Samurai/Ashigaru

*The ashigaru, or “light-foot”, samurai do not follow the same creed as their regular kin. Favouring agility, maneuverability and a willingness to use less overt tactics, the ashigaru dash through the enemy lines, striking them down before they have the chance to react.*

A Samurai Archetype by Sgt. Cookie

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## Saving Throws

The ashigaru have poor Fortitude saves and good Reflex and Will saves.

This feature replaces the samurai’s standard saving throws.

## Class Skills

The ashigaru gains Bluff and Stealth as class skills.

## Armor Proficiency

The ashigaru is proficient only in light armour.

This modifies the samurai’s standard armor proficiencies.

## Warrior’s Swiftness (Su)

At 1st level, whenever the ashigaru moves their full base speed or more (For example, by taking a single move action, or by charging), they gain 1 kenki. However, they must move at least half that much away from their starting position. (So, if they have a speed of 30ft, they must be at least 15ft away from their original position.)

This ability replaces Warrior’s Guard from Kenki Pool.

## Steel Grace (Ex)

At 1st level, the ashigaru may use their Dexterity modifier, rather than their Strength modifier, when attacking with a katana, nodachi, wakizashi. This counts as having the Weapon Finesse feat for the purposes of meeting prerequisites for feats that apply to those weapons. Additionally, starting at 3rd level, whenever they make a successful melee attack with one of those weapons, they add their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier to the damage roll.

This ability replaces the Blazing Initiative feature gained at 3rd level.

## Bushido Arts (Ex)

The ashigaru may take a Thief Talent from the following list in place of a bushido art: Acrobatic Charge, Ambush Assailant, Ambusher, Combat Ruse, Consummate Avoidance, Expert Leaper, Fast Stealth, Fast Tumble, Flowing Feint, Ground Fighter, Instinctive Awareness, Ledge Walker, Lethal Acrobatics, Peerless Maneuver, Surprise Attack, Without a Trace. The ashigaru must qualify for these talents normally, using their samurai level as their thief level.

From 12th level onwards they may also take the Adaptive Assailant, Another Day, Fast Tumble, Light Walker, Superior Combat Ruse and Unwitting Ally advanced talents.

This may replace some Bushido Arts.

## Agility Training (Ex)

At 3rd level, while wearing light or no armour and while not using a shield, the ashigaru gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and increases the maximum dexterity bonus of any light armor they wear by 1. Every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, 15th and 19th) these bonus increase by +1 to a maximum of a +5 dodge bonus to AC and a +5 to the maximum dexterity bonus allowed. This dodge bonus is doubled against attacks of opportunity the ashigaru provokes by moving. In addition, they gains a +5ft enhancement bonus to their base land speed. At 7th level, this increases to +10ft.

This ability replaces Armor Training.

## Evasion (Ex)

At 4th level, the ashigaru can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If they make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, they instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if the ashigaru is wearing light armor, or no armor. A helpless ashigaru (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does not gain the benefit of evasion.

This ability replaces the Bushido Art gained at 4th level.

## Dragon Swiftness (Ex)

At 5th level, an ashigaru’s maneuverability becomes almost peerless. The first time each round an ashigaru makes a successful melee attack with a katana, nodachi, wakizashi, they may move 5ft without provoking attacks of opportunity. An ashigaru may only use dragon swiftness in any round they could make a 5ft step, but dragon swiftness does not otherwise count as movement for the purposes of determining if they can make a 5ft step, nor does making a 5ft step prevent them from using dragon swiftness. An ashigaru does not gain kenki due to moving via this ability.

This ability replaces Dragon Defense.

## Improved Evasion (Ex)

At 10th level, the ashigaru's evasion ability improves. They still take no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as a dragon’s breath weapon, but henceforth they take only half damage on a failed save. A helpless ashigaru (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

This ability replaces Stalwart.

## Dance of Falling Steel (Ex)

Whenever the ashigaru successfully evades an attack with third eye, they may immediately move 5ft without provoking attacks of opportunity. If the ashigaru also has deliverance, this movement occurs after the attack.

This ability modifies Third Eye.