Races that go with a Samurai

[ReD_Exorcist]

I am looking for a race that is would go good with a Samurai, My main bonuses I want are Str, Con, Dex. So any race that has a LA 0 or 1 with + to Str, Con or Dex

[infomatic]

CW Samurai or OA?

For CW, Azurin. Incarnum helps a lot.

Dwarf (a sub race w/ - Dex instead of Cha) also works, as they get Samurai as favored class (per OA rules). You do not want a high dexterity for CW Samurai, as they're encouraged to wear heavy armor.

Related question: Are you a fan of self-inflicted pain or something?

[Kennisiou]

Complete Warrior Samurai, Oriental Adventures Samurai, or some other sort of Samurai?

In general, my suggestion is go with any race that avoids penalties to charisma, con, or str since those are your three main stats (cha > dex because you get heavy armor and your class features heavily shove you into the role of the melee intimidator). Human is a pretty solid choice here. Goliath works nicely as well. Lesser Aasimar and Lesser Tiefling can also both make good Samurai.

[magwaaf]

if its not pathfinder samurai, don't play it...

OA and CW's samurai are absolute trash

[Seharvepernfan]

When I think of D&D samurai, I think of hobgoblins.

[BWR]

Rakasta (http://www.halfblogre.com/2011/06/pc-race-rakasta/), obviously.

[Gemini476]

I'd suggest a half-elf to fit the bad things together, but a Samurai is a worse class than a Half-Elf is a race. Maybe half-orc? What's the most useless race available at LA+0?
More seriously, yoiu can't go wrong with Human and anything with +CHA and +STR is good. Maybe go Half-Minotaur or something for the strength boost?

Although if you aren't using the PF or OA Samurai, I would honestly suggest going Fighter instead. The CW Samurai is just that bad. The OA version at least has some use (in low-magic games, as the setting intended), but the CW one is just useless other than a few specific fear builds.

[Dr. Azkur]

Here comes someone who played 8 levels of samurai (from 3 to 11). Hello everybody. Yes it's painful. It's very painful. But have you ever been given water after two days in the desert? Have you?! Well that's what Ronin is. Relief after an eternity of suffering. And that's what this brave man is going to play. Right? Oh by the gods I hope he is.

Listen to me young man, enter Ronin when you are at Samurai 11 and cast away your foolish vows of loyalty, drop your whole 10 levels and become a glorious Samurai 1/Ronin 10... After that do not ever look back. (Going forth with Kensai is also pretty neat, I did that and dipped Warblade, it was pretty cool).

Now not to be an obnoxious munchkin (though to be fair Samurai is bad in ANY standard), I'll be on topic an list a few races:

Dragonborn (Races of the Dragon) +2 Con -2 Dex +You're a dragon FFS.
Darfellan (Stormwrack) +2 Str -2 Dex +I think they get a bite attack?
Skarn (Magic of Incarnum) +2 Str -Dex +Incarnum (as they mentioned, it helps)
Body Hellbred (Fiendish Codex II) +2 Con -2 Int -Gotta be good but +A redeeming samurai ronin from hell? Flavour is there, my man.
Hengeyokai -2 Wis +You CAN'T go wrong with these guys. Specially because you can enter Warshaper and because who doesn't want to become a sparrow? +They're already asian


PS: Know what's pretty cool? Savage Progression lycanthropes. Check them out. (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/sp)

[dragonkingofthe]

an orc or half orc samurai might be interesting to play, you'd have to explain how an orc ended up one to you GM, but mechanically they might match, you could either try to explain it as either a half orc peasent or something getting the approval of a lord, or use the mechanics of the Samurai to represent something else. Say your a proud Orc huscarl dedicated to his lord as part of a sea going orc like viking race of raiders and traders.

of the two, that second option sounds better and more likely to fly, plus you could always multi class into barbarian (favored you know) and snag RAEG to smash some heads open

[Dr. Azkur]

[...]plus you could always multi class into barbarian (favored you know) and snag RAEG to smash some heads open

Tsk.
Samurai is Lawful only and Barbarian is Chaotic only. Although if you go ronin...

