce the attacker's hitpoints by your Who are YOU, and what do YOU want?
Lesson modifier (twice that starting at level 11). You may As an action, you confront a creature with difficult
also trigger this Lesson as part of your reaction when questions or harsh truths. If they are behaving in a way
enacting the Martyr ability Shield of the Passing Torch. contrary to their moral judgment (for example because
they are possessed, magically dominated, or coerced) you
If in Doubt, Follow Your Nose may for the next minute spend 1 die from your Bided Time
You may spend dice from your Bided Time pool on any pool on decreasing any attack rolls, ability checks or saving
Survival or Investigation checks you make. throws they make by the amount rolled. DM adjudicates if
a creature qualifies as behaving against their moral
If You Can Dodge a Wrench judgment.
By repeatedly throwing objects at allies, you hone their
reflexes. During a rest, you may make non-damaging
ranged attack rolls against allied creatures. You can make
a number of attacks equal to your Lesson modifier. For
every attack that hits a creature, they gain a +1 bonus to
their AC against ranged attacks. This bonus fades during
your next rest, and this lesson can only be attempted once
per rest.
  

Art  

Credits  

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
Heartfelt thanks to the artists whose work are
featured in this homebrew. In order of  
appearance, the pieces are:

The Mentor is unofficial Fan Content permitted

"Geralt & Ciri" by Niki Vaszi. under the Fan Content Policy. Not
approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the
"Gideon's Training" by Chris Rallis. © Wizards of materials used are property of Wizards of the
the Coast. Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

"Blade Instructor" by Zoltan Boros. © Wizards This homebrew was created by

of the Coast. StoryBeforeNumbers, and the 3.0 version was
formatted using the GM Binder digital toolset.
"Syrio & Arya" a screenshot from Game of The full page watercolor layers by
Thrones season 1 episode 3. © HBO. u/Flamableconcrete were super helpful.
Photoshopped by StoryBeforeNumbers (me).

I am grateful to my gaming groups, as well as

"Uncle Iroh" by reddit user Dakonart. the Unearthed Arcana subreddit, for helping to
playtest and develop this class. You guys rock.
 

"Inspiring Mentor" by Sixmorevodka Studios.

"Rest in Peace" by Terese Nielsen. © Wizards of

the Coast.

"You Shall Not Pass" by Jenny R. Johnson

WWW.GMBINDER.COM