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View Full Version : {3.5e} Playing Against Type? Half-Orc Samurai Upgrades



AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-25, 11:46 PM
Hey All Y'all Playgrounders!

In my campaign coming up this sunday I'm playing the following:

Shinji gro-Maro the White Horse-LN Half-Orc Samurai (OA) of the Crane Clan.

He's the estranged son of a Noteworthy Samurai-later turned Emperor and the Daughter of an Orc Lord. Nobility on either side, he mastered the Katana at a young age. Appearing more Orcish than Man, but raised as a Human Noble, he now searches to avenge his father's murder and rightfully take the throne of both men and orcs, and end a 200 year war.

My DM is only allowing Base Races (plus Orc) and any class/feat.

Thanks for the help, and for those who help, may you always roll Natural 20's

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-25, 11:49 PM
Exactly what are you asking for?

Thrice Dead Cat
2009-12-25, 11:52 PM
Exactly what are you asking for?

My guess is delicious cake, but we all know where that leads. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheCakeIsALie)

In all seriousness, though, you could probably go with a fear-focused build with a side-helping of power attack.

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-25, 11:58 PM
Exactly what are you asking for?

To answer Dusk's question, basically I'm looking for feats and such for a character straight out of the pages or Oriental Adventures: A Ronin hero.

I prefer the OA samurai simply because its a refluffed fighter.

My "concept" goes something like this:

Samurai 5/Master Samurai 5/Dragon Samurai 5/Kensai 5

this is pure and honest Samurai Goodness.
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and for flavor's sake, he's a ronin due to the fact he has no lord, but he still abides by the Samurai Code to the letter

mabriss lethe
2009-12-26, 12:21 AM
This looks like a job for a warblade.

Narazil
2009-12-26, 01:52 AM
Seriously, what is up with your gaming group? Your last post is like 3 days old, where you said you were playing a Divine character.

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 12:13 PM
Seriously, what is up with your gaming group? Your last post is like 3 days old, where you said you were playing a Divine character.

found out we had a divine character. DM said I needed to play a Melee or Skillmunky. I chose Melee, my friend chose skillmunky

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-26, 12:29 PM
You could always use the Iajutsu, I don't have my OA book here but IIRC Samurais get Iajutsu focus as a class skill.

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 12:34 PM
You could always use the Iajutsu, I don't have my OA book here but IIRC Samurais get Iajutsu focus as a class skill.

So does the OA samurai. I'm taking that as one of my major skill focuses. I also was intrigued by Martial Lore, ut don't want to class out of Samurai.

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-26, 12:37 PM
So does the OA samurai. I'm taking that as one of my major skill focuses. I also was intrigued by Martial Lore, ut don't want to class out of Samurai.

I am not sure if Martial Lore would be a good idea IIRC it serves to identify stances, and manoubers so unless your group heavely uses ToB I think that skill is highly situational (sp?).

If you go on the Iajutsu route, why not Iajutsu master, I think that count as a Samurai Prg class.

Dervag
2009-12-26, 12:41 PM
Seriously, what is up with your gaming group? Your last post is like 3 days old, where you said you were playing a Divine character.It's Christmas. A lot of people take a break from posting right around Christmas; they're traveling or spending time with their families somewhere without easy Internet access.

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 12:47 PM
I am not sure if Martial Lore would be a good idea IIRC it serves to identify stances, and manoubers so unless your group heavely uses ToB I think that skill is highly situational (sp?).

If you go on the Iajutsu route, why not Iajutsu master, I think that count as a Samurai Prg class.

I see. I also took the Iaijutsu Master Heritage feat, because my DM allowed me to have one for free. This Iaijutsu route is interesting, but the thought of a fast Half-Orc seems odd to say the least...

Deth Muncher
2009-12-26, 12:54 PM
I see. I also took the Iaijutsu Master Heritage feat, because my DM allowed me to have one for free. This Iaijutsu route is interesting, but the thought of a fast Half-Orc seems odd to say the least...

But see, Iajutsu Focus is what makes Samurai so spiffy. It's like sneak attack damage, but...not...exactly. It's kind of like Blatant Attack damage. "You! I am acting before you this round, thus you are flatfooted and cannot defy my awesome blow!"

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-26, 12:55 PM
considering half orcs have favored class: barbarian AND barbarian have fast movement, I don't see why a fast half-orc is odd

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 12:59 PM
true. Plus, RoDes states Half-Orc Rogues are good too.

So spend some energy on Iaijutsu focus. Should I or should I not take Master Samurai and Dragon Samurai?

