I wanted to rebuild the Samurai alternate class. It wasn't to my liking. Mainly the samurai alternate class doesn't take into account that samurai were well educated, rather than just great warriors. Anything from performing tea ceremonies, to teaching others to read was normal. So with that in mind here is my rebuild. I'm hoping this is the right area to post this.
Samurai Alternate Class rebuild using the Class Construction engine, and CP of 250.
http://rumkin.com/reference/dnd/media/classconstruction.pdf
Core Class
Hit Die (d10) 40 CP
Weapon Prof (All Simple, All Martial, plus 5) 29 CP
Armor Prof (Special) 10 CP
Skill per level (4 per level) 30 CP
Class Skills (15 class skills) 15 CP
Alignment (Any Lawful) -5 CP
Attack Bonuses (Good) 50 CP
Saves (Durable) 15 CP
Total Base 184 CP
Special abilities/powers
Bushido (Strict Code) -15 CP
Can't multiclass (Mutliclass Restriction) -10 CP
Bushido (Outstanding Ability ) 20 CP
weapon expertise (Enhanced One-Time Ability) 10 CP
Sashimono (Excellent Ability) 15 CP
Bonus feat x 6 (Acquired Feat 5 CP each) 30 CP
Weapon Master (Excellent Ability) 15 CP
Total 65 CP
Grand Total 249 CP
Samurai
Few warriors are more dedicated to Bushido than the samurai. Trained from birth by their a samurai in the art of war and sworn to the service of a lord, the samurai holds a position of power and respect in many lands, often serving as the voice and justice of the local noble. The samurai takes on his training with zeal, learning the art of war in all forms. The samurai is often the most trusted soldier in his lord’s employ. In him, the common folk see honor and sacrifice. He is an honorable warrior, dedicated to the realm and the leaders that guide it.
Role: While typically sworn to the service of a lord, a samurai is usually given free reign as to how he performs that service. As such, samurai can sometimes be found with other adventurers, taking the fight to the enemies of their masters. Other samurai become Ronin, striving to serve an ideal without paying fealty to a lord. In either case, samurai make powerful allies, capable of withstanding nearly any harm while dispatching their foes with deadly precision.
Alignment: Any Lawful
Hit Die: d10
Starting Wealth 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Class Skills
The samurai’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge History (Int), Knowledge Nobility (Int), Knowledge Local (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession Soldier (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: Samurai
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Bushido Gi - Rectitude
2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 weapon expertise
3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Bonus feat
4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Bushido Yu - Courage
5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Sashimono
6th +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Bonus feat
7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Bushido Jin – Benevolence
8th +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Sashimono
9th +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Bonus feat
10th +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Bushido Rei – Respect
11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 Sashimono
12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Bonus feat
13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 Bushido Makoto – Honesty
14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Sashimono
15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Bonus feat
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 Bushido Meiyo – Honor
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Sashimono
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Bonus feat
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Bushido Chugi – Loyalty
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Weapon Master
Class Features
The following are the class features of the samurai.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Samurai are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, plus the katana, naginata, tetsubo, and wakizashi. Samurai are proficient with Haramaki, Do-maru, and O-yoroi armor but not with shields.
Bushido (Ex)
At 1st level, a samurai must pledge himself to Bushido. Gi -Rectitude, Yu -Courage, Jin –Benevolence, Rei –Respect, Makoto –Honesty, Meiyo –Honor, and Chugi –Loyalty. To break this code means death by his/her own hand. Once this pledge is taken it cannot be discarded. A samurai cannot take any other classes without losing his bushido in the process. Every 3rd level after the first the samurai gains better aspects of bushido. The samurai lives and breaths bushido and thus must maintain his way of living or suffer losing any bushido abilities. This code is so strict that if he doesn't correct his wrongs he must commit seppuku (death by his own hand). The code is subject to GM discretion, below are the tenants and abilities of bushido.
1st level Gi – Rectitude, morally correct behavior or thinking; righteousness.
Because of this bushido the samurai gains a +2 insight bonus to diplomacy. This ability increase by +1 whenever the samurai gains another bushido to a maximum of +5.
4th level Yu – Courage, strength in the face of pain or grief.
This bushido grants the samurai a +2 morale bonus against fear. This ability increases by +1 whenever the samurai gains another bushido to a maximum of +5.
7th level Jin – Benevolence, desire to do good to others; goodwill.
This bushido grants the samurai the ability to do nonlethal damage without the -4 penalty when using his selected weapon.
10th level Rei – Respect, a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way.
By respecting his selected weapon the samurai learns new abilities based on the selected weapon.
If the samurai chose the katana they gain iaijutsu strike.
