Tae Dane's page

Yeah, still looking for a good, experienced GM with a sense of balance and creative thought process. Anyone?

My original source of role-playing was text-based free form roleplay on nexxushost.com chatrooms and a few more literate gaiaonline threads, but I pretty much stopped entirely when I began playing D&D 3.5 back in 2008. In early winter of 2010, I switched to Pathfinder due to the suggestion of my DM and tabletop mentor who moved out of state. Unfortunately, I haven't played a game with an experienced DM since he left and I'm looking to play a PbP game, hopefully with a select group of 3-5 players. I typically play a tank, but am flexible and familiar with all Pathfinder classes. I keep well up to date with Pathfinder's major releases and currently own copies of the Core Rulebook, APG, Ultimate Magic and Combat, Bestiaries I and II, and the Inner Sea World Guide. I'm hoping to play a game with some in-depth character interactions and plot line development, but I'm very eager to play with any experienced DM.

I have to agree with Shuriken Nekogami -- Ninjato = nonexistent. Sure there were straight blades in Japan, but nothing called the ninjato. And there is no evidence, historically that ninja ever wielded a straight blade as opposed to a katana or anything else. Chain weapons and many others as well as katana. Ninjato only exists in D&D, not historical Japan. Since ninja were samurai, why not a samurai sword? Why must they wield something else, when they did not do so historically.

True, but the idea of the ninjato is something accepted into popular culture and when it comes down to it, that's the ninja of fantasy settings like the ones for Pathfinder and D&D. It may not be historically accurate, but we don't want to just give them proficiency with everything... perhaps just improvised weapon abilities, but there are feats for that, so... Anyway, I'm still not comfortable with the different sized curve blades having different threat ranges.

heres my proposal for weapon equivalencies

Katana/Jian = sawtooth sabre

Kusari gama = meteor hammer (but slashing damage)

wakazashi/kodachi = shortsword (but slashing damage)

tantou = kukri

nodachi = greatsword

ninjato = nonexistant, real ninja used whatever weapons they could access at the time and were also members of the Bushi or warrior caste. meaning, a ninja could get away with wielding a katana just as easily as a samurai could.

Umm... ninjato were quite existent as straight blades that looked similar to katana and were designed much more for chopping like an axe and were sometimes even used as digging tools because they were easily expendable, unlike the much more finely crafted katana. I think that such a ninjato should have a 20/x2 crit, unlike the 18-20/x2 crit of most of the other Japanese weapons. Also, while I agree with your Meteor Hammer idea, I'm not so sure I like that the other weapons have different threat ranges considering that they are generally just differently sized and balanced versions of each other.

I don't think you're correct. Kenjutsu techniques focus on drawing cuts almost exclusively, while European sword techniques encompass slashing, drawing cuts, and thrusts. In fact, most later middle ages swords were designed especially to be used for thrusting - the ricasso on greatswords was used to change the grip to be like that of a short spear, and all fighting manuals demonstrated guards that made good use of the sword's tip. The Ox Guard, Plow Guard, and Falcon Guard in particular are all well suited for thrusts before or after slashing techniques. Thrusting with a katana uses vastly different positions than slashes. This is because of the weight distribution. The "sweet spot" of a western blade was usually a few inches below the tip - if you slashed and hit with that...

I'm going to have to disagree on your first statement about Kenjutsu. You, sir, are speaking solely of iaijutsu, which emphasizes drawing cuts specifically. However, many kenjetsu styles and also the modern style of Kuhapdo all used a variety of thrusting techniques. Additionally, while additional handles such as the ricasso have been added or designed into certain European blades, their actually effectiveness for making thrusting attacks still pales in comparison to that of the katana. Why? Because of the shape of the blade and the means of entry, which causes it to bend less under the pressure of a thrusting attack. Now, I'm not arguing that you can't make thrusting attacks with a longsword or greatsword, but such attacks are very awkward when compared to swinging it for a slashing attack as well as in comparison to the swiftly made and quickly recovered from thrusting attacks that can be made with a katana.

Begin watching around 6:40. Here's some proof to refute your statement that "he wedge-shape of most European swords was easily as good at penetration as the katana's 'chisel' tip." - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih7bmzFQ9rI

Also, Cold Napalm, you don't thrust with a katana the same way you do with a long sword or rapier. Those weapons achieve thrust capable with a base balance because of pinpoint accuracy made by the user, something which is very difficult to do with a longsword, especially compared with a slashing attack (thus, the penalty I referred to). This kind of stab is much more easily acquired by using the lighter rapier, because stabs can be made quicker due to its overall light weight. A katana, on the other hand, makes thrusting attacks launched from the core of the user's body with one of both hands, pushing into the target, usually at a slightly upward or perfectly horizontal angle to stab very deeply into it. Such thrusts can easily penetrate thick armor and easily pass all the way through a human torso (so long as you don't hit ribs, etc). A longsword simply can match that piercing power. Also, my katana is South Korean, hand-forged blade valued at $1500 (and that's the value, not what I payed for it. I payed less because it was a partial gift from a master of my sword style) and it is more finely crafted than any manufactured blade by far.

