The Samurai
"I am as my father made me. And as his father made him. I am Bushido." - Gi Rururin, a Sublime Samurai.

HD: d12

Saves: Good Fort, Poor Ref, Poor Will

Alignment: Any Lawful

LV  Base Attack Bonus    Class Features                     M. Known  M. Ready  Stances
1.   +1                  Ancestral Daisho, Daisho Mastery       3         3        1
2.   +2                  Ki Roar, Ki Smite 1/enc                4         3        1
3.   +3                                                         5         3        1
4.   +4                  Ancestor's Blessing                    5         4        1
5.   +5                                                         6         4        2
6.   +6/+1               Improved Duel of Wills                 6         4        2
7.   +7/+2               Ki Smite 2/enc                         7         4        2
8.   +8/+3               Ancestor's Blessing                    7         4        2
9.   +9/+4               Improved Ki Roar                       8         4        2
10.  +10/+5                                                     8         5        3
11.  +11/+6/+1           Greater Duel of Wills                  9         5        3
12.  +12/+7/+2           Ki Smite 3/enc                         9         5        3
13.  +13/+8/+3                                                 10         5        3
14.  +14/+9/+4           Ancestor's Blessing                   10         5        3
15.  +15/+10/5                                                 11         6        4
16.  +16/+11/+6/+1       Superior Duel of Wills                11         6        4
17.  +17/+12/+7/+2       Ki Smite 4/enc                        12         6        4
18.  +18/+13/+8/+3       Greater Ki Roar                       12         6        4
19.  +19/+14/+9/+4       Ancestor's Blessing                   13         6        4
20.  +20/+15/+10/+5      Mastery of Will                       13         7        5

Class Skills (4+Int): As Warblade + Iaijutsu Focus.

Proficiencies: All simple and martial melee weapons, Longbow, Shortbow, Bastard Sword, Light and Medium Armor, no shields.

Maneuvers: A Samurai has access to the Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, and White Raven disciplines. He learns and uses these maneuvers in much the same way that a Warblade would, however he recovers them using a unique method. Samurai make extensive use of the Duel of Wills usage of the Intimidate skill (Tome of Battle, pg 27). As such, during any round that a Samurai deals damage to the target of his Duel of Wills with a melee attack, which is not made as part of a Strike, he recovers one expended maneuver. Further, during any round in which the target of a Samurai's Duel of Wills is dropped to 0 hitpoints, whether by the Samurai's hand or not, the Samurai recovers all of his expended maneuvers.

Ancestral Daisho (Su): The Samurai begins play with a Masterwork Katana and a Masterwork Wakazashi, and as he gains levels he may enhance them by spending time in prayer. As a Samurai acquires treasure, he has the option of awakening supernatural properties latent in his Daisho. At any time, a Samurai may retreat to a shrine or temple and spend time in prayer devoted to the ancestral spirits dwelling within his Katana and Wakazashi. This requires a sacrifice of valuables with a total worth equal to 1/2 the price of the effective weapon enhancement bonus the Samurai wishes to obtain. This sacrifice can be of pure coinage, or it can be made with items as well. This ritual requires 24 hours to perform, and during this time he must spend 8 hours in supplications before his blades. The Samurai can awaken either his Katana or his Wakazashi, or both at once if he chooses. If he chooses to awaken both at once, he must sacrifice twice the valuables, but can bestow different enhancements upon each if he chooses.

A Samurai must be at least 4th level to awaken his Daisho to +1 enhancement bonus, and at least 7th level to awaken it to +2. Every two levels after 7th, the enhancement bonus the Samurai is able to awaken in his Daisho increases by 1. Whenever the Samurai performs this ritual he can remove old enhancement bonus to exchange them for an equal amount of new enhancement bonuses. A Samurai's Daisho are not considered to be enchanted or magical items, and the properties awakened in the blades are considered supernatural in nature.

