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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gamerprinter" data-source="post: 5457778" data-attributes="member: 50895">I may be way too detailed, but you're way to general.I'm not designing the samurai for everybody's game, I'm designing one specifically for Kaidan only.Honestly, I'm publishing a Japan inspired fantasy setting called Kaidan. I am definitely not interested in guns or a 'time of peace' in my Japan analog, so a samurai designed like 1600 onward samurai is too modern for my needs. I'm going for a more feudal period design. The Portuguese don't show up in my analog, so no guns available.This means my samurai emulates 12th century samurai - 'the way of the horse and bow'. In this earlier time, more people believed in ghosts and goblins, so it fits better with a fantasy setting.Paizo's samurai class is similar to one of my samurai designs (in Kaidan, Samurai is a caste of many classes, not just one class.) They've got optional bow or sword specialty, which in my mind is correct. Your assumption that it can only the 'way of the sword' is wrong historically and too limited for viability in a game setting.Your post mentioned 'Samurai should be a sword master' or something like that. Its only that, that I disagree. Now you say both 'sword and archery' in your last post. Had you included that in your previous post, I wouldn't have responded as I did. But you did not, which suggested to me a misconception on your part - which I was correcting.I posted a link in my response to PawsPlay in this thread that points Samurai-Archives.com (number one source for authentic samurai info) which suggests ninja were 'honorable' full status samurai houses. Traditional samurai filled the role as battlefield warriors. Ninja are only covert ops versions of standard samurai. There is nothing dishonorable or criminal about them - that's a misconception based on post Tokugawa Era samurai and the media. Ninja was a full status samurai, not a fallen samurai. (Incidentally, I learned this long ago, samurai-archives only confirms this.)Me, I'm going for a specific era in a feudal Japan setting, not a general one, and the whole setting is wrapped in authenticity - not just the character classes. The setting has lots of verisimilitude and better for it. I don't want some general old Japan tropes (many of which are wrong BTW). I'm trying to re-educate my fans on what makes a more authentic Japan enviroment. To do otherwise seems lazy to me.Granted others might want a more over-the-top, or trope following version of a Japan game. Somebody else will have to create that game, I'm building a horror setting that is in keeping with Japanese concepts, history, religion, legend and folklore. Its not based on anime, James Clavell, Rokugan, or anybody else's fantasy job. Mine is based on 16th century and earlier ideas of what is Japan, in a Japan analog that frees me from actual history.Good design is my only goal with samurai and my other classes, basing it on real Japan and not misconceptions of Japan.My setting has for Samurai: Hatamoto (cavalier archetype - similar to Paizo's Samurai), Meika (courtier bard archetype), Onmyoji (wizard archetype) and Yojimbo (ranger archetype.) However my setting isn't intended to be a samurai-centric game, rather focusing on all the social castes. So the Commoner caste classes include: Bakushi (bard), Budoka (monk), Heimin Bushi (fighter), Jugondo (sorcerer), Kannushi (cleric) Matagi (ranger), Miko (oracle) Metsuki (inquisitor 'secret police), Shinobi (bard, monk, ranger, sorcerer archetypes and a prestige class ninja), Sohei (fighter-monk archetype), and Yamabushi (paladin).The setting also features an Animal caste mostly kappa, tengu, henge classes which include druids as well.Hinin (eta) caste: Bakushi (bard) and Yakuza subculture (bard, fighter, monk and rogue archetypes.)So using all the classes of Pathfinder, and several versions of some, based on how they best fit their social niche.I was never satisfied by Kara-tur, Oriental Adventures nor Rokugan - Kaidan intends to be the fix for all that.GPPS: its also because you brought up the words "in the historic record", that there is even a dispute. Had you said Japanese tropes for a fantasy game, that would be completely different and cover a wide assortment of best fit ideas.</blockquote>

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