You know, in addition to most of the proficiencies the Cavalier has, the Samurai ALSO gets those Japanese weapon proficiencies, which is kind of confusing and unbalanced. Wouldn't it make more sense for them to lose Shield Proficiency ENTIRELY? I feel like that would then justify making them proficient with other exotic weapons, including the Wakizashi, Kodachi, Katana, Nodachi, and Naginata.

I lied... the Inner Sea World Guide has given me little, if next to nothing. I was expecting for the Aldori Swordlord fighter variant from the Inner Sea Primer to be statted out all the way from level 1 to 20 as well as the Dawnflower Dervish from Qadira and the Rondelero Duelist from Taldor. Provided, good feats were included to make all these variants unique, but they still don't feel like whole classes... so I'm a bit disappointed. But meh.

The average european longsword has also been designed for both slashing and thrusting (probably even better for thrusting than a katana, due to the straight blade and the symmetrical pointed tip), yet it gets only slashing damage in the game. I think at least the game should stay consequent.

Symmetrical tip, maybe, but better for thrusting? Certainly not. If you have ever held a longsword, you'll note they they tend to be a bit heavier toward the hilt than the tip, where as katana are generally waited toward the middle or the last third of the blade (if balanced properly). That being said, it's much easier to align the katana, as opposed to the longsword for thrusting attacks. I would, however, agree to the idea that you could take a penalty to deal piercing damage with a long sword. But furthermore, a longsword's tip is generally quite broad due to is symmetry and as a result, (here's where we talk about physics, sorry) the pressure delivered with a thrust attack is spread out, making the longsword less capable of piercing deep into the target. Meanwhile, a katana his a very fine, sharp tip which is easily capable of plunging twice as deep if not much more than the longsword.

Samurai should have the capacity to wield them one-handed, stemming from the need to do so while riding a horse.

Ninja have no such need, and should content themselves with wielding it two-handed or spending a Feat.

I agree. And one again, if the ninja really need a sword, they could always get proficiency with like a ninjato or kodachi. Speaking of which, does anyone else feel like they should include kodachi and nodachi in with the Japanese weapons?

Also, I would like to correct myself. The Aldori Dueling Sword crit range is only 19-20... my bad.

Oh, sorry. Power Slice is what I was going to originally call "Dual Blades." It's supposed to say Double Slice, the Core Rulebook feat that allows you to add your full Strength bonus to off-hand damage rolls. Also, the bonus feat to a bonus feat heavy class has already been done by Paizo; giving Pinpoint Targeting to the Crossbowman Fighter variant.

Also, Two-As-One is as it is for the sake of a number of trade-offs. For example, getting Power Slice as a bonus feat at level 3 is relatively underpowered and it replace Armor Training. That being said, with Armor Training 1-4 gone, this class gets no graduated AC bonus abilities unlike most of the other Fighter class variants. Also, I see what you're trying to say about Improved and Perfect Balance as opposed to Two-As-One and Whirling Maneuvers. But once again, there's the trade off of losing the AC bonus and all Whirling Maneuvers does is balance out Two-As-One as far as wielding two one-handed weapons versus two light weapon. For instance, Two as one has more advantages for two-weapon fighting with two one-handed weapons, because it will eventually take away heavier penalty (-4 as opposed to -2 with two light weapons). Therefore, to even this out and while still managing to avoid giving them a graduated AC bonus, I modified their Fighting Defensively options. Thus, because using two one-handed weapons grants you more bonuses for Two-As-One, you get less bonuses from Whirling Maneuvers, which only allows you to TRADE a -3 attack penalty for a +3 dodge bonus as opposed to getting a graduated AC, which would just hand the bonus to you. And the same goes for wielding two light weapons, which gives you the ability to trade a -2 to attack rolls for a +4 dodge bonus (basically making your Two-As-One bonus disappear for the sake of a higher AC), thus balancing out that wielding two light weapons as opposed to two one-handed weapons doesn't grant you as many benefits from Two-As-One in the long run.

The idea behind Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting is that a Twin-Weapon Master is just as capable as using his off-hand weapon as his primary weapon. It's actually traded off for Weapon Training 4, that just happens to be another typo like the Power/Double Slice thing. Also, the fact that the extra attack won't really do much further supports the balance behind trading Armor Training 2 (a single instance of a graduated ability as you said) for Two-As-One (an entire graduated ability) and Whirling Maneuvers.

Also, yes, you are correct in your assumption about Twin-Weapon Mastery. If one of your weapons is destroyed, you actually lose a number of your bonuses, including Twin Weapon Mastery and just about every other class feature containing wording about wielding two weapons of the same type (which is all of them except for that little Double Slice ability he gains at level 3). The idea is that a Twin-Weapon Master NEEDS his two weapons, because for him, his TWO weapons are his ONLY weapon. Thus, Two-As-One and the philosophy behind wielding two akin or identical weapons "as a single tool for battle" and the basis behind the idea that "the twin-weapon master seeks perfect unity both with and among his twin weapons."

