Samurai Variant (3.5e Class)

Samurai Variant

Very exotic warriors wielding unique weapons and clad in a strange armor

Making a Samurai Variant

Very strong front line fighter, does not get along with Arcane Casters, or any characters that rely on stealth (Rogue, Ninja, Assassin)

Abilities: Strength is the most important Ability for the Samurai Variant, however both Constitution and Wisdom is also very important for the Samurai Variant

Races: Elves and Humans are the most common Samurai's

Alignment: Any (Samurai Variants are shaped very strongly by their personal sense of honor, honorable actions vary between alignments ex.. Executing a thief could be considered honorable to a Chaotic Evil character while a Lawful Good character may find the excessive punishment as dishonorable)

Starting Gold: 1d6×10 gp (35gp).

Starting Age: As fighter

Table: The Samurai Variant

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Chosen Heritage
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Spiritual Defense
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Kiai Smite 1/day
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Empowered Heritage+1
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Blade Testing
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+5	Staredown
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+5	Kiai Smite 2/day, Enhanced Heritage(Weapon)
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+6	Empowered Heritage +2
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+6	Improved Initiative
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+7	Mass Staredown
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+7	Enhanced Heritage(Armor)
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+8	Empowered Heritage+3, Kiai Smite 3/day
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+8	Spiritual Attack
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+9	Improved Staredown
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+9	Enhanced Heritage(Weapon)
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+10	Empowered Heritage+4
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Kiai Smite 4/day
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Pounce
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Enhanced Heritage(Armor)
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Empowered Heritage+5, Frightful Presence
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge(all skills, taken individually), Ride, Sense Motive.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Samurai Variant.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Samurai Variant is proficient in all Simple weapons, Martial weapons, and the Heritage weapons, as well as Light Armor, Medium Armor, and his Heritage Armor, but not Shields.

Chosen Heritage A Samurai Variant starts with one chosen masterwork weapon, one Wakizashi, and a special suit of armor

• One handed Katana Variant: Exotic one-handed melee, Critical: 19-20x2, Type: Slashing, Hardness: 20

Medium: (Cost: 300 gp, Damage: 1d12, Weight: 6 lb, HP: 15) Special: Bypass Hardness less than 20.

• Two handed Katana Variant: Exotic two-handed melee, Critical: 19-20x2, Type: Slashing, Hardness: 30

Medium: (Cost: 500 gp, Damage: 2d8, Weight: 10 lb, HP:20) Special: Bypass Hardness less than 20.

• Konabo: Exotic two-handed melee, Critical: x3, Type: Bludgeoning, Hardness: 30

Medium: (Cost: 150 gp, Damage: 2d8, Weight: 20 lb, HP:20) Special: Add double your strength modifier to damage instead of the regular 1.5 for two handed weapons, hitting an enemy reduces their AC by 2 for one hour (does not accumulate) DC Reflex 15 negates, likewise missing reduces your AC by 2 until the end of your next round DC Reflex 15 negates.

• Yari: Exotic two-handed melee, Critical: 19-20x3, Type: Piercing, Hardness: 20

Medium: (Cost: 100 gp, Damage: 1d10, Weight: 5 lb, HP:10) Special: Ignore up to 5 points of Damage Reduction, Reach, Double damage on a successful charge.

• Heritage Armor: Samurai Scale, Exotic Armor, Max Dexterity Bonus:+4, Armor Check Penalty:-2, Arcane Spell Failure Chance: 40%, Hardness: 20

Medium: (Cost: 150 gp Humanoid, Armor Bonus: +5, Weight: 30 lb, HP: 30, speed remains unchanged) Special: DR 2/—, No Rusting

• (All Heritage Weapons/Armor require a DC 40 Craft(Blacksmith) to create)

Spiritual Defense(Ex) A Samurai Variant may add his Wisdom modifier to his deflect AC if he is wearing Light Armor, no Armor, or his Heritage Armor, and he's unencumbered

Kiai Smite(Ex) Once per day, a Samurai Variant of 3rd level or higher can give a great cry during combat that invigorates them. When a Samurai Variant shouts (a free action), their next attack gains a bonus on the attack roll and the damage roll equal to their Charisma bonus (minimum +1). As a Samurai Variant gains levels, they can make a kiai smite more often. However, a Samurai Variant cannot make more than one kiai smite during any given round.