Daisho Mastery (Ex): At 1st level, a Samurai gains Two-Weapon Fighting as the feat, as long as he wields his Ancestral Daisho (his Masterwork Katana and Masterwork Wakazashi). Further, when gaining feats, he may ignore the Dexterity score requirements of any Two-Weapon Fighting feats, but may gain the benefits of them if he wields his Daisho, or if he has the requisite Dexterity score.

Ki Roar (Su): Starting at 2nd level, once per encouner, as a standard action, a Samurai can emit a piercing warcry, heartening his allies, and frightening his enemies. Allies within 60ft gain an immediate saving throw at the original DC against any one effect currently afflicting them. Enemies within 60ft must succeed on a Will save (DC 10+1/2 Samurai level+Samurai's Cha mod) or become Shaken for 5 rounds.

At 9th level, this ability improves, granting allies a +2 bonus to their saving throws, and causing foes to become Frightened for 5 rounds if they fail their saves, or Shaken for 1 round, if they succeed.

At 18th level this ability improves again, allowing allies to make saving throws against any or all effects currently afflicting them, and causing foes to become Panicked for 5 rounds if they fail their saves, or Shaken for 5 rounds, if they succeed.

Ki Smite (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, once per encounter, a Samurai can make a Smiting attack against a foe that damaged an ally, or effected an ally with a spell (or spell-like/supernatural effect) in this round or the previous round (you do not count as your own ally for this ability). This attack gains a bonus to the attack and damage roll equal to your Charisma modifier. Every five levels after 2nd, you gain an additional use of Ki Smite per encounter. Ki Smite can be used in conjunction with any Strike maneuver.

Ancestor's Blessing (Su): Samurai bring themselves closer and closer to divinity each day, constantly working to please their ancestral benefactors, through meditation and the perfection of body. At 4th, 8th, 14th, and 19th levels, select one the following abilities -

Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Mettle, Improved Uncanny Dodge (requires Uncanny Dodge), Improved Evasion (Requires Evasion), Immunity to Fear, Immunity to Charms and Compulsions, Immunity to all Diseases, Immunity to all Poisons, Damage Reduction 2/-- (can be taken multiple times, stacks), Energy Resistance 10 (Acid, Cold, Electricity or Fire; can be taken multiple times, stacks), +2 divine bonus to a single ability score (can be taken multiple times, stacks), +10 divine bonus to speed (can be taken multiple times, stacks).

Improved Duel of Wills (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a Samurai can instigate a Duel of Wills from 60ft away, and whenever he does he can target any enemies adjacent to the original target as well. The penalties for Submitting increases to -4 to initiative and -2 to attacks. The bonuses for the target Ignoring your challenge increase to +2 to attack rolls. If the target Participates, the bonuses for winning increase to +2 to attacks and damage, and the penalties for losing increase to -2 to attacks and damage.

At 11th level, this ability becomes Greater Duel of Wills, allowing the Samurai to instigate a Duel of Wills from 90ft away, and to target enemies within 10ft of the original target. The penalties for Submitting increases to -6 to initiative and -3 to attacks. The bonuses for the target Ignoring your challenge increase to +3 to attack rolls. If the target Participates, the bonuses for winning increase to +3 to attacks and damage, and the penalties for losing increase to -3 to attacks and damage.

At 16th level, this ability becomes Superior Duel of Wills, allowing the Samurai to instigate a Duel of Wills from 120ft away, and to target enemies within 30ft of the original target. The penalties for Submitting increases to -10 to initiative and -4 to attacks. The bonuses for the target Ignoring your challenge increase to +4 to attack rolls. If the target Participates, the bonuses for winning increase to +4 to attacks and damage, and the penalties for losing increase to -4 to attacks and damage.

A Samurai can choose as many or as few additional targets within the expanded area as he likes whenever he instigates a Duel of Wills, even excluding the original target if he chooses.