Iaijutsu Strike (Ex)
A samurai can perform a lightning quick iaijutsu strike against a target to inflict devastating wounds while drawing his sword. The samurai may choose to use his iaijutsu strike as a standard action, making an attack roll with his weapon as normal. In order to use this ability, the samurai’s weapon must be sheathed at the start of his turn. If he successfully hits his opponent with an iaijutsu strike, his attack deals an additional +5d6 points of damage. This bonus damage increases by an additional +1d6 every two levels hereafter to a maximum of +10d6 damage at 20th level. Any extra damage as a result of a successful iaijutsu strike is not multiplied by a critical hit. After making an iaijutsu strike, a samurai takes a –2 penalty to his AC until his next turn, but his weapon is now drawn and he may continually to fight normally. Regardless of whether he hits his opponent with the iaijutsu strike, a samurai cannot use this ability on the same foe more than once per day.
If the samurai chose the tetsubo they gain heavy hitter.
Heavy hitter (Ex)
When using power attack with the tetsubo, the bonus damage from power attack is doubled (+100%) instead of increased by half (+50%).
If the samurai chose the wakizashi they gain equal opportunity.
Equal balance (Ex)
When a samurai makes an attack of opportunity when dual wielding wakizashi, he may attack once with both his primary and secondary weapon. The penalties for attacking with two weapons apply normally. This also reduces the penalty for two weapon fighting by -1.
If the samurai chose the Naginata they gain Naginata Fighting.
Naginata Fighting (Ex)
A samurai can shorten the grip on his naginata with reach and use it against adjacent targets, or reach targets at the same time without penalty.
If the samurai chose the longbow they gain Kyudo.
Kyudo (Ex)
A samurai gains a +10 bonus on perception checks to notice targets outside his first range increment, and the range increment for the longbow he uses increases by 20 feet. A samurai does not provoke attacks of opportunity when making ranged attacks with a longbow.
If the samurai chose unarmed they gain Cleaver wrestler.
Clever Wrestler (Ex)
A samurai takes no penalties to Dexterity or on attack rolls while grappled, and retains his Dexterity bonus to AC while pinning an opponent. The unarmed fighter can make attacks of opportunity even when grappled and even against creatures attempting to grapple him if the opponent has the improved grapple feat or the grab ability.
13th level Makoto – Honesty, the quality of being fair and truthful. Due to the samurai's nature off being honest in all things, they are adept at spotting those being dishonest. Any creatures interacting with the samurai (or those who are interacting with a group that has a samurai present) can't speak any deliberate and intentional lies without the samurai being aware of the lie, or falsehood.
16th level Meiyo – Honor, high moral standards of behavior. Anytime a diplomacy check is made a samurai can attempt two rolls and take the higher result.
19th level Chugi – Loyalty, a feeling of strong support for someone or something. The samurai can pledge his loyalty to a group, himself, a lord, or a land.
Band of brothers (Ex)
If the samurai pledges loyalty to a group of players, or NPC's traveling with the player group, all bonuses that affect allies are doubled.
Ronin (Ex)
If the samurai pledges loyalty to himself he becomes a ronin. All bonuses that would normally affect allies now only affect the samurai turned ronin.
Empire pride (Ex)
If the samurai that pledges loyalty to a lord he gains special bonuses when dealing with the lord. Any grievance against the lord is taken as a minor infraction. Any knowledge local checks to gather information about the lord gain a +10 competence bonus. Any diplomacy dealing directly with the lord gain a +10 competence bonus and the daimyo is always one step friendlier than normal. If anyone is attempting to assassinate the daimyo the samurai gains a +10 competence bonus to figure out the plot, and who is involved.
Man of the land (Ex)
If the samurai pledges loyalty to the land he gains the respect and admiration of the people. Anytime the samurai deals with locals from his land he is treated as an honored guest. He will always have a place to stay, and meals provided for free. Locals will attempt to aid him when dealing with local matters such as access to a horse, being a guide, or other services that a local has at their disposal that doesn't directly cost them to spend money. The samurai can muster a small army of peasants in a day, a large army of peasants and soldiers within a week, and a huge army of peasants, soldiers, and samurai within a month if the local land is in danger.
Weapon Expertise (Ex)
At 2nd level, a samurai gains an unparalleled expertise with his chosen weapons. At 2nd level, the samurai selects either the katana, longbow, naginata, unarmed, Tetsubo, 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 level counts as fighter levels for qualifying for combat feats with his/her selected weapon. If selecting unarmed he treats his samurai level as monk levels to qualify for unarmed damage.
Bonus Feat
At 3rd level, and every three levels after, a samurai gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement for a total of 6 bonus feats. These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as Combat Feats. The samurai must meet the requirements of these bonus feats.
Sashimono (Ex)
At 5th level, a samurai’s sashimono (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. If enchanted this item takes the Body slot.
At 8th level with a standard action the samurai can draw attention to his banner to grant allies an additional save vs fear effects. This additional save is at the original DC, and the ally is granted a +4 morale bonus instead of the normal +2. If the fear effect has no save this ability does nothing.
At 11th level allies are granted a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
At 14th level allies are granted a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion spells and effects.
At 17th level allies can stay conscious for 1 round after going into negative HP. During this 1 round they can only take 1 standard action. If the negative is beyond their constitution modifier, and are considered dead they are not effected by this ability.
Weapon master (Ex)
At 20th level the samurai automatically confirms all critical hits with his selected weapon.