How do you play a Samurai?

[aurin777]

Just a small comment - if you are going to be playing a samurai then you will be wearing great armor, and making that inerial armor feat completely useless. Just thought I'd throw that out there so you don't regret it later.
~~Brandon

 

[Ranger REG]

Watch or read the "47 Ronin." It depicts a samurai's loyalty to his overlord, even if it means that their path is inevitably death.

 

[SemperJase]

I think you play a samurai almost exactly the same way you would play a stand up bass.

 

[Wombat]

I always giggle over Book of Five Rings and Hagakure being taken as the basis for samurai, mainly because both books are so late-period.

That and Hagakure was written by a crotchety old guy who never lifted a sword in anger in his life -- a petty bureaucrat to kvetched himself to death.

Goes right up there with all the katana-and-wakazashi weilding samurai -- again, very late period.

At that point, you should be including gunpowder

(or course the same could be said for having full plate and two handed swords... where is the gunpowder?)

 

[cleavthorn]

Just a small comment - if you are going to be playing a samurai then you will be wear

Er, have you EVER fought incorporeal undead?

Inertial Armor is just fine with regular armor even if it doesnt stack, and works against the spooks and spectres.

 

[Macbeth]

The inertial armor is mostly because, at the outset of the game, the character is a long way from home, and traveling fairly light. No armor, just his weapons and basic supplies.
The game went well. I decided to go with a kind of gruff personality, but still very well meaning. He's kind of latched into the other obvious outsider in the group, and is serving as akind of bodygaurd for that character at present. he has been slightly at odds with some of the group, since he is more selfless, but all in all, things went great.
Thanks for all the advice.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Search for the Book of Five Rings online.

Don't take the "samurai code" too seriously ... like chivalry, only some people followed it. You can be honorable if you want, but you don't have to be if you don't want to be. A samurai (bushin) is basically a member of a Japanese social class who learned how to fight.

AU has a nice feat called First Strike that might interest you ... you can port it straight to DnD. It's more balanced than iajitsu strike, IMO.

You need a wakizashi. You might never use it, but it's part of your "get-up".

 

[Ranger REG]

I always giggle over Book of Five Rings and Hagakure being taken as the basis for samurai, mainly because both books are so late-period.

I'm curious as to why you believe the Book of Five Rings is considered laughable?

Perhaps you should consider contributing which resources we should study with regards to the early forms of Samurai.

 

[TSL]

To be samurai is to serve.

To live every moment, knowing that it is your last.

To be samurai is to ever strive for perfection, with the knowledge that you will likely never find it.

To be samurai is to accept that you are dead and thus, leave fear behind.

A samurai at rest is the calm before the storm - a samurai in motion is the storm.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Common Samurai:

Total Arrogance. You are better than anyone who isn't another samurai. Feel free to abuse/kill anyone of lower rank at the slightest excuse.

Face. Honour only matters as other samurai see you. If there's no witnesses, feel free to be as dastardly as you like.

You might want to play a excessively honourable samurai, as popularised in movies etc, but this is by no means realistic.

Geoff.