Samurai

A human is skulking in the shadows to try to stealthily take out the leader of a large community. He hides in the rafters and waits until no one else is near, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

As a Survivor silently drinks his Beer in an abandoned bar, two men interrupt him, threatening him to give over all his weapons. The Survivor snickers, then continues drinking his beer. The two men attack. With unnatural speed the Survivor throws his beer up in the air and lazily dodges the first jab. He tosses his chair toward the second man before he could react and in a single blink of an eye, his curved blade presses at the others neck. The Survivor instinctively catches his beer and takes a sip.

Regardless of the origin or path of these swordsmen, one thing is certain, they are all known as Samurai. Warriors of old and soldiers of war, wielding techniques perfected and passed down through countless generations strike fear into those that witness them on the battlefield. While not in combat, they prefer to keep to themselves. There is very little, if anything, they hold more value in than their honor.

### **Blood and Honor**

A Samurai's honor is more important to them than their own life. They will never attack an enemy begging for mercy or an enemy with their back turned to them. Similarly, Samurai's are often extremely protective of their family and loved ones, willing to put their own life in danger just in order to protect the ones they care about.

### **Danger Sense**

Samurai's often can sense when things don't seem quite right. Whether they instinctively know when someone is reaching for their gun, or they hear the growls of the Undead before anyone else can. They have this sort of sixth sense that warns them of incoming Danger.

## **Creating a Samurai**

Were you born into your characters allegiance, or were you training for the day you could call yourself a Samurai even though you were not born into the middle or upper crust of society (yet you seem to know matters of etiquette that could not be matched by your current social position)? Did you have your Daisho (nodachi or naginata) passed down to you by your parents, or did you acquire your weapons known as the soul of a Samurai from the local lord of your residence or your master? Did you always have a soul that was meant for honorable deeds in word, action and thought? If this is so, what drove you to such selfless service?

#### **Quick Build**

You can make a Samurai quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Military Soldier Background.

## **Class Features**

As a Samurai you gain the following class features.

### **Hit Points**

* **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per Samurai level
* **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + Constitution Modifier
* **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Samurai level after 1st

### **Proficiencies**

* **Armor:** Light Armor
* **Weapons:** Katana, Throwing Knives
* **Tools:** None
* **Saving Throws:** Strength and Dexterity
* **Skills:** Choose two from acrobatics, athletics, endurance, intimidation, perception, survival, and stealth

### **Equipment**

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (a) A Katana or (b) 10 Throwing Knives
* (a) 10 Throwing Stars or (b) A Handgun and 10 bullets
* (a) a Priests Pack, (b) a Scholar's Pack, or (c) an Explorer's Pack
* A Gray cloak including a hood

### **Unarmored Defense**

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity Modifier + your Constitution Modifier.

### **Parry**

Beginning at the 1st level, when another creature hits you or another creature within 5ft of you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage dealt by the attack by 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier + your Samurai level. You can use this feature twice, you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. You gain an additional use of this feature at 7th and again at 15th level.

### **Unarmored Movement**

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 Feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.

### **Fighting Style**

You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following Fighting Style Feats from Archery, Defense, Dueling, Interception, Protection, Superior Technique, Thrown Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Fighting, and Unarmed Fighting. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

### **Honor Archetypes**

Upon reaching 3rd level, choose an archetype that you want to be emulating in combat techniques. Choose either Way of the Sword, Way of the Fist, Way of the Shuriken, Way of the Bow, Way of the Blind Fighter, Way of the Two Weapons, or Way of the Shogun. The archetype you pick grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, and 14th levels.

### **Ability Score Increase**

Upon reaching 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

### **Extra Attack**

Upon reaching 5th level, when you take the attack action, you may attack an additional time.

### **Flurry of Blows**

Starting at 6th level, immediately after you take the attack action on your turn, you can make two extra attacks as a Bonus action. You can do this a number of times equal to your Dexterity Modifier, regaining all expended uses upon finishing a long rest.

### **Stillness of Mind**

Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be Charmed or Frightened.

### **Stunning Strike**

Starting at 9th level, twice per long rest, when you make an unarmed attack against an opponent, you can force them to succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw (DC equals 10 + your Strength Modifier) or become stunned until the start of their next turn.

### **Evasion**

When you reach 11th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area affects. When you are subjected to an affect that allows you to make a Dexterity Saving Throw to only take half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the Saving Throw and only half damage if you fail.

### **Heightened Reflexes**

Upon reaching the 17th level, your reflexes in battle are unmatched. When rolling initiative you may reroll if you rolled below a 10 on the d20 but you must take the second roll.

### **Rōnin**

Upon reaching the 20th level, you call no one master. Your very presence on the battlefield fills your opponents' hearts with fear.

On your turn, you can use your action to target a number of creatures within 60 Feet of you equal to your Charisma Modifier (Minimum of 1) that can see or hear you. Each of those creatures must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The Creatures can retry the Saving Throw each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Additionally, you succeed any Charisma (Intimidation) checks you make.

## **Multiclassing**

* ***Prerequisites.*** To qualify for multiclassing into the samurai class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity 13 or Strength 13
* ***Proficiencies.*** When you multiclass into the samurai class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, Sharp Melee Weapons.