Samurai, Variant (5e Class)

Samurai

Introduction

Noble warriors from Japan, these warriors follow a code called Bushido, which guides to their path of honour; masters in the art of swords these warriors use them with grace and unmatched skill. Using their skills for themselves or for others, these warriors will fight to the death and won't surrender. Some legends say they are able to control the elements after years of study and meditation. Follower of the Bushido. Warrior with unique abilities achieved throughout years of training, the samurai is well known by it's fighting style, code of conduct and weapon proficiency, being able to defeat a foe in one single draw or sustaining several attacks swiftly and commanding its allies to victory. Not only deadly with a katana, the samurai is specialized with several kinds of weapon, but tend to stick with one style for the rest of its life as its trademark.

Creating a Samurai

Why does your character follow the Bushido, or why don't they? Why did they decide to travel? Do they fight for their master, for themselves or to protect someone? Did they flee from their master or was their master killed and now they seek revenge? Is their honor important as their life?

Quick Build

You can make a samurai quickly by following these suggestions. First, constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the soldier background. Third, choose a longsword, a chain shirt, and an explorer's pack as your starting equipment. Choose either the painter's supplies or the musical instrument, depending on your samurai's preferred artistic pursuit.

Class Features

As a Samurai you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Samurai level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Samurai level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Artisan's tools, One musical instrument of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
Skills: Choose 3 from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Perception, Survival, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) A longsword or (b) Two shortswords
• (a) Chain shirt or (b) Traveler's clothes
• (a) Dungeoneer's Pack or (b) Explorer's Pack
• (a) Painter's supplies or (b) A musical instrument of your choice
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Samurai

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Weapon Dancer, Fighting Style
2nd	+2	Fighting Posture
3rd	+2	Way of Bushido
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack
6th	+3	Bushido Feature
7th	+3	Acrobatics Master
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	One With The Blade
10th	+4	Indomitable
11th	+4	Bushido Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Precise Strike
14th	+5	Indomitable Improvement
15th	+5	Bushido Feature
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Last Efforts
18th	+6	Bushido Feature, Wind Rider
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Fruits of Discipline

Weapon Dancer

As a samurai, you are extremely proficient in the use of lighter melee weapons in combat. When wielding a melee weapon without the heavy or two-handed properties, you can use either your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage roll of the attack.

Fighting Style

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t choose a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Mobile Fighter

As long as you are wearing light or no armor, and are not wielding a shield, your speed is increased by 5 feet, and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Brawler

If you take the Attack action on your turn to make one or more melee weapon attacks—excluding unarmed strikes—but hit with none of them, you can use your bonus action to make an unarmed strike.

Fighting Posture

Starting at 2nd level, you learn how to take a more proper fighting stance. As a bonus action, you can posture yourself defensively to gain +1 to your AC, or aggressively to gain +1 damage on your damage rolls. The effects of your chosen posture last for 1 minute.

Way of Bushido

At 3rd level, you choose a style that shapes the nature of your samurai training. Choose the Hiten Mitsurugi Style or the Genso Buredo Style, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, 15th, and 18th levels.

Ability Score Increase

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.

Acrobatics master

At 7th level, you proficient in the acrobatics skill. If you are already proficient, then add double your proficiency bonus to acrobatics checks.

One With The Blade

At 9th level, your weapon becomes an extension of your body and soul. You now have advantage on opportunity attacks and hostile creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you.

Indomitable

Beginning at 10th level you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. You can use this feature twice starting at 13th level and three times starting at 17th level.

Precise Strike

Beginning at 13th level, you learn how to more easily defeat your opponents. When you roll for attack, you land a critical hit on a roll of 19-20.

Last Efforts

At 17th level you have full control over your body. When your hp drops to zero but doesn't kill you outright, instead of falling unconscious, you can choose to drop to 1 hp. You need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Wind Rider

At 18th level, you gain 10 feet of movement speed and the first time you move more than 20 feet in a line towards your target on your turn, you deal 2d6 additional damage to the targeted creature.

Fruits of Discipline

At 20th level, your practice empowers your body and soul. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.

Hiten Mitsurugi Style

The Style of the Three Dragons Who Rise to the Skies.

Ryu Tsui Sen

Beginning at 3rd level, you learn how to fight opponents who outmatch yourself. When fighting an opponent who is up to two sizes larger than yourself, you are able to deal an extra 1d8 damage, as long as the hostile creature's HP is below half of its total.

Ryu Kan Sen

Beginning at 6th level, whenever an opponent fails an attack against you while you are at you maximum hit points, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against them.

Bukimina Dojji

Beginning at 11th level, you can use your reaction to halve the damage you would take from an attack. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Kurichikaru

Beginning at 15th level, when you make a critical hit, you may use an action to deal 3 times the damage you would in a normal attack. You may use this feature 1 time, and need to finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki

Beginning at 18th level, you can use a bonus action to deal 6d10 slashing damage to all hostile creatures in a 10 foot radius of yourself. Each hostile creature must make a Dexterity save of DC 15 + your Dexterity modifier. If they succeed they take half damage, and if they fail they take full damage. You are able to use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your dexterity modifier (minimum of 1), and regain expended uses upon finishing a long rest.

Genso Buredo Style

Elemental Blade Style

Elemental Strike

Beginning at 3rd level, you are able to convert the damage of your next attack to 1 elemental type from acid, cold, fire or lightning. Once you successfully land an attack while this feature is active, your attack damage reverts to normal. You are able to use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), and regain expended uses upon finishing a short or a long rest.

Master of the Element

Beginning at the 6th level you gain resistance against the chosen element in Elemental Strike. The effects of this feature last for 1 minute, or until you choose a different elemental type for your Elemental Strike feature.

Breath of the Element

Beginning at 11th level, you can make an elemental breath attack of the chosen type from acid, cold, fire or lightning. The breath weapon is a 15 foot cone. The DC for the breath attack is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 5d6 damage on a failed save and half as much damage on a successful save. You can use this feature 3 times, and regain expended uses upon finishing a short or a long rest.

Improved Elemental Strike

Beginning at 15th level, the damage dealt by your Elemental Strike feature increases by +2.

Elemental Fury

Beginning at 18th level, you have mastered the ability to channel your chosen element into your weapon. As an action, you deal 10d10 damage of the chosen element in addition to your weapon damage. You are able to use this feature 1 time, and regain expended uses upon finishing a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Samurai class, you must meet these prerequisites: 14 Dexterity, 12 Wisdom

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Samurai class, you gain the following proficiencies: Martial Weapons

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes