Samurai, the Blade Master
Samurais are trained fighters dedicated to the warrior's code of honour. Bravery, honour, loyalty
and sacrifice are important values to the Samurai. By adhering to his code of conduct, the Samurai
proves that he is an honourable warrior and not a murderer or coward.
Samurais often work for a lord as high-ranking law enforcement officers or leaders of an elite
unit. Ronin samurais are travellers who have no lord or master.
Samurais usually prefer to fight in heavy armour, holding their chosen weapon with both hands. They focus intensively on their weapon and strive to become one with it.
Hit Dice, Proficiencies, Alignment
D10 Hit Die. Proficient with all armour but not with shields. Starts with simple-weapons proficiency, one-handed blades proficiency, two-handed blades proficiency, plus (1 + wisdom modifier if positive) selectable weapon-group proficiencies. Samurais are often lawful, but any alignment is possible.
Special Abilities
Samurai Armour: Samurais gain the feats Armour Reflex and Improved Armour Reflex for free at level 1.
In addition, Samurais ignore the speed penalty from wearing medium or heavy armour.
Samurai Training: Samurais gain the feats Whirlwind Attack, Iron Will and Blind-fight
for free at level 1.
Samurai Sword Style: When wielding a one-handed sword or two-handed sword in the primary weapon slot,
and no shield, this weapon is automatically treated as a magic weapon with a number of enhancement
points. At level 1, the enhancement is +1. The enhancement bonus increases as the Samurai advances in levels.
Damage Reduction: The Samurai gains a number of points of Damage Reduction.
Single Weapon Damage Bonus: You gain bonus damage on each successful melee attack performed
while wielding a single weapon and holding no shield.
Single Weapon Crippling Strike: While wielding a single weapon and holding no shield, each
successful melee attack reduces the target's Armour Class by one point. This ability does not work on
creatures that are immune to Critical Hits or the Sunder combat manoeuvre.
Samurai Feats
Extra Samurai Weapon: Select one of the following melee-weapon groups: Simple Weapons,
Light Swords, Axes, Maces, Hammers, Flails, Picks, Spears or Reach Weapons.
You now gain the benefit of the Samurai Sword Style whenever using a weapon from that group
in the primary weapon slot and holding no shield.
Greater Critical: Your critical threat range with all weapons increases by one point.
Note that when a character gains an expanded threat range from various sources, the first effect
doubles the threat range, while all additional effects increase the threat range by one point only.
For example, a character wielding a Scimitar has a threat range of 18-20. With the feat
Improved Critical, the range becomes 15-20. If the Scimitar is enchanted with Keen, the range
becomes 14-20. If the wielder is a Samurai with Greater Critical, the range becomes 13-20.
Requires: Improved Critical.
Improved Swift Weapon: Your attacks with Swift weapons benefit from a
+1 bonus to the Attack Roll and Damage Roll.
Improved Adamantine Armour: When wearing Adamantine
armour, you receive a +1 bonus to the associated Damage Reduction.
Greater Adamantine Armour: When wearing Adamantine
armour, you receive a +2 bonus to the associated Damage Reduction. Requires: Improved Adamantine Armour, Level 12.
Improved Damage Reduction: Increases the Damage Reduction by one. Requires: Level 6.
Greater Damage Reduction: Another increase of one point in the
Damage Reduction. Requires: Level 15, Improved Damage Reduction.
Shatter Image: Whenever you hit a Mirror Image of an enemy mage, you destroy 1d3 images rather than just one.
This also works when using a combat manoeuvre like a Trip, Bull Rush or Grapple attempt. Requires: Level 6.
Mist Ronin: You gain the condition Fog Cloak permanently, allowing you to ignore the concealment of enemies within any
magical or natural fog, as well as movement penalties for being in a fog (other than Solid Fog and Acid Fog). You can also
shoot at targets affected by a Solid Fog or Acid Fog. Requires: Level 8.
Martial Wisdom: When you score a critical hit, and your Wisdom modifier
is positive, you deal a number of extra points of damage equal to your Wisdom
modifier times the weapon's critical multiplier. Requires: Wisdom 13.
HeroicFantasyGames.com
March 2011-2021. Last Update 27 November 2024. All rights reserved.