Also, I like your suggestions for other techniques A LOT, but it's hard for me two think of replacing most of the abilities I've already set in. But those are some really cool ideas for abilities and I wanted something to replace the Deadly Defense or what is now the Tempest of Blades ability. What do you think about me replacing Tempest of Blades for Razor Defense and having "XXX" be their Dual Blades bonus or would Repellant Dervish or Rapid Render be better at that point, do you think?

Not with the intention of being negative.. but now it feels it to weak.

Great Cleave or Two Weapon Rend at level 20 is just too late. In this way you make, respectfully, the same mistake designers did with the woeful Complete Warrior Samurai - a lot of class features arrived too late.

Yeah, that's true. But I'm having trouble trying to come up with something to balance it... No other feats really made sense. I figured "Hey, why not throw in some relatively strong feats that would normally have a few extra prereqs for free?" But you're right, it's too little, too late. But at the same time, giving them abilities that are on par with fighters is a bit... broken, to be quite frank. Hmm... I'll have to think of something special to give them like I did with the Mounted Archer and Charger, but this may take some deep thought and time to let it all meld together. Maybe I can draw some more inspiration from the sword styles of the Inner Sea when the World Guide comes out Wednesday.

When I first played Pathfinder, I decided to try out the new version of my favorite class; the Fighter. Noticing the new Two-Weapon Fighting and Critical feats and taking into mind that I could benefit more from Armor and Weapon Training by going with a dex-based two-weapon fighter, I created a character for "Rise of the Runelords" named Dyne Treal who specialized in dual-wielding Kukri. He was an awkward young lad, but always had relatively good insight and kept his fellow party members on track. But as he grew, I felt that the basic Fighter out of the Core Rulebook didn't quite suit him as much as it should have. That being said, I was very excited to see the Two-Weapon Warrior when it came out in the Advanced Player's Guide, but that, too, did not quite fully suit Dyne's style of fighting ambidextrously with his twin kukri. That being said, I also considered the Weapon Adept monk, but Dyne just didn't feel right without his signature breastplate... In the end, I had given up. But one day, an idea came to mind; I would make my own fighter variant to perfectly suit Dyne. And today, I have decided to share it with you.

So without further ado, here is...

THE

TWIN-WEAPON MASTER
Having developed a strong mindset that weapons akin to each other, even identical, can be wielded as a single tool for battle, the twin-weapon master seeks perfect unity both with and among his twin weapons, sharpening his ambidexterity and his proficiency in utilizing both of them equally.

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Power Slice (Ex): At 3rd level, a twin-weapon master gains Power Slice as a bonus feat. This ability replaces armor training 1.

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Dual Blades (Ex): At 5th level, a twin-weapon master gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when making a full attack with two weapons of the same type. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 5th. This ability replaces weapon training 1.

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Two as One (Ex): At 7th level, a twin-weapon master reduces the penalties for two-weapon fighting by -1 when using two weapons of the same type. Every four levels after 7th, the penalties are further reduced by an additional -1 (to a minimum of 0). This ability replaces armor training 2.

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Twin Strike (Ex): At 9th level, a twin-weapon master may, as a standard action, make one attack with both his primary and secondary weapons, so long as they are the same type of weapon. The penalties for attacking with two weapons apply normally. This ability replaces weapon training 2.

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Dual Blades (Ex): At 11th level, whenever a twin-weapon master uses Power Attack while attacking with two weapons of the same type, the damage bonus from Power Attack is no longer halved (-50%) for his off-hand weapon. This ability replaces armor training 3.

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Akin Opportunity (Ex): At 13th level, when a twin-weapon fighter makes an attack of opportunity, he may attack once with both his primary and secondary weapons so long as they are of the same type of weapon. The penalties for attacking with two weapons apply normally. This ability replaces weapon training 3.

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Whirling Maneuvers (Ex): At 15th level, whenever a twin-weapon master chooses to fight defensively while attacking with two weapons of the same type, he reduces the penalty on attack rolls for doing so by -1 and increases the dodge bonus to AC by +1. In addition, if the weapons he is wielding are light weapons, the penalty on attack rolls is reduced by -2 and the dodge bonus to AC increased by +2 instead. This ability replaces armor training 4.

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Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): At 17th level, when a twin weapon master makes a full attack with two weapons of the same type, he gets an additional attack with his off-hand weapon, albeit at a –15 penalty.

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Tempest of Blades (Ex): At 19th level, when a twin weapon master makes a full attack with two weapons of the same type, every creature that hits him with a melee attack before the beginning of his next turn provokes an attack of opportunity from the master. This ability replaces armor mastery.

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Twin Weapon Mastery (Ex): At 20th level, a twin-Weapon master chooses one type of weapon. Whenever he attacks with two weapons of this type, any critical threats he rolls automatically confirmed and have their damage multiplier increased by 1. In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding two weapons of this type. This ability replaces weapon mastery.