Empowered Heritage At level 4 a Samurai Variant's Heritage Weapon and Armor each get a +1 Enhancement, this is increased by +1 for each 4 levels afterwards, (4,8,12,16,20)

Enhanced Heritage Enhanced Weapon: At level 7 and 15 choose an Enchantment for your weapon (level 7): (Lawful: Shock, Merciful, or Defending) (Neutral: Frost, Keen, or Defending) (Chaotic: Flaming, Vicious, Defending), (level 15): (Lawful: Holy, Axiomatic, or Speed) (Neutral: Brilliant Energy, Wounding, or Speed) (Chaotic: Unholy, Anarchic, or Speed)

Enhanced Heritage Enhanced Armor: At level 11 and 19 choose an Enchantment for your armor (level 11): Glamered, Moderate Fortification, Resistance (Acid, Cold, Fire, Electricity, or Sonic), Spell Resistance (15), (level 19): Greater Resistance (Acid, Cold, Fire, Electricity, or Sonic), Heavy Fortification, Undead Controlling (if Chaotic).

Blade Testing(Ex) At night the Samurai Variant gets a +2 to both attack and damage

Staredown(Ex) At 6th level, a samurai becomes able to strike fear into his foes by his mere presence. He gains a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks and can demoralize an opponent.

Mass Staredown At 10th level, a samurai has sufficient presence that he can cow multiple foes. Using an Intimidate check, the samurai can demoralize all opponents within 30 feet with a single standard action.

Improved Staredown At 14th level, even a glance from the hard eyes of a samurai is enough to give his foes pause. The samurai can demoralize opponents within 30 feet as a move action, not a standard action.

Improved Initiative +4 to all Initiative checks

Spiritual Attack(Ex) A Samurai Variant may add his Wisdom modifier to all melee attack and damage rolls as long as he is using his chosen Heritage weapon

Pounce(Ex) You may make a Full Attack when you charge an enemy.

Frightful Presence When the samurai variant draws his blade, opponents within 30 feet must succeed on a Will save (DC 20 + samurai's Cha modifier) or become panicked for 4d6 rounds (if they have 4 or fewer Hit Dice) or shaken for 4d6 rounds (if they have from 5 to 19 Hit Dice). Creatures with 20 or more Hit Dice are not affected. Any foe that successfully resists the effect cannot be affected again by the same samurai's frightful presence for 24 hours.

Ex-Samurai Variants

A Samurai Variant that continuously commits acts of dishonor loses all class skills and abilities, and his heritage weapons and armor become mundane until atoned.

Epic Samurai Variants

A Samurai Variant is unable to progress into Epic levels

Campaign Information

Playing a Samurai Variant

Treat them like fighters with a specific personal Ideal of honor, which depends on the player and their alignment, that they follows religiously

Religion: Samurai Variants lead toward deities of war

Other Classes: Distrusts classes that prefer the comfort of the shadows, and greatly despises "witches" (Arcane Casters), Gets along well with Fighters, Divine Casters, Monks, and Barbarians

Combat: A Samurai Variant is usually the first to battle, and first to put himself in front of danger for his allies

Samurai Variants in the World

Daily Life: Always looking to gain honor and glory, though quick to fight. No matter where he goes, his Wakizashi is always by his side, including places where all weapons must be kept outside.

NPC Reactions: (Lawful):Happy to see you, Never run out of favors to ask of you, (Neutral): Held in high esteem though no special treatment is given, (Chaotic):Fearful.

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