D&D 5E (2014) Agility-based katana wielder: is it possible?

[The Grassy Gnoll]

A samurai is more strength than dexterity.
A ninja, now, with all the sneaking around, that would be using a ninjato rather than a katana, more of a shortsword or a versatile shortsword (let it do damage equivalent to that).
And it would be a monk.

 

[Merchant of Shadows]

Fighting Style
Kenjutsu
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls when making an attack with single-edged longsword or greatsword and you initiative is based on your Wisdom modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier.
If you draw your weapon during the first round of combat you have advantage on your first attack roll against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet.

// Making the initiative based on wisdom instead of dexterity - denies the 2H finesse fighter the ability to use his best stat for initiative. It also makes sense for more spiritual class (compared ot standard fighter or barbarian at least) to act based on his inner piece and concentration rather than the quickness of his fingers.
//In 5e heavy armor is more advantageous in the AC department so from the classes with access to fighting style only the ranger can hope to gain any potential AC benefits from being Dex-based and rangers work better with bows or dual wielding anyway.
//2 handed weapons and rogues don't work all that well, since dual wielding rogues deal nearly twice as much damage compared to rogues that don't dual wield. Only polearms finessable polearms and staffs will be overpowered in the hands of a rogue, but many people seem to be scared from handing them finessable two handers so the style as written does not make the katana finessable. Ronin archetype for rogues might change that if you want to delve deeper into homebrew.

Let me know how do you feel about this fighting style. Maybe I'm finally going to get enough inspiration to finish my oriental adventures 5e supplement...

 

[Salamandyr]

I'm not recommending it (because I have a low opinion of katanas) but take the longsword, remove the versatile property, add the finesse property, and call it a day? Basically you end up with a rapier with the slashing property instead of piercing, which is a lateral move.

I'd probably call it something else...the sidesword for instance, or the "duelling saber", or something like that, but it could be a katana just as easily.

 

[DiscRover55]

I have a player who wants to play exactly that archetype for his next character: he wants to wield a katana two-handed and fight lightly-armored focusing on dexterity instead of strength. I know I can easily houserule something myself, but first I'd like to know if it can be done within the rules. Nothing I've seen supports this possibility, but maybe I'm missing something. Any thoughts?

Cheers!

Well, if your player is looking to play a Samurai type character then let him. But the problem is that a Katana is just a longsword meaning 1d8 one-handed and 1d10 versatile. Samurais were definitely not known for their agility, they focused on strength and technique just like the European knights. Only that Samurai tended to be less armored than full-plated Knights.

However, Ninjas are good alternative fluff to what he's trying to play. Ninjas never really wielded katanas seeing as how they focused on stealth and espionage. They would use whatever a Rogue would use. Tanto/Kunai would be classified as daggers and Wakizashis as shortswords. And of course, rapiers were essentially a western invention. Nothing really like a rapier in Asia. If you're going by the rules, then no he can't wield a katana and add his DEX bonus to it.

 

[Yunru]

There are all sorts of ways to cheese it by making a two-handed finesse weapon: between the great weapon fighting style and sneak attack, the damage gets out-of-proportion quickly. Even if your player is not thinking along these lines, I think it sets a bad precedent. They made a point of not including any two-handed finesse weapons.

Moon/Sun Blade.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Moon/Sun Blade.

Source?

You're quoting a post that's ten months old. You need to give a bit more of an argument to be understood.

 

[Yunru]

Well I really shouldn't. It's in a book under copyright after all (DMG).
Long story short it's a magical longsword that (among other things) gets the finesse quality. It's basically a +2 Lightsaber.

 

[HardcoreDandDGirl]

yea the sunblade is the works like a shortsword long sword from DMG... it is a D8 sneak attack dex attack

 

[Yunru]

yea the sunblade is the works like a shortsword long sword from DMG... it is a D8 sneak attack dex attack

The key point is it's a longsword, which means Versatile. Which means Great Weapon Fighting.

 

[Kobold Stew]

...and the DMG wasn't out when I posted that.

...and it's a rare magic item for which there is no non-magical equivalent.