Mastery of Will (Ex): At 20th level, a Samurai's Will is a terrifying weapon to behold. Whenever a 20th level Samurai deals damage to an opponent with a Strike he may instigate a Duel of Wills with that opponent. Further, whenever a Samurai targets an opponent with a Duel of Wills, the opponent does not get to choose how to react to that Duel, the Samurai chooses. If an opponent Submits in the middle of combat it must act according to its newly reduced Initiative order.

This Samurai's recovery mechanic does replace the normal Warblade's recovery.

I know that Samurai were traditionally either all about the Katana, or were on horseback (usually with a Composite Longbow), and that the Wakazashi was virtually for nothing but seppuku, but this was my aim at bringing the standard DnD 3.5 Samurai back into play. If I were to do the realistic Samurai styles I'd do it as Ranger-esque combat styles as you said, replacing the Two-Weapon Fighting feats with other feats, but also changing up the recovery mechanic, and beyond that, for archery and mounted combat, I'd look into homebrew disciplines to cater to the style even more.

Hrm. I guess, aside from wanting a unique recovery mechanic, I did it because I thought the Warblade's recovery mechanic was too easy for the Samurai. Which looking back seems silly since the classes seem pretty balanced against each other. I guess I should try to think of a new recovery mechanic.

I like to use unique recovery mechanics when I design new ToB classes. *shrug* The Warblade recovery is perfectly fine though.

Another note: Does the Ancestral Daisho ability make sense to everybody? It's my attempt to streamline and make effective the OA Samurai's ability of the same name. Essentially, you get supernaturally enhanced weapons, at 1/2 the cost (so fighting with two enchanted weapons costs the same for the Samurai as one weapon would normally cost).

Something involving intimidate/demoralize instead of attacks?   That way you're doing something with your action but you don't get to attack that round.  Or that could be one option, and a full attack with your Ancestral Daisho could be the other option.

It's just really easy to use ToB. I do a number of my own unique systems, but for this class I chose to use ToB, as I'm coming up with classes for a specific campaign, and yeah, it was just easy.


I could see that, and as I was writing the class I was wondering if I should use Devoted Spirit or Diamond Mind. I'll take it into consideration. If I end up choosing to eliminate Tiger Claw, I will completely rewrite the recovery mechanic, but I will leave the Ancestral Daisho, and the first Two-Weapon Fighting feat.


I've gone back and forth with SR. It works in every campaign I've ever played in, but I see the arguments for how, in some campaigns, it could be entirely worthless. It is something to consider, you're right, and that Kami's Wrath feature is pretty nifty.


Here you're absolutely right.


Indeed, this is all cool stuff, but in the end would be an entirely different approach to a reworked Samurai. Perhaps you could work on it? I'd like to see how your ideas would come together. I'd help out even!

Okay, I've decided to go with many suggestions given in this thread by RobbyPants and MidnightV. Two-Weapon Fighting is no longer a requirement of the class, merely encouraged. The recovery mechanic has been entirely rewritten, and to replace the two-weapon fighting feats, I have given improvements to the Duel of Wills mechanic as expressed in Tome of Battle as a new usage of the Intimidate skill. The class' disciplines have been changed to Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, and White Raven. I may put Tiger Claw back in there to further encourage two-weapon fighting. If I don't I will be changing Ki Smite to Daisho Smite, which will be a standard action attack with both weapons, no penalties to attack, and with a bonus to the damage of each attack equal to the Samurai's Charisma modifier.

Phew!

@MidnightV: Don't mention it! I have to work tomorrow, but I'll keep an eye out for it.

The other choices are "cherry?" Iron Heart just seems like a discipline everyone should have. I'm torn about it myself since it's so generic and solid, but I really do think that Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, and White Raven captures the spirit of the Samurai completely without Iron Heart being necessary.

Ah, I see. I wasn't sure.

Iron Heart also happens to be, probably, the most powerful, all-around useful, discipline as well, and as such it is a balance consideration on my part. The combination of Devoted Spirit and Diamond Mind is already quite potent.