Master swordsman

[maniacalmojo]

Can anyone help make a master swordsman style build?

Basically i want something that is similar to ruroni kenshin. A neutral or lawful good wanderer who wears no armor but can strike down foes with great skill and a single blade.

The build would need
-good BAB
-Ability to get ac without armor.
-Single sword style
-Iajutso focus preferably
-Mobility style moves
-Combat feats for controlling

[(Un)Inspired]

Something like wizard 6/abjurant champion 5/ swift blade 9 should work for you.

It has extreme mobility to the point of being able to move huge distances and still full attack.

It has great bab

Amazing ac

Basically as many combat feats as you could ever want.

The only thing it's lacking is iaijutsu focus but with power attack and wraith strike you can do more damage than a IF character would.

[maniacalmojo]

>.< D&D cracks me up sometimes when a complete martial optimized character has six levels of wizard.

[tricktroller]

Wizards, doing what you do better than you do since the dawn of time. and fireball.

[maniacalmojo]

hypothetically lets say i want to not use as many arcane casters how would i do it?

[Dienekes]

>.< D&D cracks me up sometimes when a complete martial optimized character has six levels of wizard.

In pure optimization, yeah, taking tier 1 classes generally end up doing what you want better than you.

However, if you want to still feel like a swordsman, I'd look into the Warblade, or just anything from Tome of Battle (though Swordsage is a bit magical, and Crusader is heavy armor focused). Einhander is still not particularly optimized (unless you mean using a two-handed sword), but the maneuvers he gains works on them just fine. If you want control feats, I'd suggest looking into Bull Rush feats which can have you flinging opponents in every direction.

You may want to dip Spirit-Lion totem Barbarian for 1 level to get Pounce, which helps your mobility a bit.

[Alabenson]

If you wanted to have an unarmored melee fighter without any wizard, than my advice would be to go a mix of Swordsage and Warblade from the Tome of Battle.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Go OA Samurai 1/ Human Paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#humanParagon) 1/ Sorcerer 2/ Human Paragon 2/ Spellsword 1/ Abjurant Champion 1/ Iaijutsu Master 5/ Abjurant Champion 4/ Exotic Weapon Master 3.

Feats should include EWP: Bastard Sword/Katana, Practiced Spellcaster, Ascetic Mage, any prerequisites you need, and wear a Monk's Belt. This adds your Int and Cha bonus to AC, plus you can cast (Greater) Mage Armor, Shield, and other useful spells like Nerveskitter, Expeditious Retreat, Haste, Wings of Cover, Wraithstrike, etc. You can cast Grease under an opponent and they'll be considered balancing per the balance skill (confirmed in the FAQ), which makes them flat-footed if they have fewer than 5 ranks in Balance. You can get a few batches of marbles (A&EG), put a batch in a folded square of cloth, and put it on your belt as a weaponlike object (Rules Compendium). You can quick-draw it, then drop it in an opponent's square using only free actions. They'll be balancing and flat-footed if they have less than 5 ranks in Balance.

Your daisho from OA Samurai should be a katana and a quarterstaff, and you can use this trick (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267805#4) with the quarterstaff without needing to take Ancestral Relic. He should usually have the katana sheathed, and use the quarterstaff as a walking stick. You'll have quick-draw since it's required for Iaijutsu Master. You can make the katana a -2 Cursed Sword (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cursedItems.htm#swordCursed), so you can quick-draw it, strike a flat-footed opponent with Iaijutsu Focus, drop it, quick-draw any other weapon and end up holding the katana again, repeat as often as you get to attack. You should be able to upgrade that katana with an Enhancement bonus, or just use Greater Magic Weapon, to help cancel out the -2 penalty it has.

[(Un)Inspired]

hypothetically lets say i want to not use as many arcane casters how would i do it?

Are there any other restrictions you'd like to stick to other than avoiding arcane casting?

A cleric/ardent/ psychic theurge/shiba protector can be pretty amazing in battle with seer combat powers and clerics obvious favorites (divine power, divine might etc. etc.). This build avoids arcane casting altogether and it's cleric spells and ardent manifesting are based off wisdom. Samurai should be all about wisdom right?

You can use hustle and psionic lions charge for awesome mobility and force screen and inertia barrier for ac without armor.

You'll be hard pressed to find someone who can beat you in a sword fight.

[Red Fel]

Can anyone help make a master swordsman style build?
Seconding Tome of Battle. It's Melee Done Right.

The build would need
-good BAB
Warblade gets full BAB, Swordsage gets 3/4 BAB.

-Ability to get ac without armor.
Swordsage gets Wis-to-AC when wearing light armor.

-Single sword style
Wielding a two-handed sword in both hands is going to get you your best damage anyway. ToB classes are proficient in big honking swords. More specifically, the katana (bastard sword) is a discipline weapon of the Diamond Mind discipline, which both Warblades and Swordsages can use.

-Iajutso focus preferably
Sure, why not?

-Mobility style moves
Swordsage has access to the Setting Sun discipline, which focuses on sudden, swift movements, often causing things to combust as a result.

-Combat feats for controlling
You could take feats, sure. Or you could just use awesome maneuvers and get a much more flexible effect. Replace your saves with Concentration checks. Shrug off harmful effects. Perform a full attack twice in a single round. Perform a single, perfect sword cut that inflicts massive bonus damage. Give a tactical order that causes an ally to suddenly strike immediately, regardless of initiative order.

Go read ToB. It's what Kenshin Himura would want.