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magnuskn wrote:

Add an option to change out the mount for an ancestral weapon that can be cheaply enchanted or automatically gets better. Remove shield proficiency. Maybe give an option for the automatic mounted archery feat. That's about it, the rest looks really solid.

I am currently play testing the samurai class. I do agree that the mount should be an option to go along with an ancestral blade option.

Mount - What is currently in the playtest, but there should be a bit more options for the type of mount one can have. Seeing how usually people are playing in a fantasy setting, some fantasy should be incorporated into it. Like a giant wolf mount, who knows. Also the mechanics could be elaborated upon. We just have the handle animal skill and thats all.

Ancestral Blade - A blade that is passed down from generation to generation. Seeing how the katana is very important to the samurai it would make sense why they would have bonus to using their ancestral blade. I would see a +1 attack and/or damage and it increasing every 4 levels of samurai. I personally dont know if attack or damage or both would be better mechanic wise, I would like to hear what you guys say.

Well, Legend of the Five Rings, perhaps the most famous Samurai RPG, has the Matsu Warcat Trainers, that could be ground for a Lion mount if your DM has played that game before. The pdf itself says that other mounts could be suitable with DM authorization, so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch, just tell him that you want to have a pet with scent that can tell you where invisible things are.

As for the Ancestral Blade mechanic, I would say that, starting from 4th level, a +1 enhancement every 3 levels (with a maximum of +5) to the weapon in question would be nice, you could also add properties to it with a 25% discount price or something, I think that sounds cool.

If the samurai is proficient with an exotic weapon, he can use all its exotic weapon properties, in this case, wielding it as a one-handed weapon. He could use it as a martial weapon anyway because he's proficient with martial weapons.

I see, thanks, I suspected it was the case, but it never hurts to be sure

OK,I read through the Ultimate Combat Playtest, and I found myself a bit confused about the Samurai weapon proficiencys (proficiencies?? how do you write it?? Not native english speaker here, el castellano me sale mejor)

Anyway, it says that samurai are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, plus Katana, Wakizashi, Naginata and Yumi/Daikyu longbow.

The issue comes with the katana, does that proficiency mean they get it as a martial proficiency (i.e. they use a two handed katana) or an exotic proficiency (i.e. they can use it one handed if they want to)???.

Thanks beforehand for clarification.

How many honor points does a samurai have again??

Now, that being said, I think I like this class feature

What I would like:
That the challenge bonus damage applied to ranged attacks made with a longbow, after all, the sengoku period samurai (which seems to be the intent in here) was a dedicated archer and the samurai class seems to have archer options...

The level 20 ability should include natural weapons under "things that cannot kill you". I would be inclined to say that it should include damaging spells, after all, if a balor slices me with a claw or burns me with unholy fire, I am gonna want to hurt it anyway. A lot. But that being said, it is a very nice ability.