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So... what do you think? I'm open to any suggestions and constructive criticism you might have to offer, so don't be shy.

Also, yes, I know that this shares many of the same class features as the two-weapon warrior. But what can I say? The two-weapon warrior was the closest thing Pathfinder had to suiting Dyne's style and the Twin-Weapon Master and Two-Weapon Warrior are, in essence, very similar in both flavor and mechanics, so it made sense to keep some of the abilities and carry them over into the new class variant.

IMHO, the 18th level ability of the one-sword and two sword school should be fighter only (the former already is).

Yeah, I know. I pulled the wording for it right from the APG. But I was unsure of what else I could do for options.

Tell me if you've got any ideas. Also, I was considering fixing up the funny level order (4th, 5th, 6th, 12th, 14th, and 18th) by just making it all just one Samurai variant. Then I could just have the Diasho class feature replace the Mount class feature and the other abilities replace bonus feats so it would be set up like:

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Choosing the Longbow gives you the Mounted Archer abilities:

1st level - A samurai becomes skilled at firing ranged weapons while mounted. A samurai gains Mounted Archery as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

6th level - A samurai gains Precise Shot as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

12th level - A samurai gains Improved Precise Shot as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

18th level - A samurai’s skill at firing ranged weapons while mounted becomes even greater. He no longer suffers any penalty for using ranged weapons while his mount is taking a double move and the penalty for attacking with a ranged weapon while his mount is running is reduced to -2.

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Choosing the Naginata gives you the Mounted Charger abilities:

1st level - A samurai learns to make powerful attacks when his mount charges passed his enemy. The samurai gains Ride-By Attack as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

6th level - A samurai gains Spirited Charge as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

12th level - Whenever a samurai gains the benefits of Ride-By Attack, naginata he wields deals double damage. This effect stacks with that of Spirited Charge.

18th level - Whenever a samurai gains the benefits of Ride-By Attack, any naginata he wields deals triple damage. This effect stacks with that of Spirited Charge.

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Choosing the Katana & Wakizashi gives you the Two-Sword abilities:

1st level - Whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

6th level - Whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

12th level - Whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

18th level - Whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Two-Weapon Rend feat.

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Now, here's another thing. I know it's not really quite as historically practical, save for maybe one particularly well known samurai from history (Sasaki Kojiro), but I think the Nodachi should also be an option for those that want a solely two-handed sword samurai. Thus:

Choosing the Nodachi gives you the One-Sword abilities:

1st level - Whenever a samurai wields a Nodachi or a Katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Power Attack feat.

6th level, whenever a samurai wields a Nodachi or a Katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Furious Focus feat.

12th level - Whenever a samurai wields a Nodachi or a Katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Dreadful Carnage feat.

18th level - Whenever a samurai wields a Nodachi or a Katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Great Cleave feat.

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Now, in this case, Jujutsu could become a variant rather than the banner and it could look something like:

5th level - A samurai gains Improved Grapple as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. In addition, any unarmed strikes made by the Samurai against a grappled opponent do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

14th level - A samurai gains Greater Grapple as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. In addition, whenever a samurai successfully grapples an opponent, he may make a trip attempt as a move action. This trip attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

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What do you think?

I was actually considering statting the weapons as:

Katana: 1d8 dmg, 18-20/x2 crit, P or S
Wakizashi: 1d6 dmg, 18-20/x2 crit, P or S

The katana and wakizashi, as far as how much damage they deal on a regular basis in this way are equal to the longsword and short sword. But katana and wakizashi are significantly curved weapons, much like the scimitar, falchion, and elven curved blade, so it would make sense for them to have a larger crit range. Additionally, in functionality, both katana and wakizashi can be effectively used both for slashing/slicing and stabbing/thrusting, so I added the ability of the weapons to either deal Piercing or Slashing damage to give them a bit of extra flavor to balance them with most other exotic weapons.

Actually, I ended up modifying it further.

1st Challenge 1/day, gift of honor, order, resolve
2nd Order ability
3rd Weapon expertise
4th Challenge 2/day, style ability
5th Style ability
6th Style ability
7th Challenge 3/day
8th Order ability
9th Greater resolve
10th Challenge 4/day
11th Honorable stand
12th Style ability, demanding challenge
13th Challenge 5/day
14th Style ability
15th Order ability
16th Challenge 6/day
17th True resolve
18th Style ability
19th Challenge 7/day
20th Last stand

Gift of Honor (Ex): A samurai can choose from one of two gifts granted to him (by lord, master, family, deity, etc.) as part of his ascension into a warrior. Once the gift granted is chosen, it cannot be changed. The first type of gift allows a samurai to gain the service of a loyal and trusty steed to carry him into battle. This mount functions as a druid’s animal companion, using the samurai’s level as his effective druid level. The creature must be one that he is capable of riding and that is suitable as a mount. A Medium samurai can select a camel or a horse. A Small samurai can select a pony or a wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if he is at least 4th level. The GM may approve other animals as suitable mounts. A samurai does not take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while riding his mount. The mount is always considered combat trained and begins play with Light Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. A samurai’s mount does not gain the sharp spells special ability. A samurai’s bond with his mount is strong, with the pair learning to anticipate each other’s moods and moves. Should a samurai’s mount die, the samurai may find another mount to serve him after 1 week of mourning. The new mount does not gain the link, evasion, devotion, or improved evasion special abilities until the next time the samurai gains a level.

