Samurai

​The samurai is a warrior from the Shao Yan. He lives by a very strict code of honor and behavior, a code demanding: absolute obedience to his lord; readiness to die for honor or for his lord at any time; eagerness to avenge any dishonor to his lord, his family, or himself; willingness to repay all debts honorably; and unwillingness to demonstrate the most dishonorable trait of cowardice. ​

Role

​Samurai are, essentially, Noble Warriors from the Shao Yan region. A samurai can fall from his noble position within a greater lord's household. It may be that the house has perished in a war or other calamity, or that the samurai's lord has rejected him, or ordered him to commit suicide and the samurai has refused, or that the samurai has left his lord for some other point of honor. Regardless, the samurai is now masterless; he is called ronin. The ronin has all of the abilities of the samurai, but operates under slightly different rules, as you will see below. ​

Distinctive Appearance

None

Special Benefits

The samurai and ronin are able to focus their vital energies to increase their Strength score - temporarily. Once per day per experience level, the samurai or ronin can increase his Strength to 18/00. This lasts for one full round, and must be preceded by a loud kiai-shout (making it impossible for him to summon this strength silently or stealthily). For that one round, all his hit probability, damage adjustment, weight allowance, maximum press, open doors, and bend bars/lift gates rolls and functions are calculated as if his Strength were 18/00. ​

Special Hindrances

​The samurai and ronin have different special hindrances.

The samurai is (supposed to be) absolutely devoted to his lord. He is expected instantly to obey every one of his lord's orders, up to and including killing himself or those he loves. If he refuses to obey an order, he is dishonored and is expected to kill himself. (If he does not, he becomes ronin.) The DM should make sure that the samurai is acutely aware of this by having his lord occasionally issue orders which are difficult for him to keep. This doesn't always have to be "Kill all of your allies," but the lord can issue orders which interfere with the samurai's personal goals and remind him that he is subservient to his lord.

The ronin has his own great difficulty: He earns experience points at half the normal rate. When the DM awards the characters their experience, the ronin receives only half what he would if he were still a samurai. This particular hindrance goes away when the character once again swears allegiance to a lord and becomes a samurai. (Of course, once he's a samurai again, he is subject to the hindrances of the samurai.) ​

Class

Fighter ​

Attribute Requirements

​Strength, Wisdom, and Constitution of 13, and 14 in Intelligence. ​

Barred Beliefs

They may be of lawful alignment only (but still may be good, evil, or neutral). ​

Race Requirement

Human ​

Bonus Weapon Proficiencies

The samurai and ronin start play with two free extra weapon proficiency slots - that's the good news. The bad news is that, of his six initial weapon proficiencies, five are chosen for him. The samurai and ronin must specialize in katana and specialize in daikyu OR Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu. The samurai or ronin may spend his last proficiency slot as he chooses - but only from among samurai weapons (jitte, katana, kama, shuriken, wakizashi, daikyu, spear (yari), naginata, no-dachi, polearm-tetsubo). After the character is in play in another culture, he may become proficient in weapons of that other culture, but is often too stubborn to do so. ​​

Required Weapon Proficiencies

None

Recommended Weapon Proficiencies

None

Barred Weapon Proficiencies

None

Bonus Non-Weapon Proficiencies

Etiquette, Riding (Land-Based), Reading/Writing ​ ​

Recommended Non-Weapon Proficiencies

​Artistic Ability (Calligraphy, Painting), Blind-Fighting, Running ​

Equipment

​The samurai and ronin must buy all their starting equipment from the samurai weapons, armor and equipment typical to samurai. They may have no more than 10 gp left when they have purchased their equipment. Samurai and ronin do not have to buy their katana; that is free to the character. ​

Wealth Options

​The samurai and ronin start with the normal 5d4 x 10 gp beginning money. ​

Homeland Terrain

None

Economic System

​None​