Quick Build: You can quickly build a Samurai by following these suggestions. Firstly, Wisdom to be your highest score for you abilities, followed by either Strength or Dexterity depending on your style to be wearing heavy armor for melee attacks or becomes a Ronin for a faster movement and evasion.
hit dice:
1d10
hit points at 1st level:
10 + Constitution modifier
hit points at higher levels:
1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Samurai level after 1st
armor proficiencies:
Light armor, Medium Armor
weapon proficiencies:
Simple weapons, martial melee weapons, longbow
tools:
none
saving throws:
Dexterity, Constitution
skills:
Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Religion, Survival
starting equipment:
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the
equipment granted by your background:
• a) longsword or b) a martial weapon
• a) leather armor or b) scale mail
• a) a shortsword or b) any simple melee weapon
• a) an explorers pack or b) a scholars pack
spellcasting:
class features:
FIGHTING STYLE
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty,
Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting
Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose
again.
ARCHERY
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged
weapons.
DEFENSE
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
DUELING
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no
other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that
weapon,
GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you
make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two
hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even
if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed
or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your
ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
SKILLED ATTACKER
Whenever you make a melee weapon attack with one of your
samurai weapons, (eg: longswords, shortswords, etc.) you
may choose to use Dexterity instead of Strength for the
attack and damage roll, even if the weapon isn't a finesse
weapon.
FOCUS
Starting at 2nd level, your mental strength gives you mastery
in fighting in battles, resulting in a level of focus during the
chaos. This focus is represented in a number of focus points.
Your samurai level determines how many focus points you
have as shown on the Focus Points table. These points
replenish after you finish a short or long rest. Once per turn,
you can spend one focus point, as a bonus action, to grant
yourself advantage on your next attack you take with one of
your samurai weapons. You must declare you are spending a
focus point before you make your initial attack roll.
HONORABLE DUEL
Starting at 2nd level, you force a target to focus its attention
on you for battle. Convincing them to view you as an enemy
worthy of their attention in a fight. You can spend an action
and 1 focus point to force a creature to make a wisdom
saving throw.
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom
modifier
On a failed save, you compel a creature to fight you, the
creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls made on
creatures, other than you, until the end of your next turn.
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 14th, 16th,
and 19th level. you can increase one ability score of your
choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your
choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score
above 20 using this feature.
EXTRA ATTACK
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once,
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The
number of attacks increases to three when you reach 13th
level in this class.
KNOW THY ENEMY
Starting at 6th level, you can spend 1 focus point as a bonus
action and the weapon you are currently wielding gets a +1
bonus to attack and damage rolls. This number increases to
+2 at level 12, and to +3 at level 18. This skill lasts for 1
minute and can only have one use active at a time.
MENTAL FOCUS
Starting at 9th level, you can use your action to spend 1 focus
point to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be
charmed or frightened.
UNSHAKEABLE
Beginning at 11th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you
fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can't use
this feature again until you finish a long rest
PATH OF THE SWORD
At level 15, you can advance towards an enemy ignoring your
surroundings, you no longer have to spend extra movement
to pass through difficult terrain.
ENEMY SENSE
Starting at level 18, you are so alert to your surroundings that
enemies have a hard time catching you by surprise, enemies
cannot get advantage against you as a result of being hidden
from you, as long as you aren't incapacitated.
MENTAL CLARITY
Starting at level 20, when you roll for initiative and you have
no focus points remaining you regain 4 focus points.
subclass options:
PATH OF HONOR
This path focuses on the loyalty to ones "lord" a samurai
exhibited when they served a noble. They are not ones to
question an order and they perform tasks given to them with
precision and skill. They wear heavy armor and fight with a
variety of weapons and techniques for any situations
depending on what is asked of them. They would lay down
their lives for their lords and serve them till the day their
lords die even going as far as to end their own lives if ordered
to, no task is too great to please their king.
STRONG FORTITUDE
At 3rd level you gain proficiency in heavy armor, martial
ranged weapons. In addition as long as you are wearing
heavy armor and no shield, you can add your Dexterity
modifier to your armor class (max 2).
BENEVOLENCE
Starting at 3rd level, as a bonus action you can perform an
"act of kindness" for one willing creature, you can choose one
other creature, within 10 feet of you, that can see or hear you,
and heal them equal to 1d10 + your Samurai level, this
increases to 2d10 at level 12, you can perform this skill a
number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. When you
finish a long rest you regain all expended uses.
COURAGE
Starting at 7th level, you are confident in your fighting
prowess, so much so that you feel you can handle multiple
enemies at the same time. When you use your Honorable
Duel skill you may select an additional target beyond the first,
this number increases to 3 at level 10, and to 4 at level 15.
