Samurai

            A samurai’s ideally begins at birth.  As a youth, he is exposed to the harshest cold in winter and most extreme heat in summer, and is expected to endure both without complaint.  He is sent alone on errands which older members of his clan purposely prolong to develop his resolve.  He is sent to graveyards and executioner’s gallows alone at night to remove any fear of death of the supernatural. 

            By the age of five, the child of the warrior class receives his first sword (a small dagger that is little more than a toy) and he is never without a weapon of some sort ever again.  In the succeeding years, he is trained in military tactics, etiquette, and combat, finally “graduating” at the age of twenty-two.  Although allowances are made for slower students to catch up, failure in these studies means ruin for the samurai and his entire family, and could even result in the demotion of the clan from the ranks of the warrior class down to the peasant classes.

            Adventures: The samurai is first and foremost a man of war.  He is expected to fight and die for his master at the slightest command.  The samurai is also a servant in the more general sense and will undertake any adventure at the request of his lord, even if it means leaving behind his beloved swords and pretending to be a peasant or priest to scout enemy lines or deliver a secret message (the samurai’s skill with the spear is especially handy on assignments of this type).  In short, the samurai is a man whose life is not his own, and his adventures reflect that. 

            Characteristics: The samurai is a stout warrior skilled in a myriad of military disciplines, primarily the three core weapons of war: sword, bow, and spear.  The samurai is also fortified by his honor and his code of bushido, both of which serve to make him an even more formidable opponent.

            Honor: The samurai’s honor is all important to him.  According to the rule of vengeance (kataki-uchi), the samurai must seek redress from the slightest stain on his honor.  If the commoner offends the samurai or insults him in some way, the first and only sign of the samurai’s wrath is usually a blinding flash of steel.  If someone of equal rank dishonors the samurai, the offender can count on being promptly challenged to a duel.  Lastly, if someone of higher rank dishonors the samurai, he will often resort to seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) to die with his honor intact.

            Religion: The Zen school is overwhelmingly popular amongst samurai for its commitment to mushin no shin, acting without hesitation. 

            Background: Most samurai are born into the warrior class and trained to fulfill those duties their entire lives.  During the chaotic turmoil that engulfs Japan between the 11th and 16th centuries, however, it is possible for commoners to rise to this rank. 

            Bloodline: All samurai are of the warrior social class, whether they were born to that class or not.

            Other Classes: The samurai works well with all classes but tends to view the noble, priest, and monk classes with suspicion, since those classes vie with his own for control over the peasantry.

            Role: The samurai is a warrior and fills the “tank” role to perfection in any group.  His social status also allows him to mix with high society, meaning that the samurai can go places that members of most other social classes cannot. 

 

Game Rule Information

Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma are all important for the samurai.

Honor: A character must have an Honor of 50 or higher, or be a member of the warrior class to take a level in this class.  A character must also swear allegiance to a member of the warrior class with an Honor score at least 10 higher than his own, and must possess an allegiance to the code of Bushido.  Once a character gains his first level in the samurai class, only the loss of allegiance to his master or to the Code of Bushido can affect his standing in this class.

            A samurai without a master may no longer take levels in the samurai class and must take levels in another class, such as ronin.  A ronin retains all the samurai’s class abilities except for the following: Bushido Vengeance, Bushido Draw, Bushido Blade.  If the samurai’s master has been killed, he retains the Bushido Vengeance ability until he has avenged his master.

            A samurai can lose his allegiance by renouncing it himself, having it revoked by his master (either because he has displeased his master or because his master can no longer afford so many retainers), or because of the death of his master.  In the first two instances the samurai may once again begin taking levels in this class once he meets all the requirements (Honor 50+, finding another master).  In the last instance, a samurai must avenge his master’s death before he may seek a new master.

 

Hit Die: 1d12.

 

Lvl       BAB                            Fort     R/W    Special

1          +1                                +2        +0        Bushido Resolve, Weapon Focus (katana)

2          +2                                +3        +0        Combat Style

3          +3                                +3        +1        Bushido Vengeance

4          +4                                +4        +1        Weapon Specialization (katana)

5          +5                                +4        +1        Bushido Draw, Ki 1/day (inspire fear)

6          +6/+1                           +5        +2        Combat Style

7          +7/+2                           +5        +2        Weapon Focus (daikyu)

8          +8/+3                           +6        +2        G. Weapon Focus (katana)

9          +9/+4                           +6        +3        Combat Style, Fear Immunity

10        +10/+5                         +7        +3        Ki 2/day (presence attack)

11        +11/+6/+1                   +7        +3        Combat Style

12        +12/+7/+2                   +8        +4        G. Weapon Specialization (katana)

13        +13/+8/+3                   +8        +4        Weapon Specialization (daikyu)

14        +14/+9/+4                   +9        +4        Combat Style

15        +15/+10/+5                 +9        +5        Ki 3/day (presence shield)

16        +16/+11/+6/+1            +10      +5        Weapon Focus (yari)

17        +17/+12/+7/+2            +10      +5        Bushido Blade

18        +18/+13/+8/+3            +11      +6        Combat Style

19        +19/+14/+9/+4            +11      +6        Weapon Specialization (yari)

20        +20/+15/+10/+5          +12      +6        Ki 4/day (inspire fear, greater)

 

Class Skills: Climb (str), Concentration (con), Diplomacy (cha), Intimidate (cha), Jump (str), Knowledge (calligraphy, history, nobility & royalty, religion, tactics) (int), Ride (dex), Survival (wis).  A character may receive additional skills from martial arts known.

