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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 3658600" data-attributes="member: 13966">Spelling is 'emulate', just to nit-pick.For the skill-point spending, I'd agree, but do so by multiclassing a level or two (maybe three levels over time) in the Aristocrat or Expert NPC classes, or the Samurai class itself.  For the Aristocrat, keep in mind that you can't take levels in it unless you start with Aristocrat at your 1st character level, so it's probably not a good option.  A few levels in non-Fighter classes won't hurt your combat ability much.Also, something to consider is that samurai were originally mounted cavalry; they focused on use of bows (daikyu, composite longbows; as noted in Oriental Adventures, these bows are designed for use on horseback, unlike other composite longbows; the daikyu's grip was lower on the bow, compared to European longbows) and lances (uma-yari, you can use any kind of lance or a shortspear to represent the uma-yari, I'm not sure which kind would be most historically accurate) on horseback, typically only using their swords once they had to dismount or lost their lance (and ran out of arrows...).So you might design your character to have a focus on mounted combat; with Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery, Ride-By Attack, and Spirited Charge.  Other than those four, feats should probably focus on use of the katana/bastard sword, plus feats like Quick Draw, Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, and Cleave.  If you want to be more capable in social situations, then along with taking a few levels of Samurai/Expert/Aristocrat/whatever, you might also spend a feat on Negotiator.If you balance your levels well enough, taking 1 level of Samurai or whatnot for every 4 levels of Fighter, for instance, you could end up with a fair number of bonus feats as well as strong skills for non-combat situations (Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Sense Motive, probably focusing your ranks on just two of those and dabbling a bit in the rest).  If using Oriental Adventures, you may or may not want to invest ranks in Iaijutsu Focus, and may want to multiclass later into Iaijutsu Master, Kishi Charger, or Akodo Champion (the Mirumoto Niten Master is also neat, but only for those who want to focus on two-weapon fighting, which was rarely practiced anyway).If you're playing 3.5 I'd suggest taking a look at the Player's Handbook II, for the Einhander feat and some others that may be very appropriate to a katana-wielding samurai.  You'll probably want Exotic Weapon Proficiency (katana, or bastard sword, they're statistically the same anyway) in order to wield the katana in one hand, but only if you intend to later take the Einhander feat or similar.  The Knight class from PH II might also be good for taking some levels in, as its abilities and flavor are compatible I think.  Also, you might consider taking a few levels of Crusader or Warblade from the Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, as they have some very cool samurai-ish material.  Even so, you may still want to focus primarily on Fighter levels, just for the rapid acquisition of bonus feats to make yourself really great with the katana, uma-yari, and daikyu.If you're playing 3.0, I'd suggest taking a gander at the Master Samurai and Weapon Master prestige classes; Master Samurai is in Sword & Fist: A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks, while Weapon Master is in that book too as well as in Oriental Adventures (where it has the alternate name of Kensai in parentheses next to it, as the OA designation for it; but statistically it's the same).  Either of these may be worth pursuing as a samurai-type.</blockquote>

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