Making a Samurai: AC and Armor problem

[Danceofmasks]

For an anime samurai, I'd go swordmage with aegis of assault.

But for a historical samurai ... erm ... you'd need some sort of str/dex build for sure.

 

[quithnik]

maybe you should consider it a kensai/kensei, not a samurai...

are you familiar with the second edition oriental adventures? the kensei/kensai (sword-saint) is pretty much exactly what you're describing. bonus to AC when unarmored, basically only uses one weapon (katana) unless you want to use two. I agree with starting with the swordmage for the build but just as a very basic outline. you're not going to use the aegis, you're not going to have a magic shield, and you're not going to use magic...this is a martial build and your stats should be dex, str, wis. +1 to AC/Ref, quickdraw should be a class bonus feat, use the combat superiority and mark abilities from the fighter class, and then get into some house rules. This is basically a guy that specializes in fighting enemies by himself right? so give him something like the sneak attack from the rogue class except you get it when you're the only person fighting whatever you're fighting. +d6 damage when dueling, +2d6 at 11th, +3d6 at 21st. for powers do a combo of fighter/ranger/rogue and add in some of your own like a wave attack from you swinging your sword at somebody. Also, you need to increase his defenses a little faster than everybody else since they aren't supposed to use magic really, maybe add an additional 1 at every level a new daily power is available (+7 at 29th level). this is just off the top of my head, hoping other people will have waaaay better ideas spring from some of this crap i put down. As for the Katana - it's a bastard sword, no doubt about it, make it superior and high crit, i don't see it as a brutal weapon.

 

[Gort]

I wonder if the monk class might be useful as a base for the bathrobe samurai concept.

 

[Anguirus]

The "light armor" period came about after the Siege of Osaka (1614-1615). The famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi fought as a young man in this long battle. Following the civil wars, the samurai period was gradually drawing to a close. Without civil wars, keeping samurai busy and blooded was difficult. (The Shimabara Revolt, in 1837, has such wimpy samurai that the getting-old Miyamoto Musashi decided to write a book on how to fight.)

I feel like one of your dates is wrong, unless you mean to say that Miyamoto Musashi started getting old at the age of about 240.

Anyway, would it be so bad to use the ranger class? I can think of two ways to handle it easily within the existing context of the rules:

1) Remove the off-hand weapon requirement for the multi-attacking powers. This makes them more powerful because they don't have to spend as much money on weapons, but it's basically the same sweet deal a dedicated archer ranger gets.
2) Retain the requirement but give the character a special "samurai" feat or class feature that gives him a +3 proficiency 1d8 damage unarmed strike. Then Twin Strike becomes "you slash him, then kick him in the face."

Or, you could just suck it up and wear the scale armor. Frankly, there's a reason why samurai wore armor in actual battles.

 

[bganon]

This already came up, but what about a Swordmage with the serial numbers filed off?
You can change the primary ability from Int to Dex with almost no change to the mechanics, fiddle with the skill list, and reflavor the powers to be less "magical". Describe the warding as skill-based, deemphasize the elemental damage (you may not even have to get rid of it, most of the time it won't matter what kind of damage greenflame blade does), teleport becomes a "quick dash" (batman style), etc.

You wind up with a sword-wielding lightly-armored PC who is nonetheless a pretty good tank and can pull off some flashy cool moves. Sugoi!

I'm actually intending to do something a little more drastic in my own campaign: reflavor the Swordmage as a defensive-style Monk. That takes even more stretching, but I think it's still managable. Booming blade becomes a devastating punch, Sword Burst is a wide circular kick...

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I feel like one of your dates is wrong, unless you mean to say that Miyamoto Musashi started getting old at the age of about 240.

You must be right.

Musashi wasn't around in 1837. Oops

 

[Eldorian]

I feel like one of your dates is wrong, unless you mean to say that Miyamoto Musashi started getting old at the age of about 240.

Didn't you know that if you master martial arts, you live a really long time? Trust me, I've seen anime.


Anyways, on topic, what the OP wants is some sort of anime themed character as opposed to the traditional DnD themed character. I suggest a different game. DnD can do samurai easily, fighter in scale or ranger with bow depending on era. But it can't yet do "bathrobe warrior". DnD characters, with so far no exceptions, find it very beneficial to wear armor. Kinda like real warriors did. Hell, fighter in scale is the best rendition of samurai I've seen in a DnD game, honestly. Sure beats Ki shout type guys.

 

[Runestar]

Well, Kenshin and Hiten Mitsurugi style are impossible in pretty much every version of DnD.

Hmm...I thought 3e's warblade simulated him fairly okay...

 

[Eldorian]

Hmm...I thought 3e's warblade simulated him fairly okay...

Warblades wore armor. A dex using swordmage is kinda Kenshinesq.

 

[Runestar]

Warblades wore armor. A dex using swordmage is kinda Kenshinesq.

Just wear +5 glamered mithral fullplate and call it a bathrobe.