The second type of gift allows the samurai to gain a special weapon or set of weapons known as a Daisho. A samurai who selects this type of gift begins play with both katana and wakizashi at no cost. A samurai also has the choice of gaining a naginata or longbow instead. These weapons are always of masterwork quality but are not made of any special material. If a samurai chooses a weapon of his Daisho at 3rd level for the purposes of the weapon expertise ability, he gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with that weapon beginning at 5th level. Every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th), this bonus increases by +1. This bonus does not apply to any weapon not belonging to his Daisho. Should a weapon of his Daisho become broken, a samurai suffers a -1 penalty to all attack and damage rolls he makes with that or any other weapon (these penalties are in addition to the penalties suffered for wielding a weapon with the broken condition) until that weapon is repaired. Furthermore, should a weapon of his Daisho become lost or destroyed, a samurai instead suffers a -2 penalty on all attack and damage rolls. This penalty lasts until the samurai replaces that weapon by purchasing another weapon of the same type costing 200 gp per samurai level. This weapon is also of masterwork quality but still no special material and does not gain bonuses on attack and damage rolls until the samurai spends 8 hours practicing with it to perfect its usage. These hours need not be consecutive, but must be in 2 hour intervals after which a samurai is fatigued for 1 hour for every 2 hours of practice.

Combat Style (Ex): At 4th level, a samurai must select one of five combat styles to pursue: mounted archer, mounted charger, one sword, two sword, and jujutsu. The sumurai’s expertise manifests in the form of special abilities or bonus feats granted to him at 4th, 5th, 6th, 14th, and 18th level.

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Mounted Archer: At 4th level, a samurai becomes skilled at firing ranged weapons while mounted. A samurai gains Mounted Archery as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

At 5th level, a samurai’s banner becomes a symbol of inspiration to his allies and companions. As long as the samurai’s banner is clearly visible, all allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge. At 10th level, and every five levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1. The banner must be at least Small or larger and must be carried or displayed by the samurai or his mount to function.

At 6th level, a samurai gains Precise Shot as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

At 12th level, a samurai gains Improved Precise Shot as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

At 14th level, the samurai’s banner becomes a rallying call to his allies. All allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion spells and effects. In addition, while his banner is displayed, the samurai can spend a standard action to wave the banner through the air, granting all allies within 60 feet an additional saving throw against any one spell or effect that is targeting them. This save is made at the original DC. Spells and effects that do not allow saving throws are unaffected by this ability. An ally cannot benefit from this ability more than once per day.

At 18th level, a samurai’s skill at firing ranged weapons while mounted becomes even greater. He no longer suffers any penalty for using ranged weapons while his mount is taking a double move and the penalty for attacking with a ranged weapon while his mount is running is reduced to -2.

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Mounted Charger: At 4th level, a samurai learns to make powerful attacks when his mount charges passed his enemy. The samurai gains Ride-By Attack as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

At 5th level, a samurai’s banner becomes a symbol of inspiration to his allies and companions. As long as the samurai’s banner is clearly visible, all allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge. At 10th level, and every five levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1. The banner must be at least Small or larger and must be carried or displayed by the samurai or his mount to function.

At 6th level, a samurai gains Spirited Charge as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

At 12th level, whenever a samurai gains the benefits of Ride-By Attack, any katana or naginata he wields deals double damage. This effect stacks with that of Spirited Charge.

At 14th level, the samurai’s banner becomes a rallying call to his allies. All allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion spells and effects. In addition, while his banner is displayed, the samurai can spend a standard action to wave the banner through the air, granting all allies within 60 feet an additional saving throw against any one spell or effect that is targeting them. This save is made at the original DC. Spells and effects that do not allow saving throws are unaffected by this ability. An ally cannot benefit from this ability more than once per day.

At 18th level, whenever a samurai gains the benefits of Ride-By Attack, any katana or naginata he wields deals triple damage. This effect stacks with that of Spirited Charge.

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One Sword: At 4th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Power Attack feat.

At 5th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Furious Focus feat.

At 6th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Cleave feat.

At 12th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Great Cleave feat.

At 14th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in two hands, he is treated as having the Dreadful Carnage feat.

At 18th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in two hands, the bonus damage from Power Attack is doubled (+100%) instead of increased by half (+50%).

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Two Sword: At 4th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

At 5th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Double Slice feat.

At 6th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

At 12th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

At 14th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he is treated as having the Two-Weapon Rend feat.