[dragonkingofthe]

Tsk.
Samurai is Lawful only and Barbarian is Chaotic only. ALTHOUGH IF YOU GO RONIN...!!!

(face palm) ok, that forget that unless you GM gives some kind of premession for that, (and frankly if you were using samurai fluff to justify a orc i would allow it don't know this guy) should have looked that class up some more before i looked it up, sorry.

[Bullet06320]

way back in 2nd edition I did a minataur samari, it was fun

and the thought of tortle from dragon 315 would be odd, but kool

[DMJeff]

if its not pathfinder samurai, don't play it...

OA and CW's samurai are absolute trash

Yes, yes they are. If I recall you get a stare.. And it is also covered in the tier system as one of the weakest class. Might be better to model a martial class after a sam instead. One that can choose weapon focuse If your looking for that cult classic sam. Really you could make it all happen with just a LN alignment and almost any martial class.

[Cwymbran-San]

The OA samurai does have it's uses though. Especially if you are able to use the iaiutsu-strikes as often as possible. IIRR you can deal these strikes to any opponent who is flat-footed if you draw and strike within the same phase.

So, after dispatching your first enemy, you sheathe your katana, feint the next opponent into flat-footedness (you don't need to draw a weapon for this) and iaiutsu-strike him again.

Friend of mine used said move in our adventures, worked quite well for him.

On topic: are you playing in a certain campaign world? There is a race in Secrets of Sarlona that should be right up your alley...

[Gemini476]

You want to make a Samurai? Grab a Fighter and go glaive-tripping with a Naginata. Get a composite bow, call it a yumi, and fire it from horseback. If you end up in close combat for whatever reason, pull out your backup katana (greatsword?) and go charge to glory and death. If you get captured, use your tanto to disembowel yourself.

Just don't go Two-Weapon Fighting. Why on earth is the Samurai class focused on that?

Then again, maybe you should just go Factotum instead if you want to be a Samurai. Those guys are masters at iajutsu, and you'll actually have the skill points to spend on Knowledge(Nobility), Diplomacy, Riding...

[Kelb_Panthera]

Just don't go Two-Weapon Fighting. Why on earth is the Samurai class focused on that?

Because Miyamoto Musashi....... or Musashi Miyamoto, I can never remember which way it goes.

[DMJeff]

You want to make a Samurai? Grab a Fighter and go glaive-tripping with a Naginata. Get a composite bow, call it a yumi, and fire it from horseback. If you end up in close combat for whatever reason, pull out your backup katana (greatsword?) and go charge to glory and death. If you get captured, use your tanto to disembowel yourself.

Just don't go Two-Weapon Fighting. Why on earth is the Samurai class focused on that?

Then again, maybe you should just go Factotum instead if you want to be a Samurai. Those guys are masters at iajutsu, and you'll actually have the skill points to spend on Knowledge(Nobility), Diplomacy, Riding...

LOL sound's like the best option to me!

[Gavinfoxx]

Anthropomorphic Rabbit. Anthropomorphic Rat. Anthropomorphic Turtle.


....What?

[Diovid]

If it's the CW samurai, make sure you use the updated one (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x).

Intimidation optimization is pretty much it's only redeeming quality so you should pick a race which complements that such as desert half-orc (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertHalfOrcs). Why half-orc? Because it gives you access to the Menacing Demeanor feat (Races of Destiny) and to the half-orc paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#halfOrcParagon). Why desert half-orc? Because it's a half-orc sub-race which doesn't get a charisma penalty.

For more ideas about intimidation see the fear handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0).

[Manly Man]

Honestly, the best idea I can come up with for you is to just play a Warblade instead and fluff him as a Samurai. If you keep second-guessing race, just go with human, it's always second-best at everything, if not the best.

EDIT: Also, the Two-Weapon Fighting is based off of a genuine fighting style called ryotojutsu, which is fighting with your katana and wakizashi simultaneously, much like how many European fencers would use a stiff dagger to accompany their main sword of choice.