Martial Scientist

In the war academies of Danor, students speak of combat like a science. Their curriculum involves not merely practicing forms and maneuvers, but writing thesis papers about renowned warriors, or crafting and defending theorems regarding the mechanics of swordplay. The normally reserved Danorans honor the graduates of these battle colleges like other nations honor great poets and sculptors. As those warriors have proven the efficacy of their innovative techniques, the sentiment has spread throughout Lanyir, and other nations have founded similar schools.
Any brute can hurl a spear or hack through a ribcage, but students of the war academies bring reason to the savagery of war. Often rising to high military ranks, these scholars of battle study anatomy and perform autopsies to learn vulnerabilities of the body, learn physical theorems that underlie the most effective angles of attack and defense, and take time to ponder the psychological and sociological considerations of mortal conflict — from the vast scope and human cost of an invasion, down to the emotional resonance and cultural significance of specific sword techniques through history.

Playing a Martial Scientist.

Danor has the greatest concentration of war colleges, but the Banhaman Academy in Risur’s capital Slate has a reputation for elite siege engineers and artillerists, and the Baereth outside of Flint trains the best wilderness forces in Lanyir. Smaller local schools mostly serve to provide pensions for retired soldiers turned tutors, but even they have led to noteworthy theses, such as The Wounding Effectiveness of Stealthy Singular Rapier contrasted with a Twin Strike of Dual Long Swords, which provoked a very spirited debate and even a few expulsions when things got heated.
In Drakr, emphasis is given to testing the physiological limits of endurance and surviving in battle with limited resources, as would be likely in a world-ending conflict. The Clergy in Crisillyir add a strong theological and monstrous anatomy component to the students in their military academies. The lone war college in Ber has a vast library of battle songs, which according to a disputed theory will inspire the courage and attack accuracy of soldiers, though most likely it is just meant to keep in check the often wild emotions of its bestial students.
Discuss with me to determine what your graduate thesis was, unless you left before finishing your education.
You gain the Martial Studies feat.

New Feat: Martial Studies
Research is important for science and for combat. If you don’t know just the right fighting technique, you’re pretty sure someone else has published a thesis about it. You gain proficiency in one martial melee and one martial ranged weapon.
In addition, every martial scientist learns the Experimental Strike technique. During the campaign you will have the opportunity to learn new techniques. Keep track of which you know. At the end of a long rest, choose one technique you know. You have access to that technique for the day.
Experimental Strike (Martial Scientist Technique)
Scientific breakthroughs are born of both careful study and wild experimentation. Whenever you use the Attack action and miss with every attack, you may make an improvised attack without spending an action, such as slicing a rope to pin an enemy with a chandelier, or smashing a pipe to spray blinding steam on an enemy. Make an Intelligence check and add your proficiency bonus; the GM determines the DC based on how difficult the task is. For example, dropping a chandelier straight down might very easy (DC 5), but slicing it, grabbing it to arrest its fall and make it jostle, then releasing it at the perfect moment so it swings laterally and flies at an enemy ten feet away might be hard (DC 20).
Circumstances will dictate how many foes are affected, how much damage is dealt, and whether any conditions can be applied (such as prone or blinded), but generally this should do at least “setback” damage.
After you use experimental strike you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.