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-26, 01:06 PM
I am AFB right know, so I don't know what does Master Samurai or Dragon Samurai do

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 01:10 PM
I am AFB right know, so I don't know what does Master Samurai or Dragon Samurai do

Master Samurai: Cleave Boosts, Double Katana Damage, ect.

Dragon Samurai: Basically swordsmen who emulate one breed of dragon (Such as Red or Gold) and embue their weapons with the dragon's breath weapon, gain resistance to the energies of their dragon and eventurally gain one as a mount.

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-26, 01:25 PM
Master Samurai doesn't seems that good, but Dragon Samurai sounds good, especially if you combine it with a different breed of dragons, shadow (Monster of Faerun and either Draconomicon or Races of the dragon) is a favorite of mine, negative levels on each hit? yes please

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 01:34 PM
Master Samurai doesn't seems that good, but Dragon Samurai sounds good, especially if you combine it with a different breed of dragons, shadow (Monster of Faerun and either Draconomicon or Races of the dragon) is a favorite of mine, negative levels on each hit? yes please

it states 1d6 energy damage at 4th level and 2d6 at 8th

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-26, 01:42 PM
Oh well, there goes the negative levels idea, but there are other ones, pyroclastic dragons breath weapon is both sonic and fire....

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 01:51 PM
Oh well, there goes the negative levels idea, but there are other ones, pyroclastic dragons breath weapon is both sonic and fire....

So I'd gain 10 resistance to sonic and fire?

and gain its breath weapon?

and gain one as a mount?

and deal 1d6 sonic and fire?

and immunity to fear aura?

all at 6th level of Dragon Samurai??

Dusk Eclipse
2009-12-26, 01:57 PM
I don't know the specifications of the Dragon Samurai.. but maybe

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-12-26, 02:18 PM
So I'd gain 10 resistance to sonic and fire?

and gain its breath weapon?

and gain one as a mount?

and deal 1d6 sonic and fire?

and immunity to fear aura?

all at 6th level of Dragon Samurai??

dragon samurai is availeble here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906c), it doesn't get a free mount, it doesn't get a breath weapon and it only gains immunity from the 'fear effects'
of a dragons of your chosen type.
Furthermore, you can only choose dragons from the list and even then it has to match 1. your alignment 2. your clan, which if you are a crane samurai equals 0.

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-26, 02:28 PM
dragon samurai is availeble here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906c), it doesn't get a free mount, it doesn't get a breath weapon and it only gains immunity from the 'fear effects'
of a dragons of your chosen type.
Furthermore, you can only choose dragons from the list and even then it has to match 1. your alignment 2. your clan, which if you are a crane samurai equals 0.

I have one of 5 dragons I can choose from: Gold, Silver, Green, Blue, or Bronze.

And the Crane Clan is my Human Side.

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-12-26, 03:44 PM
Read again,

Alignment: Depends on the color of the dragon samurai's clan, as follows.

* Black, Red, or White: Chaotic neutral, neutral evil, or chaotic evil.
* Blue or Green: Lawful neutral, lawful evil, or neutral evil.
* Brass or Copper: Neutral good, chaotic good, or chaotic neutral.
* Bronze, Gold, or Silver: Lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral.


You nave to be part of the dragon clan and which dragon clan you chose then limits your choice in alignment. If you are lawful neutral, then you can be part of the Gold, Silver, Green, Blue, or Bronze clans and still get access to the dragon samurai. The crane clan is not a dragon clan and thus does not qualify. If your Orc side is a samurai dragon clan, which is unlikely, you might get past this restriction.

Thurbane
2009-12-26, 05:36 PM
...or the DM might waive the fluff.

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-27, 02:56 AM
He's waiving that, considering I "turned my back" on the clan.

Hawk7915
2009-12-27, 03:14 AM
My gut says after looking at the class that Dragon Samurai is most certainly not worth the time spent.The only class features that I think are really great are Energy Resistance and +2d6 weapon damage (breath weapon's DC is going to suck unless you have a monster con score, the other powers are way too limited/narrow). Now, they sound nice and in a low to moderate power group would it might be okay considering the easy prereqs...but I think not having full BAB just kills it. If the class had full BAB (or if you could persuade the DM to houserule it as such), I'd say go for it but considering that you're already having to stretch the fluff I'd pass on this class.

ex cathedra
2009-12-27, 03:25 AM
Guess what? You kind of don't have to be a Samurai to, like, be a Samurai. I mean, haven't you read OotS?

The classes you've chosen are, to be honest, kind of terrible. I mean, Samurai bad. Dragon Samurai is somehow worse. Kensai is okay, but not when used like this.

AirGuitarGod32
2009-12-27, 11:42 AM
so in English, this'd be the equivelant of dropping a child off a roof onto its head?