At 18th level, whenever a samurai wields a katana in his primary hand and a wakizashi in his off-hand, he gets a fourth attack with his off-hand weapon, albeit at a –15 penalty.

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Jujutsu: At 4th level, a samurai gains Improved Grapple as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

At 5th level, whenever a samurai successfully grapples an opponent, he may make a trip attempt as a move action. This trip attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

At 6th level, a samurai gains Greater Grapple as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

At 12th level, so long as a samurai maintains a grapple on a prone enemy, the samurai may make a trip attempt any time his enemy attempts to stand up from the prone. Doing so is an immediate action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

At 14th level, as a full-round action, a samurai may make a grapple check to attempt to pin a prone enemy they have successfully maintained in a grapple. If successful, their opponent is considered helpless rather than flat-footed while pinned and cannot make any attempt to stand up from the prone position without first escaping the pin.

At 18th level, a samurai may make a coup de grace against any helpless opponent he has pinned as a swift action.

Kaiyanwang wrote:

Also, formatting is your friend ;)

+1

Oh man, whatever formatting you have going on there makes it a pain to read.

Take it or leave it, but I think that your suggestions could benefit from the following change in formatting. If you like, feel free to take it. I didn't change any of the stuff, just made it clearer to read.

** spoiler omitted **...

Oh hey. Thanks ^____^

Since when is dazzling display limited to fighters?

Oops. Yeah, sorry, good point. But you get the idea. Even the current wording doesn't allow the samurai to get the Penetrating Strike feats, Critical Mastery, Disruptive, Disruptive Shot, and Spellbreaker, Greater Shield Focus or the Shield Specializations, etc. It pretty much just gives them access to the Weapon Specializations and Greater Weapon Focus.

Um... I'm just sayin'... I think you guys missed something:

"Weapon Expertise (Ex): At 3rd level,
a samurai gains an unparalleled
expertise with his chosen weapons.
At 3rd level, the samurai selects either
the katana, longbow, naginata, or wakizashi. The
samurai can draw the selected weapon as a free
action as if he had the Quick Draw feat. In addition,
whenever he threatens a critical hit with the selected
weapon, he gains a +2 bonus on the confirmation
roll. Finally, his samurai levels stack with any
fighter levels he possesses for the purposes
of meeting the prerequisite for feats that
specifically select his chosen weapon, such
as Weapon Specialization."

As far as I'm aware, the only feats that do this are: Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus, and Greater Weapon Specialization... That's it. He can't select disruptive or dazzling display or any of that other good stuff that is strictly limited to fighters. Tada...

it must happen threw sheer badassery.

the samurai demands so much respect that it just gets a new mount.

samurai: 1 nature :0

SAMURAI!!! F*&# YEAH!!! Honor is the only way, yeah!

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. Both historically and mechanically, it makes more sense NOT to give samurai shield proficiencies. First of all, if the katana is effectively a bastard sword, the fact that they obtain its proficiency balances out with the loss of shield proficiencies that a cavalier would normally have. Then there's also the idea that the katana, wakizashi, and naginata might ALL become exotic weapons with their own stats. In that case, I think the samurai can definitely afford to lose it proficiencies with shields. Now historically, when have you ever heard, seen, or even pictured a samurai using a shield? Before this, you probably haven't because samurai, historically, NEVER made use of shields. Honestly, there's no reason to give the samurai shield proficiency. It's just not sensible, that's all there is to it.

See, I like this, and when I went to create new options for the samurai, I had first considered doing something similar to the paladin's weapon spirit, which you've done here. But ultimately, I felt that the idea of a samurai suddenly calling on some form of magic, even if it was ancestral spirits or something like that was a bit far-fetched, so I talked with some of my players about it and they agreed. So instead, I moved to, rather than just replacing the mount, creating a number of different style-based paths for the samurai to take. Check them out.

Sigurd Torgarsson wrote:

LMAO :) TMNT. Katanas are mostly one handed, two handed would be exotic I think. Many of the Katas are one handed. It is harder to use then 2 handed from what I have experienced in training.

I also think that a Samurai would naturally have them as part of the martial weapon proficiency as its part of the class to have them :)

Yeah, I have to agree with Brambleman. Katanas are mostly two handed, almost never one handed. Look at the hilt of a katana its designed to accomodate two hands, not one. Historically katana is a 2-handed weapon. Musashi, author of Legend of the Five Rings, was an exception to the rule, he was not school trained so much as self taught in his two weapon and one-handed style. Katana schools of his day taught primarily 2 handed use, except when first withdrawing the weapon from its sheath, as in iaijutsu.

And to Pendagast, its got nothing to do with the size of the smaller Japanese versus the 6 foot Aryan. The difference in sword wielding between a 5 foot tall person and 6 foot tall person is minimal at best. Now between a halfling and half-orc, there are differences, but between varying normal human sizes - not a difference at all.

GP

Actually, I'm a practitioner of Chung Suk Kuhapdo, a korean sword style that uses the curved sword, or Japanese katana and was developed from numerous Japanese styles.

