The Samurai Class

A disciplined, honourable warrior of the East, the Samurai is a master of the katana (a curved versatile sword) and daikyu (an asymmetrical long bow designed to be used while mounted), an expert horseman, and a loyal retainer to a noble lord.

“Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.”--- Miyamoto Musashi

Alignment: All samurai are required to be lawful. Changing alignment results in immediate loss of honour.

Weapons: All weapons

Armour: All armour.

Hit Points: 1d8 per level

Ancestral Daisho. As a member of the warrior elite, you inherit a daisho, a pair of swords passed down as heirlooms in your family, consisting of a katana and wakizashi. You do not have to pay for these weapons, but they belong to your clan, not you, and if they are lost or damaged you will lose face if you cannot restore them to the clan.

Code of Honour. You must follow the edicts of Bushido. You have a lord, called a daimyo, whom you must obey and protect. Should you commit a deed that violates this code, your daimyo may demand that you make amends to restore your honour.

Grit. Choose Strength or Dexterity. You have advantage on checks of that type to overcome an opposing force, such as kicking open a stuck door (Strength) or slipping free of rusty chains (Dexterity).

Martial Artist. You do 1d4 damage with a punch, instead of the normal 1d3, and have a +1 to hit and damage with grapples and punch attacks.

Mounted Charge. In place of attacks, you can move up to double near in a straight line while riding a horse and make a mêlée weapon attack. If it hits, you do x2 damage.

Weapon Mastery. You trained in the katana, wakisashi, and daikyu. You gain +1 to attack and damage with one of these weapons. In addition, add half your level to these rolls (round down) to that weapon.

2d6 Effect

2 You enchant 1 ancestral blade with a +1 bonus through prayer, practice, and sacrifices. Loss of face may cancel the bonus.

3-6 +1 to all mêlée and ranged attacks or 1 new weapon mastery.

7-9 +2 to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution stat

10-11 Choose boxing or grappling. You get +1 to hit and damage with that style of unarmed combat.

12 Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

“Only by understanding the paths of others is it possible to define and discern one's own path.” --- Miyomoto Musashi

Honour and Dishonour

A samurai’s life revolves around honour. Certain deeds are considered honourable and others dishonourable. These must be tracked by the samurai to stay on the right path and save face. Losing face can destroy the reputation of a samurai, and he may even be required by his lord to commit seppuku to restore his reputation with one final deed of self-sacrifice if his dishonour is severe enough.

Honourable Deeds

• Avenging the death of a clan member.
• Defeating an enemy of the clan.
• Fulfilling a quest.
• Sacrificing your life for a noble cause.
• Saving the life of another person.
• Success in battle.
• Suffering to fulfil an oath.

Dishonourable Deeds

• Being accused of a crime.
• Breaking a promise.
• Disobedience toward one’s lord.
• Getting captured by an enemy.
• Losing an heirloom.
• Losing a contest.
• Refusing a challenge.
• Running from an enemy.

Each time you perform an act that would negatively affect your reputation, you must make a DC 12+level CHA check to avoid losing face. If you fail, you make all CHA checks at disadvantage until you perform a noble deed to restore your honour. Each time you make another gaffe before restoring your honour, the DC is +1 point higher, so multiple dishonourable deeds committed in a short period can make it impossible to restore your face. On a natural 1 you have made a critical failure and your daimyo may require you to sacrifice your life in ritual suicide, seppuku, to restore your honour. Failure to do so means your family is dishonoured and you become a hunted outlaw. If you have enchanted an ancestral blade, it loses its magical bonus.

If you perform a deed that is exceptionally noble and that requires a sacrifice on your part to accomplish, make this same check against your CHA. If you succeed, you restore your honour and have advantage on CHA checks for 1 day, and you may receive a bonus experience point at your Dark Master’s discretion.

Samurai Armaments

Samurai weapons are typically higher quality but more expensive than similar items from other lands. They often do slightly more damage on average than standard weapons by performing more consistently.

“The sword has to be more than a simple weapon; it has to be an answer to life's questions.” --- Miyamoto Musashi

Weapon Cost Type Range Damage Properties

Katana 50gp M C 2d4/1d8+2 V, 2 slots

Wakizashi 30gp M C 2d3 F

Daikyu 25 gp R F 2d4 2H