Additionally, While you are conscious you are immune to
being frightened or magically paralyzed.
SHARP REFLEXES
Starting at 12th level, the duration of your Honorable Duel
becomes 1 minute on each target. Additionally, if a target of
your Honorable duel casts a spell that would cause you to
make a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage when you
succeed, you can use your reaction to spend 1 focus point and
take no damage instead.
UNYIELDING SPIRIT
Starting at level 17, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and
are not killed outright, you can choose to spend 2 focus
points and drop to 1 hit point instead.
PATH OF THE RONIN
The Ronin is a samurai whose lord has passed on or has
been removed from power, resulting in their own dishonor. A
samurai who chooses to continue life without following a
noble and without ending their own life, to save face, soon
after becomes a Ronin. A Ronin is a wandering samurai, with
no ties to a king or noble, and chooses to continue living on
his own. A Ronin sometimes lives life day to day as a
mercenary or can be hired as a body guard for a rich ruler of
a small settlement of land or a trade caravan, while some end
up turning to a life of crime such as a bandit or an organized
crime group.
UNARMORED MASTER
When you choose this path at 3rd level, while you are wearing
no armor (you can wear common clothes) and not wielding a
shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your
Wisdom modifier. Additionally, your speed increases by 10
feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.
This bonus increases to 20 feet at 12th level
BATTLE SENSE
Starting at 3rd level, when you are wielding a weapon you are
proficient with and another creature hits you with a melee
weapon attack you can use your reaction to spend 1 focus
point to quickly position your blade to parry the attack
increasing your AC by your proficiency bonus for that attack
possibly causing it to miss you. You must declare this skill before
you see the roll, and before the DM says whether the attack
hits or misses. Additionally, when you hit with a melee attack
you can spend 1 focus point and use the Dodge action as a
bonus action.
QUICK STRIKE
Starting at 7th level, when you dash towards an enemy and
move at least 10 feet or more in a straight line, you can use a
bonus action to make a melee attack with a samurai weapon
as you pass the creature, this movement does not provoke
opportunity attacks.
CHAIN STRIKE
Starting at 12th level, when you make a dash action and move
at least 10 feet in a straight line you can spend 1 focus point
and make a melee attack against a creature, you may then
move past that creature, this movement does not provoke
opportunity attacks, and if there is another creature at least
15 feet away from your first attack target, you may move up to
an additional 10 feet and use a bonus action to attack the
second creature.
FINAL STRIKE
At 17th level, when you make a melee attack against a
creature and hit, if there is no other creatures within 5 ft of
you or the creature, you can spend 2 focus points and have
the creature make a constitution saving throw (DC8 +
Proficiency + Dexterity) on a failed save you deal double
damage dice to the creature (example; if a greatsword is 2d6
+modifiers then the damage becomes 4d6+ modifiers)
PATH OF THE CURSED BLADE
Samurai who follow the path of the cursed blade have come
into possession of a blade with a terrible dark magic about it,
or perhaps it has come into possession of them instead.
Followers of this path are bound to their weapons and its
magical forces. Samurai who have taken this path delve into
dark magic's and uses this darkness to fuel themselves and
cast this magic.
SPELLCASTING
When you reach 3rd level, your blade has given you
supernatural powers by your curse granting you the ability to
cast spells.
Cantrips
You learn 3 cantrips: minor illusion (this spell does not count
towards your cantrips known) and 2 of your choice from your
samurai spell list. You learn an additional cantrip at level 10.
Spell Slots.
The Cursed Blade Spellcasting table shows how many spell
slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To
cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's
level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you
finish a long rest.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher.
You know three 1st level samurai spells of your choice.
Spellcasting Ability.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your samurai spells,
since you learn your spells through careful contemplation
and the knowledge that your blade bestows upon you. You
use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting
ability.
In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting
the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when
making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom
modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your
Wisdom modifier
Level |
Cantrips Known |
Spells Known |
Spell Slots |
Spell Level |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
10 |
3 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
11 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
12 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
13 |
3 |
9 |
4 |
3 |
14 |
3 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
15 |
3 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
16 |
3 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
17 |
3 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
18 |
3 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
19 |
3 |
12 |
4 |
4 |
20 |
3 |
13 |
4 |
4 |
CURSED LINK
Starting at 3rd level, you have learned a dark ritual that
curses a sword causing the blade to become magically
bonded with you. You perform this ritual over the course of
one hour, which can be done during a short rest. The ritual
consists of modifying your blade through a dark forging
process. The weapon must be within your reach during the
ritual the conclusion of which you complete the forging
process of the blade and it is cursed and bound to you. When
you are cursed with this weapon you cannot be disarmed of it
while you are conscious.
