D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Min/Maxed Two-Handed Weapon Damage Machine with the flavor of a Samurai

[DM_Matt]

Its probably worth it to be a Samurai instead of a fighter. IMHO, the classes are pretty much the same except that instead of the first bonus feat they can enchant their katana like a mage with the Craft Magic Weapons feat for the gp cost to craete (no xp cost), paid as a sacrifice (so goods of any sort, not just cash, are accepted).

 

[Ranger REG]

I don't know. Shinmen Takezo was a samurai until he was on the losing side of the Battle of Sekigahara. He then started traveling and trying to become the best swordsman but without being employed to a lord, he is simply a ronin. A fighter would best described him in the beginning as he tries to improve and perfect his swordsmanship.

Even when he finally took the name of Musashi given to him by a lord near his home village of Miyamoto, he was still a ronin when he defeated the Yoshioka school.

 

[Corwin the Confused]

I guess that I should have made the title:


Min/Max the Two-Handed Weapon Damage Machine with the flavor of a Samurai

Perhaps my title was not too good.

I wanted people to suggest the feats and the progression for the character that I wanted to make. I was notlookibng for someone's opinion of what Musashi would be.

I didn't expect this to be a philisophical discussion about Musashi.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, you did ask about Musashi. I thought you don't want to be that other two-weapon fighter that is notorious in the D&D/Forgotten Realms environment, Drizzt.

Even his origin suggests he began as a fighter for the House Do'Urden, perfecting his two-scimitar style.

If anything he should take the TWF feat tree, and specialize (as in Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, and their Greater counterparts) in one weapon, of which he will have two. To compensate for the lack of a shield, take Tumble skill and (Combat) Expertise, along with the 3.5e Two-Weapon Defense.

Personally, a two-weapon fighter should also be good with single-weapon fighting, just as Musashi started before he created the Niten Ryu in Japan. So don't be afraid to sometimes fight with a single weapon if the tactics call for it.

 

[James McMurray]

He said two-handed, not two-weapon.

 

[FANGO]

If you want ridiculous amounts of damage, look into the Iaijutsu Master PrC from Oriental Adventures. It's possible to make Iaijutsu Masters that can do thousands of points of damage in a round, if you max charisma and do things to make sure that your opponent is flat-footed a lot of the time. Have high Dex and Chr, and you'll beat everyone on initiative all the time. Use Flick of the Wrist from Song and Silence and a Sun Blade from the DMG in order to get them flat-footed if they manage to surprise you. You won't even need the levels in Master Samurai if you go this route, but they can't hurt I suppose. If you don't mind getting sneaky, take levels in Void Incarnate (can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20030418a ) once you get to epic levels, and every attack you make will catch your opponent flat-footed unless theyre a vermin or something.

The best part about the extra damage from Iaijutsu Focus is that it applies to uncrittable monsters, too, so you can do those thousands of damage to constructs, undead, something with concealment, something with fortified armor, etc., and it doesn't matter if they have their dex or not, just if they're flat-footed, so even Uncanny Dodge doesn't help against it (it allows them to retain their dex bonus to AC, but they are still considered flat-footed).

Anyway, if your DM allows it, and you don't mind using what is possibly one of the cheesiest melee PrCs in the game, this would be the way to go for an insane damage katana fighter.

 

[DM_Matt]

Anyway, if your DM allows it, and...amage katana fighter. [/B][/QUOTE] One of?:p

 

[Corwin the Confused]

My DM is smarter than to allow a character like that. Any other suggestions from people with the new 3.5 books?