A katana is usually specially fitted for its wielder. Back when they were forged specifically for warriors, shorter men had shorter katana and those katana were called ko-katana. Larger men also have larger swords, which are called o-katana.

I have a sword which was made to fit a Master of my style who is nearly seven feet tall. Unfortunately, there was an issue in its creation and it was actually made too short, but it is still an o-katana. For me, being only 5' 9", it is much more difficult to wield one-handed, but I manage it when practicing certain forms. Wielding it two-handed, on the other hand, is quite easy.

As for my point, a regular sized katana should be easy enough to wield in one hand for anyone of regular human size. A ko-katana might feel short and awkward to wield with two hands and is more than likely the kind of sword our friend Sigurd was using; one that was sized for a short man, not someone of his stature who would normally be fitted with an o-katana. An o-katana on the other hand, might feel awkward to wield in one hand if you're not a particularly big person, but it is possible, though wielding it in two hands is much easier.

Thus, for the purposes of the game, a regular katana, when trained in its use, should be a one-handed weapon, but I'm sure using it in two-hands would be a no-brainer for anyone who has some training in wielding a sword. Thus, the bastard sword makes sense. As for statistics, I would actually argue that the closest thing Pathfinder currently has to a katana is a weapon known as the "Aldori Dueling Sword." It's a weapon capable of being finessed that deals 1d8 damage, much like a long sword, but has an 18-20/x2 crit and is generally wielded in two hands for greater use.

I would want a clarification too, I don't know how the rule "For the katana, use the statistics and rules for a bastard sword." and having katana proficiency interact.

For Samurais, one handed katanas only make sense for cavalry (which is basically the elite). However the player characters are heroes, and should have the weapon proficiency of elite warriors, plus this Samurai is oriented to using mounts.
On the other hand Samurais are proficient with shields, if they can use the bastard sword one handed we are gonna see a lot of samurais with shields (or two-weapon-fighting, but I doubt it), I don't want Samurais for that.
I would give Samurais the Bastard Sword Exotic Proficiency and remove the shield proficiency (they can always multiclass), or maybe limit it to bucklers.

Two handed katanas make sense for Ninjas, one handed not, imo (but they may need a replacement for the rapier)

"Classic" Rogues shouldn't get any proficiency in Katanas.

In my opinion, the ninja shouldn't even have katana proficiency. They should have ninjato proficiency.

I'd imagine a ninjato to be stated out as a one-handed weapon that deals 1d6 with a 19-20/x2 crit or 1d8 and x2. Additionally, it should able to be wielded with the benefits of the weapon finesse feat.

So a major issue with the samurai class, I've noticed, is that players that want to play a samurai don't necessarily want a mount, mounted archery, banners, or whatever. Also, historically, when samurai were used in larger army combat, it wasn't really possible for every single samurai to have a horse. After all, there have to be some foot soldiers. To this end, I decided to modify the samurai class.

I'm looking for any kind of feedback. Critiquing and discussion of new, relevant ideas are both welcome and appreciated.

Here is an altered special abilities list:

1st - Challenge 1/day, gift of honor, order, resolve
2nd - Order ability
3rd - Weapon expertise
4th - Challenge 2/day, combat style
5th - Improved combat style
6th - Bonus feat
7th - Challenge 3/day
8th - Order ability
9th - Greater resolve
10th - Challenge 4/day
11th - Honorable stand
12th - Bonus feat, demanding challenge
12th - Challenge 5/day
14th - Greater combat style
15th - Order ability
16th - Challenge 6/day
17th - True resolve
18th - Bonus feat
19th - Challenge 7/day
20th - Last stand