You gain the flaw:
"The blade and you have a strong desire to be together, so
much so that being apart by more than a few feet causes you
to become focused on nothing more than the retrieval of this
blade."
You also create a mark that magically appears on your body
(like that of a tattoo) that symbolizes your link to your
weapon. When the blade is out of your grip and is within a 30
foot range you can use a bonus action to call the blade and
have it harmlessly fly through the air landing safely in your
hands. You can only have one weapon bonded to you through
this method and creating a bond with another weapon causes
the previous "blade" to break and become unusable and
unrepairable.
AFTERIMAGE
Starting at 3rd level when you cast the minor illusion cantrip
you can make an image of yourself that resembles you and
mimics your movements. When an attack is made against
you and misses you, if your illusion is within 5 feet of you, you
can use your reaction to spend 1 focus point and dispel the
illusion, causing it to vanish and you may attack the creature
that missed you. Giving off the appearance that the creature
attacked the illusion thinking it was you.
CURSED SHADOW
Starting at level 7, as a bonus action, you can spend 2 focus
points to create a shadowy blade resembling your cursed
weapon which lasts for 1 minute. Each turn as a bonus action
you can have the shadowy weapon make a melee spell attack,
on a hit the target takes Necrotic damage equal to 1d8 + your
Wisdom modifier.
SHADOW COPIES
At level 12, when you cast minor illusion as a cantrip you can
make 3 illusionary copies of yourself instead of just one,
when a creature attacks you while you are within five feet of a
copy, the creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls. You
can use this skill a number of times equal to your Wisdom
modifier. You regain all uses after a long rest.
CURSED POSSESSION
At level 17, as an action, if you are below half your hit points,
you can spend 4 focus points and activate your curse to take
control over your mind and body causing markings to appear
on your body and you attack anything you see as an enemy.
You have resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing
damage while "marked" and at the beginning of each of your
turns the curse has control, you heal hit points equal to 1d8 +
your Constitution modifier, you also have advantage on all
wisdom saving throws while this effect is active. This ability
can only be used if you are in combat and not at 0 hit points.
CURSED BLADE SPELLS
Cantrips (0 level)
Blade Ward (PHB)
Booming Blade (SCAG)
Frostbite (EE)
Green Flame Blade (SCAG)
Guidance (PHB)
Mage Hand (PHB)
Magic Stone (EE)
Minor Illusion (PHB)
Ray of Frost (PHB)
Sword Burst (SCAG)
True Strike (PHB)
1st level
Armor of Agathys (PHB)
Arms of Hadar (PHB)
Charm Person (PHB)
Expeditious Retreat (PHB)
False Life (PHB)
Heroism (PHB)
Hex (PHB)
Ice Knife (EE)
Silent Image (PHB)
Tasha's Hideous Laughter (PHB)
Zephyr Strike (XGTE)
2nd level
Absorb Elements (PHB)
Blur (PHB)
Crown of Madness (PHB)
Cloud of Daggers (PHB)
Darkness (PHB)
Darkvision (PHB)
Heat Metal (PHB)
Magic Weapon (PHB)
Shadow Blade (XGTE)
Silence (PHB)
Warding Wind (EE)
3rd level
Bestow Curse (PHB)
Fear (PHB)
Flame Arrows (EE)
Haste (PHB)
Melf's Minute Meteors (EE)
Nondetection (PHB)
Remove Curse (PHB)
Water Walk (PHB)
4th level
Confusion (PHB)
Freedom of Movement (PHB)
Hallucinatory Terrain (PHB)
Phantasmal Killer (PHB)
Storm Sphere (EE)
Warding Wind (XGTE)
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Focus Points | Features |
---|
1 | +2 | ─ | Fighting Style, Skilled Attacker |
2 | +2 | 2 | Focus, Honorable Duel |
3 | +2 | 3 | Samurai Path Feature |
4 | +2 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement |
5 | +3 | 5 | Extra Attack |
6 | +3 | 6 | Know Thy Enemy |
7 | +3 | 7 | Samurai Path Feature |
8 | +3 | 8 | Ability Score Improvement |
9 | +4 | 9 | Mental Focus |
10 | +4 | 10 | Ability Score Improvement |
11 | +4 | 11 | Unshakeable |
12 | +4 | 12 | Samurai Path Feature |
13 | +5 | 13 | Extra Attack (2) |
14 | +5 | 14 | Ability Score Improvement |
15 | +5 | 15 | Path Of The Sword |
16 | +5 | 16 | Ability Score Improvement |
17 | +6 | 17 | Samurai Path Feature |
18 | +6 | 18 | Enemy Sense |
19 | +6 | 19 | Ability Score Improvement |
20 | +6 | 20 | Mental Clarity |