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If you want to straight up finesse a katana, the warrior poet samurai archetype is there for you. You have to go unarmored but you get to add Cha to AC. It's a specific flavor, based on moving fast and one big hit (you also get swift action feinting.) It has a built in damage fixer for finesse weapons too (add 1/2 level to damage if using dex to hit and str to damage).
But if you're content with an already-finesseable wakizashi, I would suggest the Brawling Blademaster Samurai. Go get crane style for some really effective stacking defenses.
For the latter I'd suggest something like this (Bonus feats are in parentheses)-
Level 1. (Psychic Sensitivity), (Improved Unarmed Strike), Dodge, Weapon Finesse
Level 3. (Two-Weapon Fighting), Crane Style
Level 5. Crane Wing
Level 6. Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
Level 7. Chain Challenge
Level 9. Crane Riposte
Fight defensively all the time (it's only -1 to hit now) and you get to ignore that for your first two attacks, oh and TWF doesn't carry a penalty if you're using your wakizashi and your fists.
So looking over the cavalier / Samurai order and came across the order of the eastern star and I love the fluff of it and the bonus are nice. Ideally I'd like to be DEX BASE and wield a katana or something similar
Multi classing is fine. And I need advice on feats Any one got advice?
Try this:
STR- 8
DEX+ 17* (raise 4th, 12th+Manual)
CON: 15 (raise 8th)
INT: 12
WIS: 12 (halfling, 15,15,12,12,12,10 20pt array)
CHA+ 14
(*Resist the temptation to minmax attributes further; they're all important. As a halfling, a 17 here is the equivalent of a 19 in a human in terms of attack-bonus.)
racial traits: Danger Detection, Outrider, Shadowhunter, Small Quarter Ally#
character traits: Adopted(Changling>Bitter Heart), Fate's Favored#
(# These two together grant a +2 Luck bonus to fear saves stacking with your halfling racial bonus, and share a +1 Luck bonus on fear saves to all allies within 60'.)
STR:7
DEX+ 19
CON: 14
INT: 12 (Human stat alternative: 17,14,12,12,12,7 20pt array)
WIS: 12
CHA: 12
Halfling is better if you're doing the defensive-fighting Eastern Star thing, and want better saves (humans have the worst core racial saves in the game). The halfling array is actually stronger and enjoys much lighter equipment with the same attack-bonus and AC despite lower dexterity. Dextrous halflings can also smuggle a medium-sized mount via mithral breastplate with the Hostling enhancement (or not need to, because their dog can go more places), but only heavy armor (that dex'ers won't wear) can Hostle a large-sized horse. The horse is better in combat, of course, albeit mainly low-level, and you'll occasionally enjoy +1 higher ground bonuses. IMO the trade-off isn't worth it.
Levels advancement (halfling):
01 Samurai1 [Mount], Additional Traits: Cautious Warrior, Hongal Bloodrider
02 uRogue1 [Weapon Finesse][SA1d6]
03 Fighter1 [Dragoon:Mounted Combat, Skill Focus:Ride], Boon Companion
04 uRogue2 [evasion][Combat trick:TWF], DEX>18
05 uRogue3 [Finesse:Wakizashi Dex>Dmg][SA2d6], Indomitable Mount
06 Samurai2 [Order of the Eastern Star]
07 Samurai3 [Expertise:Wakizashi], Piranha Strike or FEATg
Gear: wand Mage Armor (UMD'd pre-combat), nets, lassos, quilted cloth armor (not upgraded as we save up for Celestial Armor), Belt of Incredible Dexterity, studded leather barding, +2 light quickdraw shield, Champion's Banner, Opalescent White Pyramid ioun stone (cracked)(martial proficiency: Heavy Repeating Crossbow)
Build stack benefits:
* front-loaded skills and feats
* full-level animal companion
* +6 to Ride, not counting saddle or other gear, and a Ride check substitutes for one AC check and one saving throw check per round against the mount.
* Quickdraw wakizashis without needing a feat
* +4 to confirm crits with wakizashis, and +2 confirm with anything else
* TWF with Piranha Strike and DEX>damage (i.e., sneak attacks unimportant)
* AC+5 while defensive fighting before Eastern Star's contributions
Rage-monk variant:
01 samurai, Additional Traits: Cautious Warrior, Dangerously Curious
02 fighter [dragoon]
03 sohei1 [Mounted Skirmisher], boon companion
04 sohei2 [Crane Style], ...now optionally shift alignment to non-lawful
05 (any dex-rage class), Extra Rage or Indomitable Mount
06 samurai2 ...etc.
* Features better saves, better mounted mobile full-attacks, better defensive fighting, and a higher attack bonus from 5th. Downsides are a need to spend an extra trait for item casting, feats are delayed, is -1 Ride, and you have to pay money for Agile on multiple weapons. Damage is lower at 4th (no uRogue dex>dmg) unless already rich enough for Agile. Where this variant really shines: any campaign in which the GM permits cestus (among other "glove" weapons) and unarmed strikes to stack, because then you'll totally Flurry with those (instead of TWF'ing wakizashis) while wearing an Amulet of Mighty Fists (Agile), and holy smokes will the damage roll in once your M&M gloves are upgraded to Furious (and you only need one of them, instead of two, because that's how Flurry works). I had an early, pre-cestus-nerfed PFS human dex-rage samurai built similarly (he dipped Fighter[Unarmed] for Dragon Style, instead of the monk levels) who just demolished party-tiered melee encounters.
Cavalier variants: These trade away the Samurai's powerful Resolve ability and Expertise for some Teamwork feats and Cavalier's Charge. You are also eligible for Vambraces of the Tactician, which will add some damage to Challenged opponents. Personally, I thing long-haul samurai is better than cavalier (Resolve is just phenomenal at higher levels when the enemy begins dumping stacking penalties on you all day long, and you can make them go away without a check. Or you nauseated or staggered? Not anymore!)
Anyway, lots of idea to pick and choose from.