Samurai

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Overview & Creation

The young man stands before a ferocious beast, his blade still sheathed the villagers look on in horror as it closes in on its prey. With a smirk the man draws his blade and in a few lightning quick strokes, the beast falls with a thud.
The experienced veteran stands before a group of bandits. Their untrained strikes are easily dodged by the man, as he delivers blow after viscious blow, punishing each of their failed attempts on his life.
A young woman wanders into the city, her identity hidden beneath her shade. She hears of the oppression of the people in the village by the local lord. She nods to herself, knowing she has arrived at yet another town which would be better off without a master.
Far across the churning waves, beneath the rising sun, an island nation gave birth to a prolific style of swordplay. These noble warriors were sworn to their masters as their protectors, willing to give up their lives to see their duty complete. Honour or death was a common ideal for these disciplined soldiers.

 

Swordsmen of Legend

The Samurai are legendary swordsmen who lived by a code of honour. In service to the lords of their regions, they protected their lands with their lives and enforced their law without question. To do so, the Samurai nourished a timeless style of swordplay which remains mythic in its reputation to this day.

 

The Power Within

The Samurai draw on inner energies and an unshakeable discipline. These are the tools which the Samurai built their reputation. To take up and master the katana is to enter a league of your own, though not every samurai has been known to wield the blade for a master, some choosing to follow their own code and travel the world.

 

Creating a Samurai

When creating a Samurai, you have to decide how they became involved in the discipline. Were they born into the tradition, being the son of a samurai or lord? Perhaps they fight in a self-taught style which they continually hone through their travels. Ontop of their roots as a samurai, you must consider why you fight as a samurai. Are you on a quest on behalf of a lord, or directly protecting their master's lands. Perhaps they cast off their ties to their masters and teachers altogether and travel the world for their own gain, or the protection of the common man.

 

Quick Build

You can make a Samurai quickly by following these suggestions. First make Strength your highest ability score, following with Wisdom. Second take the Soldier background.

 

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Class Features

Artful Combat

Beginning at 1st level, when wielding a versatile weapon with two hands, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

 

Unarmoured Defense

Also beginning at 1st level, While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier. You can not use a shield and still gain this benefit.

 

Sen

Beginning at 2nd level, you are capable of building Sen within your body. You may only hold four charges of Sen in your body at a time. During battle, when you use the attack action you gain 1 charge of Sen. You may only gain one charge in a round of combat. If you choose to spend a stack of Sen during your action, you may not gain Sen in this way during that round. 5 minutes after battle, your Sen charges fade.

 

Higanbana

Beginning at the 2nd level, you may spend one Sen charge to use Higanbana. Make a melee weapon attack against your target, if you hit, the target creature makes a Constitution saving throw.
Higanbana DC = 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
On a failure, the creature is grieviously wounded by your attack and at the start of each of their turns for the next minute, they take 1d4 slashing damage. As an action they may attempt to stop the bleeding by attempting the Constitution saving throw again.
If Higanbana is used alongside the Hissatsu: Kaiten feature, double the bleeding damage instead of adding the standard additional damage.

 

Code of Honour

At 2nd level, when performing Charisma ability checks on intelligent creatures which you know have an organized martial background, you have advantage on the check.

 

Samurai Archetype

At 3rd level, you select a way of the blade. The Iaijatsu focuses on delivering incredibly powerful attacks, the Blademaster, who lures and traps his opponents in counterattacks and the Ronin, who drifts about the battle field, dancing through the fray.

 

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

 

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

 

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

 

Studied Disciple

At 9th level, you have balanced your might with your mind. You may learn any two skills which fall under Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

 

Forceful Meditation

At 11th level, during battle you may forcibly draw Sen into your body. Using your action, you may spend a number of hit die equal to the number Sen charges you wish to recover up to 3 charges. You may only perform Forceful Meditation once, becoming capable of doing so again after a long rest.

 

Whispers of the Kami

At 13th level, you have learned to attune yourself to the world around you and listen to the spirits which surround you. Select two of the following spells: Augury, Detect Evil and Good, Speak with Dead, or Speak with Plants. You may cast either spell once before requiring a long rest.

 

Effective Meditation

At 15th level, if you recover hit points during a short rest, you begin the next battle with one Sen charge.

 

Artisan of Combat

Starting at 17th level, while wielding a versatile weapon with two hands, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.

 

Midare Setsugekka

At 18th level, you may spend 3 Sen charges to deliver a series of devestating slashes in an instant. As an action you make four attack rolls against a target creature.

