D&D 5E Looking For Samurai Trope Abilities

[Lanliss]

Don't forget the greatest samurai trope of them all: when the samurai runs at the other guy dragging his sword on the ground making sparks. I am not sure what it is supposed to do mechanically, but without at least a sparking dragging sword ribbon, it is just not really a samurai.

It deals bonus fire damage, and acts as an automatic crit based on how often that single attack ends the fight. I might even make it a 1/long rest instant kill.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Removing limbs of peasants who mouth off to you. I had a DM who would do the typical 'NPCs disrespect PCs for no good reason' behavior and then get all bent out of shape when my samurai character would start lopping heads in his OA game. My character didn't last long...

 

[Yunru]

Thanks for all the responses. I'll probably move Rain of Blades to 15th and nick the rest from the UA as a stopgap while I consider the responses.

As an aside, since you are allowed 1 interaction per turn, your 3rd level bonus will end up making samurai sheath their weapon at the start of each turn just to draw it on their first attack for the +2 bonus. Which is kinda comical. Even more comical is that it allows a RAW thrown weapon build, as you can unsheath as many daggers as you need now (and they all get +2 attack).

That was very much intended yes. Battojutsu isn't a fast thing, on par with loading a crossbow. It also enforces the "sheathe weapon at end of combos" that personally I find cinematically pleasing.

As for a thrown weapon build, that too was intentional. I'm a big fan of an archetype's features enabling builds that aren't related to the archetype.

 

[hejtmane]

Do not forget the anime leaping attacks they use for big damage and the rock and dirt start flying

 

[Alexemplar]

Don't forget the greatest samurai trope of them all: when the samurai runs at the other guy dragging his sword on the ground making sparks. I am not sure what it is supposed to do mechanically, but without at least a sparking dragging sword ribbon, it is just not really a samurai.

The BIGGEST samurai trope is having them charge at their opponent, make a slashing stroke then hold the pose with their back to their opponent until the opponent realizes they've just been mortally wounded and keels over.

Usually followed by the samurai flicking the blood from the blade and resheating it.

Bonus points if the samurai gets injured in the process or the opponent smiles or boasts before realizing they just got cut down.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

How about throwing your sword? Ogami Itto does that all the time.

 

[Yunru]

Rain of Blades? What are you doing out of the thread? Come on, out of Xanathar's and back where you belong!

 

[VikingLegion]

Earlier editions of samurai often gave them a Kiai Shout - an ability that let them yell a battle cry at the start of each encounter. It didn't always do the same thing from one iteration to another (I don't think), but I tend to remember it most commonly as an opponent stun, as the shout (magically enhanced by his own Ki) is so terrible to behold, the enemy is frozen in panic for 1 turn.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

So I have hombrewed a few adjustments to the Samurai presented in XGtE. One of the abilities I think would be right up your alley.

Samurai Dash
At 15th level, you can dash through your foes supernaturally quick while making a deadly attack. As an action, you can move up to your speed and move through your enemies' spaces without penalty. This movement does provoke attacks of opportunity. After this movement, you make a single attack roll and apply it to any enemy whose space you moved through. Each target that would be hit by the attack takes your normal weapon damage + half your fighter level (rounded up).

You can only hit each target with this attack once, and you cannot end your movement in a creature’s space.

If you are hit and take damage by any attacks of opportunity during this movement, your damage against each target increases by +4 per successful attack made against you.

Once you have used this ability, you must wait a short or long rest before you can use it again.

 

[Immoralkickass]

The BIGGEST samurai trope is having them charge at their opponent, make a slashing stroke then hold the pose with their back to their opponent until the opponent realizes they've just been mortally wounded and keels over.

Usually followed by the samurai flicking the blood from the blade and resheating it.

Bonus points if the samurai gets injured in the process or the opponent smiles or boasts before realizing they just got cut down.

And the samurai must spend his bonus action saying 'O mai wa mou shindeiru..'

NANI?!