Samurai Discipline

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Overview & Creation

The samurai is a noble and honorable warrior, specialized in a versatile array of stances, enabling the samurai to take on a wide variety of roles. The samurai utilizes versatile or two-handed weapons, making him a dangerous foe on the field of battle. Samurai must serve a lord, whom they are sworn to protect. Should their master die for any reason, it is the samurai’s duty to take his own life, so that he may protect his master again in the next life. If a samurai does not have a lord to serve, they cease being samurai, and become ronin. Ronin are universally viewed as dishonorable, and lose their status as nobility.

Bushido

As a samurai, you too must do your best to follow the code of bushido. Should you become ronin, you can be the kind that still tries to live by the code, or abandon it completely.  

Way of the Warrior

You gain proficiency with medium armor and martial weapons.  

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.  

Martial Stance

Starting at 1st level. The stances are inspired by and try to emulate certain creatures of legend, which increase your combat efficiency in various ways. If you are wielding a versatile or two-handed bonded weapon, you can use a bonus action and expend 1 Ki to enter a stance. The stance lasts for 1 minute, or until you change stances. The effect may also end early if you drop your bonded weapon, if you become unconscious, or die.   Crawdad Stance: You assume a pose where you become one with the ground beneath you. While in this stance, your AC increases by 1, and when you are subjected to an effect that would move you or knock you prone, you can spend 1 Ki to negate the effect.   Heron Stance: You become fast and agile as the Heron. When you enter Heron stance, and then as a bonus action on each of your turns while in Heron stance, you may take the Dash action, and by expending 1 Ki you can also take the Dodge action as a bonus action.   Spider Stance: You imitate the cunning spider, striking to kill. The first successful attack you make during your turn deals an additional 1d8 poison damage, and once per turn you can expend 1 Ki to extend the reach of an attack by 5 feet.   Tiger Stance: You imitate the proud Tiger, leading your comrades into battle. While in Tiger stance, at the end of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. By expending 1 Ki point per 5 ft., you can affect allies within a certain range.   Wyvern Stance: You imitate the mighty Wyvern, becoming precise and deadly in combat. While you are in this stance, no attacks can have advantage against you, and you can spend 1 Ki point to gain advantage on an attack with your bonded weapon.  

The Five Guardians

At 6th level, each stance represents one of the five guardians of Kirin. You can choose one of the following Guardians to grant their boon.   Crawdad: The sturdy Crawdad’s travel cannot be impeded. Difficult terrain doesn’t cost you movement, and you cannot be made lost even by magical means.   Heron: Ever vigilant, ever swift. Moving at a normal pace doesn’t impose disadvantage on stealth checks, and moving at a fast pace doesn’t lower your passive perception.   Spider: Poisonous, lethal, and cunning. You can add your proficiency bonus to Medicine checks to determine how a creature died, if it was poisoned, and you double your proficiency bonus if you are already proficient. You have advantage on saving throws against Poison condition.   Tiger: The Courageous Warrior, stands when others fall. You do not gain exhaustion when forced marching. You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws to avoid exhaustion.   Wyvern: The Noble Enforcer, discerning and fierce. You have advantage on Insight checks to determine whether someone is lying, and on Intimidation checks against those you know are lying.  

Enhanced Clash

Beginning at 10th level, as long as you wield a bonded weapon that is held in two hands, your Clash dice become d8’s.  

Strengthened Stances

At 10th level, entering a stance becomes second nature to you. You may choose to strengthen one of your stances, granting it an improved feature on top of the regular stance. You can strengthen a second stance when you reach 15th level.   Improved Crawdad Stance: While in Crawdad stance, you cannot be critically hit.   Improved Heron Stance: While in Heron stance, your speed increases by 20 feet while you aren’t wearing heavy armor.   Improved Spider Stance: The additional damage you deal while in Spider stance turns into 2d8 poison damage.   Improved Tiger Stance: While in Tiger stance, you and all allies within 10 feet of you can add your Charisma modifier to their first attack roll each turn.   Improved Wyvern Stance: While in Wyvern stance, you cannot be frightened. Entering Wyvern stance while frightened suspends the effect.  

Honor Bound

The samurai encompasses honor like few others. Starting at 15th level, you can automatically succeed an honor check or honor saving throw. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again. If you play without an Honor Score, you instead get advantage on Charisma saving throws.  

Stance Mastery

Starting at 18th level, you can enter a second stance by expending 2 Ki points as an action. While you have two stances active simultaneously, you can switch one of your two stances to another by expending 2 Ki points as an action. You can only have one improved stance active at any given time