Gift of Honor (Ex): A samurai can choose from one of two
gifts granted to him (by lord, master, family, deity, etc.) as
part of his ascension into a warrior. Once the gift granted is
chosen, it cannot be changed.
The first type of gift allows a samurai to gain the service of a
loyal and trusty steed to carry him into battle. This mount
functions as a druid’s animal companion, using the samurai’s
level as his effective druid level. The creature must be one
that he is capable of riding and that is suitable as a mount. A
Medium samurai can select a camel or a horse. A Small
samurai can select a pony or a wolf, but can also select a
boar or a dog if he is at least 4th level. The GM may approve
other animals as suitable mounts.
A samurai does not take an armor check penalty on Ride
checks while riding his mount. The mount is always
considered combat trained and begins play with Light
Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. A samurai’s mount does
not gain the sharp spells special ability.
A samurai’s bond with his mount is strong, with the pair
learning to anticipate each other’s moods and moves. Should
a samurai’s mount die, the samurai may find another mount
to serve him after 1 week of mourning. The new mount does
not gain the link, evasion, devotion, or improved evasion
special abilities until the next time the samurai gains a level.
The second type of gift allows the samurai to gain a special
weapon or set of weapons known as a Daisho. A samurai who
selects this type of gift begins play with both katana and
wakizashi at no cost. A samurai also has the choice of gaining
a naginata or longbow instead. These weapons are always of
masterwork quality but are not made of any special material.
If a samurai chooses a weapon of his Daisho at 3rd level for
the purposes of the weapon expertise ability, he gains a +1
bonus on attack and damage rolls with that weapon
beginning at 5th level. Every five levels thereafter (10th,
15th, and 20th), this bonus increases by +1. This bonus does
not apply to any weapon not belonging to his Daisho.
Should a weapon of his Daisho become broken, a samurai
suffers a -1 penalty to all attack and damage rolls he makes with
that or any other weapon (these penalties are in addition to
the penalties suffered for wielding a weapon with the broken
condition) until that weapon is repaired. Furthermore, should
a weapon of his Daisho become lost or destroyed, a samurai
instead suffers a -2 penalty on all attack and damage rolls.
This penalty lasts until the samurai replaces that weapon by
purchasing another weapon of the same type costing 200 gp
per samurai level. This weapon is also of masterwork quality
but still no special material and does not gain bonuses on
attack and damage rolls until the samurai spends 8 hours
practicing with it to perfect its usage. These hours need not
be consecutive, but must be in 2 hour intervals after which
a samurai is fatigued for 1 hour for every 2 hours of practice.
Combat Style (Ex): At 4th level, a samurai must select one
of four combat styles to pursue (with the last style having
two sub-styles): mounted archer, mounted charger,
jujutsuka, and kenjutsuka (one sword style or two sword
style). The sumurai’s expertise manifests in the form of
special abilities or bonus feats granted to him at 4th, 5th,
and 14th level.
Mounted Archer: At 4th level, a mounted archer becomes
skilled at firing ranged weapons while mounted. A samurai
gains Mounted Archery as a bonus feat, even if he does not
meet the prerequisites.
Banner: At 5th level, a mounted archer’s banner becomes
a symbol of inspiration to his allies and companions. As
long as the samurai’s banner is clearly visible, all allies
within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws
against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as
part of a charge. At 10th level, and every five levels
thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1. The banner must
be at least Small or larger and must be carried or displayed
by the samurai or his mount to function.
Greater Mounted Archer: At 14th level, a mounted archer’s
skill at firing ranged weapons while mounted becomes even
greater. He no longer suffers any penalty for using ranged
weapons while his mount is taking a double move and the
penalty for attacking with a ranged weapon while his mount
is running is reduced to -2.
Mounted Charger: At 4th level, a samurai learns to make
powerful attacks when his mount charges passed his enemy.
The samurai gains Ride-By Attack as a bonus feat, even if
he does not meet the prerequisites. In addition, whenever he
gains the benefits of the Ride-By Attack feat, any katana or
naginata he wields deals double damage.
Banner: At 5th level, a mounted charger’s banner becomes
a symbol of inspiration to his allies and companions. As
long as the samurai’s banner is clearly visible, all allies
within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws
against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as
part of a charge. At 10th level, and every five levels
thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1. The banner must
be at least Small or larger and must be carried or displayed
by the samurai or his mount to function.
Greater Mounted Charger: At 14th level, a mounted
charger gains Spirited Charge as a bonus feat, even if he
does not meet the prerequisites. In addition, when gaining
the benefits of both Ride-By Attack and Spirited Charge,
any katana or naginata he wields deals triple damage.
Kenjutsuka (One Sword Style): At 4th level, a kenjutsuka
of the one sword style gains Power Attack as a bonus feat,
even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Improved One Sword Style: At 5th level, a kenjutsuka of
the one sword style gains Furious Focus as a bonus feat,
even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Greater One Sword Style: At 14th level, a kenjutsuka of
the one sword style gains Dreadful Carnage as a bonus feat,
even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Kenjutsuka (Two Sword Style): At 4th level, a kenjutsuka
of the two sword style gains Two-Weapon Fighting as a
bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Improved Two Sword Style: At 5th level, a kenjutsuka of
the two sword style gains Double Slice as a bonus feat,
even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Greater Two Sword Style: At 14th level, a kenjutsuka of
The two sword style gains Two-Weapon Rend as a bonus
feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Jujutsuka: At 4th level, a jujutsuka gains Improved Grapple
as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Improved Jujutsu: At 5th level, whenever a jujutsuka
successfully grapples an opponent, he may make a trip
attempt as a move action. This trip attempt does not
provoke attacks of opportunity. A samurai who trips his
opponent in this way still maintains a grapple on them even
after they are knocked prone. In addition, so long as he
maintains the grapple, the jujutsuka may make a trip
attempt as an immediate action any time his opponent tries
to stand up from the prone. If successful, they remain
prone. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Greater Jujutsu: At 14th level, as a full-round action, a
jujutsuka may make a grapple check to attempt to pin a
prone opponent they have successfully maintained in a
grapple. If successful, their opponent is considered helpless
and the jujutsuka may make a coup de grace as a swift
action using a light or one-handed weapon.