D&D 5E Why everyone think that Battlemaster is better than Samurai?

[Paul Farquhar]

So with that I'm actually not sure if it is possible to use Elven Accuracy with Great Weapon Master.

Sure you can. Cast shillelagh on a staff. Take a level of monk. Use an elven double bladed scimitar with it's associated feat. Take two levels hexblade warlock (pact of the blade). Three levels of Battle Smith.

 

[Undrave]

Everytime that I see a guide about fighter, BM is better rate than Samurai. For while, I just think that people overrated the subclass. Can anyone explain it to me?

It's not that Battlemaster is more powerful, it's more popular because it's more interesting to play.

What Paul said. The Battlemaster just gets to BE a Battlemaster more often than the Samurai does. Your core feature, the one that brought you to the class, gets used up to 4 times per short rest. Plus, it has an impact that can extend beyond your character.

Furthermore, getting advantage is mostly good if you're crit fishing, but like the Champion your cries don't mean much since you don't have extra dice to roll.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Vorpal sword goes snicker-snack...

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

The purpledragon is not as awful as you might think. It is about as powerful as the champion. He has healing on a short rest base. My feeling is that he would be better if level 3 and 7 abilities would have been switched. 3 hp for 3 people is lousy. 7 not so much. I also think he vould have added cha to some abilities. Would have been a nice twist.

I always feelthe purple dragon knight could be made a bit better by giving them a free martial adept feat limited to a choice of the warlord style manoeuvres.

My solution to the PDK was to bump all of their abilities down a tier. I gave both rallying cry and royal envoy at 3rd, inspiring surge (the weapon attack one) at 7th, bulwark at 10th, and a new ability at 15th: the leadership ability taken from hobgoblin captains/warlords.

Leadership: Beginning at 15th level, you can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that you can see within 30 ft. of you makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand you. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect lasts up to 1 minute, and ends if you are incapacitated. Once you use this ability you must finish a short or long rest in order to use it again.

It's effectively a free use of bless with an unlimited amount of targets once per short rest. Feels appropriate for a leader sort of character, and more importantly gets the access to the actual fun abilities of the archetype: rallying cry and inspiring surge a bit faster. The archetype as is isn't that weak, but could use a slight bump, and doesnt really come together until 10th level and up...the point where many games end.

 

[Krachek]

samurai is not an alternative to BM but to the champion.

 

[Garthanos]

samurai is not an alternative to BM but to the champion.

That is an interesting distinction... am I reading it right the idea is still mostly simple but you choose when you nova?

 

[Sacrosanct]

The BM better represents the 1980s western pop culture representation of the samurai, and the actual samurai better represents the actual historical occupation. How people view which one as being better is probably viewed through those appropriate lenses.

why one is played a lot mire than the other probably has to do with one being in the PHB, and the other in an unofficial pdf.

 

[jayoungr]

Samurai is a one note wonder. They have one worthwhile thing - use Fighting Spirit and go nova with action surge.

Battlemaster gets some real choices to respond to situations.

Some people like having a signature schtick, though.

 

[Krachek]

That is an interesting distinction... am I reading it right the idea is still mostly simple but you choose when you nova?

Still simple to use but additional skill, language, wis saving throw made him a more interesting character.
samurai is not the best name.
this build can be use to play a Knight, an wise soldier.

 

[Undrave]

why one is played a lot mire than the other probably has to do with one being in the PHB, and the other in an unofficial pdf.

What are you talking about? The Samurai was printed in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, it's not just in an unofficial pdf...