 

Meikyo Shisui

At 20th level, you may turn your body into a conductor for Sen energy. You may freely use Sen charges for 1 minute. You may not use more than 3 Sen charges for one action. You may only use Meikyo Shisui once before requiring a long rest

 

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• a katana
• (a) a short bow and 20 arrows
• (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• a decorative scabard for your katana.

  Katanas in Dungeons & Dragons: Samurai are known as masters of the katana, but their key weapon of choice is not listed in the Player's Handbook. As stated in the Dungeon Master's Guide (pg. 41) apply the stats of a longsword to the katana. There are substitutes for many different weapons like this which can be found in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

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Subclass Options

Way of the Blade

A Samurai is reknown for their code of honour, their skill with a blade and the effort they put into their training. As a Samurai you must choose a way in which you will master the way of the blade, be a traditional mastery in the Iaijatsu style, or a more defense approach as a Blade Master. Perhaps you have turned from tradition all together and became your own master, a Ronin. No matter the path you've chosen, you wield power.

 

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Iaijatsu Style

You have trained in the traditional Iaijatsu style of swordplay. You are trained in delivering deadly blows with great power and precision.

 

Enpi

Beginning at 3rd level, you may spend one charge of your Sen to use your attack action as a ranged attack on a target up to 30ft. away by letting loose a blade of energy from your weapon. Your modifiers are applied as normal.

 

Body of Steel

Starting at 6th level, you can add half your proficiency bonus (round up) to any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check you make that doesn't already use your proficiency bonus. In addition, when you make a running long jump, the distance you can cover increases by a number of feet equal to your Strength modifier.

 

Tenka Goken

At 9th level, you may spend 2 sen to deliver a series of attacks with incredible speed and focus. You take the attack action against all creatures in a 15ft. cone in front of you. The Extra Attack ability does not apply to these attacks.

 

Hissatsu: Kaiten

At the 14th level, as a bonus action you may spend one charge of your Sen prior to making use of an ability which uses Sen. The attack accompanying the Sen ability deals an additional 2d10 damage of your weapon's type on each hit of the effect.

 

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The Blademaster

A skillful offense may bring awe to a crowd, but it is a flawless defense which willl keep you alive, or so a Blademaster would have you believe. These skilled swordsmen are patient warriors, prefering to dodge and counterattack their foes, rather than rush them down.

 

Hissatsu: Chiten

Beginning at 3rd level, when a creature fails to hit you with a melee weapon attack, you may use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity.

 

Hardened Mind

At 6th level, your defensive fighting style and cool head have helped you learn how to best discern the location of traps. You have advantage while making perception checks while looking for traps and hidden passages.

 

Mind's Eye

At 9th level, when a creature makes a melee weapon attack against you, as a reaction you may spend a number of sen gauge charges to increase your armor class by 1 for each charge spent. You must declare you are doing this before the die result is decided.

 

Whirling Blades

At the 17th level, you may take two reactions in each round of combat.

 

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Ronin

You have cast off any ties you have to a master and have become a Ronin. Your sense of honour remains, but falls under no man's control. You are your own master and your fighting style has evolved to show this, allowing you to weave through battles with ease.

 

Hissatsu: Gyoten

At 3rd level, you may spend one charge of your Sen to charge a target creature with lightning speed. Select a creature within 30ft. of you and move in a straight line towards them, stopping if you come in contact with an obstacle. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. After doing so, you may take your attack action, doing so with advantage.

 

Well Travelled Soul

At 6th level, your travels as a Ronin have granted you a great deal of experience in the world as a traveller. Select a type of terrain you have expertise in travelling across from the following: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, or swamplands. When making ability checks related to this type of terrain your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are proficient in the skill, or added if you are not proficient. Difficult terrain in this environment does not slow your progress and you are unaffected by this type of difficult terrain during battle.
Additionally, you are able to cast the Expeditious Retreat spell a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. Uses of this spell recover after completing a long rest.

 

Hissatsu: Yaten

At 9th level, you may spend one charge of your Sen to deliver a parting blow on a creature. Take your attack action with advantage. After delivering your attack you move straight backwards 10ft. without provoking an attack of opportunity.

 

Yukikaze

14th level, you've learned to discern holes in your opponents guard, allowing you to make more effective strikes. As a bonus action, you may spend one Sen charge to add up to half your Wisdom modifier, rounded up, to your attack and damage rolls for the remainder of your turn.

 

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