Samurai .. savage tide

[insanogeddon]

Pending savage tides game. Was planning:

I want to play a Samuri as the complete warriors. I get the dashido (miyamoto) thing, I get the intimidation (battle of the minds..concentration) and the sacred sword thing.

My goals are:
Coolness
Fun
Sticking in theme
Avoiding the utterly predictable power attack.
Robustness
Effectiveness

Heres what I have and ideas?

Sam 6, Kensai 10, Exemplar 4
(Ride = Tumble with cityscape web enhancement)
I am focusing on intimidate and concentration 2 things very samuri like.
Build =
*Good Armour
*Intimidate can be used to give casters +2 to their DCs (the true game decider at high levels) practically without fail or major stat and item divisions my hexblades always seem to fail at. Intimidates and Concentration checks will almost assure Intimidation and +8 str when I want.
*Sam 6 = +4 intim
*Kensai = + level to intim, reflex saves = conc, +8 str = conc check.
*Exemplar = +4 to conc/intimidate and at 4th chr is added to fort saves and concentration (and exemplars are VERY samuri)
Thinking (28 point buy): 14,10,15+,14,8,14.
1. W.foc (dashido), 3. C.Expert, 6. Intimidating Strike, 9. Skill Foc (conc),

Not sure:
If Race is half-orc sorta hurts but cool and can get 'menacing demeanour' at 12th for a +4 to intimidate.. then again I doubt thats necessary.
so
12. Endu, 15. Steadfast Determination
: means can dump wisdom (rely on kensai saves as still better than most warriors) no fort fails on a 1, will have great will at high levels, focusing on con make up for the HP lack of kensai and fort weakness till then.
or
Was thinking then Raptorian as race = 15 Diving Charge.
More importantly feather fall at will, and with wings can cover all balance/ride/dex check issues so can focus on social skills like bluff and sense motive which get kensai bonuses. So good HP, good saves (reflex = conc.), good party help = we win. Damage and to hit is also good with well selected weapon boosts (bane/holy etc as campaign dictates) never ming +8 str from kensai or the diving charge of raptorian = x2 damage. Will focus on short sword for that reason if the DM disallows 'dashido focus' as it is piercing = dive damage, useable in grapple, and more the soul of the samuri in some ways.
Comments?

Will save for ring of evasion and hope to find a sun sword.

Half-Orc has intimidationg underdog style.
Raptorian Noble seems a better unique flavour text fitting robust build.

Social/Movement/Robust/Flexible weapon boosts.. flexible in all ways I cannot see the campaign mattering but any unforseen Savage tide stuff I should no?

(no spoilers please)

 

[Runestar]

Scrap samurai and go pure warblade. The samurai is not worth the paper it is printed on.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I have to agree with Runestar, the Samurai is a godawful class, possibly the weakest level 20 class in the entire game. Warblade can provide very similar fluff with the right maneuvers and feats (Unnerving Calm comes to mind). If you can't use Tome of Battle, even a regular Fighter into Kensai would work better. Or a Paladin, who worships the ideal of bushido rather than a god.

It's funny you mentioned Hexblades, I always found that to be the best class for entering Kensai with. Gets all the required skills, and has good synergy. I think forgetting Kensai and Samurai classes, straight Warblade 20 is by far the best "Samurai" in 3.5, at least printed by WotC.

 

[Dragonnety]

I agree with Runestar and StreamOfTheSky, however if you want to play an oriented character with the coolness of the samurai I would suggest the samurai from Oriental Adventures. He works much better than the samurai from CW.

 

[Rhun]

I have to agree with the others as well. Samurai is kind of weak, but Warblade ROCKS! Of course, it seems a lot of DMs are scared of allowing classes fromt ToB:Bo9S. I love it though.

 

[insanogeddon]

Jibbed

Alas my book of 9swords must remain on the shelf. Sadly but gladly after some one offs and testing the group decided against it. Despite legitamate concerns about the fundementals being better easily fixed by jibbing skill points n such we gave it a crack.
We tend to play pre-made modules which are woefully short on counters to the content, it adds stuff that really stretches the gritty feel that seasoned warriors and players in our group want when they rely on wit and tactic to survive in choosing not to be a caster. In our little experiments some truely memorable heroics where mundane wit and tactical commitment normally wins were relpaced with the bammedy bam of rogue castering.

Funnily the best players didn't like it due to such role playing rationale and the rortiest players didn't like it as they felt their styles were taken. In a world of mundane warriors pushing rorts so you can teleport or do wierd stuff makes you unique and special. In a world where every warrior worth his salt can without 30 books, class dips, feat manipulations, equipment hunts etc etc its so unspecial.. like a pre-gen cookie cutter rort. Better than all but the best builders and worst than the extreeme builders the grab bag was grudgingly by all rejected.

No matter but it seems the advice stands....

Even if your great at social, great at movemnt, give the casters +2 DC at will, have a weapon catered to the campaign doing on a charge at 10th 2d6, wpn x2 + 12, strx2 + 6, +3 wpn x2 (+4 +2d6 if bane opponent), great hit, saves and HPs.... play ANYTHING but a samurai

 

[akbearfoot]

Samurai are terribad! Kensai aren't much better, although they do have much better flavor. I was soooo disappointed with the way those 2 classes were designed. I am a huge fan of the samurai-esque warrior.

I agree that a warblade is the best and most effective representation of such an idea with all the choices out there. Plus they aren't awful.


Kensai get +8 strength....but it costs them a STANDARD action to activate the ability. The level you get the ability you can't even use the bonus for anything (unless someone provokes an AoO). It only lasts 1 round so it wears off before you get another standard action/full attack. Plus they have poor BaB which is awful for front line tank-melee type. Their signature weapon can be cool, but between the lost BaB and the lack of weapon spec/mastery etc...it's sorta a wash.

 

[Rhun]

What about Knight from PHB2, since Bo9S isn't allowed? In my opinion is a better class than Samurai.