Skill Points: 2 + Int mod.

 

Class Features

Weapon and Armour: Weapons (bows, knives, spears & staves, swords), Armor (light, medium, heavy)

 

Weapon Focus (katana): Gained as a bonus feat at 1st level.

 

Bushido Resolve: The samurai is trained from an early age to withstand physical and emotional discomforts with a stoic resolve.  He gains a +1 bonus per 20 points of Honor to all Fort saves to resist damage from hunger or the environment, as well as to all Will saves to resist fear. 

 

Combat Style: At 2nd level, the Samurai must choose the swordsmanship style he will specialize: Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu, or Nito-ryu Kenjutsu.  Depending on the style chosen, he gains a bonus feat:

·        Kenjutsu (Kenjutsu)

·        Iaijutsu (Quick Draw)

·        Nito-Ryu Kenjutsu (Kenjutsu).

            At 6th level, the samurai gains a bonus feat of his style:

·        Kenjutsu (Two-handed strike)

·        Iaijutsu (Iaijutsu)

·        Nito-Ryu Kenjutsu (Two-Weapon Defense).

            At 11th level, the samurai gains a bonus feat or special ability of his style:

·        Kenjutsu (Improved Critical – Katana)

·        Iaijutsu (iaijutsu strike: +1d6 damage against an opponent flat-footed due to losing initiative)

·        Nito-Ryu Kenjutsu (Nito-Ryu Kenjutsu).

            At 14th level, the samurai gains a bonus feat or special ability of his style:

·        Kenjutsu (+1 to hit and damage when wielding a katana or daito two-handed)

·        Iaijutsu (iaijutsu strike +2d6)

·        Nito-Ryu Kenjutsu (Juju Domai).

            At 18th level, the samurai gains a bonus feat or special ability of his style:

·        Kenjutsu: +1 to hit and damage when wielding a katana or daito two-handed)

·        Iaijutsu (iaijutsu strike +3d6)

·        Nito-Ryu Kenjutsu (+2 AC when wielding a weapon in off-hand)

If the samurai gains one of these feats through the use of the Combat Style class ability, he does not need to meet the prerequisites for that feat.  If the samurai already has a feat (which he must have met the prerequisites for normally), he may use the Combat Style class ability to gain a feat of his choice.  The samurai must meet all prerequisites for this feat normally. 

 

Bushido Vengeance: A samurai’s primary purpose is to serve; indeed, many scholars believe the initial translation of the word samurai was “retainer” or “servant.”  In his desire to serve his master, the samurai is frequently called upon to redress wrongs and seek vengeance; the Japanese word for this concept is kataki-uchi. 

            At 3rd level and above, any time the samurai, his master, or his clan suffer an insult or loss of Honor, the samurai gains a bonus to attack rolls equal to +1 per 20 points of Honor when actively seeking to redress the wrong.

 

Weapon Specialization (katana): Gained as a bonus feat at 4th level.

 

Ki: At 5th level, the samurai may call on his Ki to generate a frightening presence.  Any foe who can see the samurai when this ability is used must make a Will save (DC 15 + samurai’s Cha mod) or be shaken for 1d4 rounds + samurai’s Cha mod.

            At 10th level, the samurai may use his Ki twice per day.  He may also use his Ki to make a smite attack and gain a bonus on a single attack roll equal to his Cha mod and a damage modifier equal to his class level.  Each use of Ki may only have one of the possible effects (fear or smiting). 

            At 15th level, the samurai may use his Ki three times per day.  He may also use his Ki to gain a bonus on a single save equal to his Cha mod.

            At 20th level, the samurai may use his Ki four times per day and may also use his Ki to render a single opponent panicked for 3d6 + Cha mod rounds. 

 

Bushido Draw: One of the core ethics of Bushido, the warrior code, is to never pause in the performance of one’s duty.  Once a samurai decides to serve as a warrior under the command of another, all choices concerning his service are placed in the hands of their lord.  In one famous story, Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun, addressed a group of samurai and asked the question, “What is the essence of Bushido?”  The answer given was, “One should never ponder!” 

            At 5th level, the samurai gains a bonus to Initiative equal to +1 per 20 points of Honor. 

 

Weapon Focus (Daikyu): Gained as a bonus feat at 7th level.

 

Greater Weapon Focus (Katana): Gained as a bonus feat at 8th level. 

 

Fear Immunity: At 9th level, the samurai is immune to all forms of intimidation and fear, including effects mundane and magical.

 

Greater Weapon Specialization (Katana): Gained as a bonus feat at 12th level.

 

Weapon Specialization (Daikyu): Gained as a bonus feat at 13t h level.

 

Weapon Focus (Yari): Gained as a bonus feat at 16th level.

 

Bushido Blade: At 17th level, the samurai gains a bonus to all melee damage rolls equal to +1 per 20 points of Honor.

 

Weapon Specialization (Yari): Gained as a bonus feat at 19th level.