Is this Samurai Homebrew balanced?

[Chuhn]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13jBcDjBcpVnylIetJn2aaATvGPBIblJJzxEtgJjzBEM/edit#

A friend saw this a posting where people discussed balance on a samurai class, so he made it a Doc and wants to use it. Wondering if its balanced?

Thanks

[Easy_Lee]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13jBcDjBcpVnylIetJn2aaATvGPBIblJJzxEtgJjzBEM/edit#

A friend saw this a posting where people discussed balance on a samurai class, so he made it a Doc and wants to use it. Wondering if its balanced?

Thanks

This isn't the Homebrew section, and the ancestral gear stuff would be broken in some campaigns and useless in others. Master of the ways was too versatile.

If you don't want Homebrew to be broken, I suggest using the existing classes and just make a new archetype. That way you're not making something that might invalidate someone else (Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic).

[Chuhn]

Yes, i thought I clicked homebrew section. My bad.

[Ziegander]

Chuhn, didn't we already talk about this? I realize that it's now been edited, but it's still really overpowered... Just... Just stahp.

[Chuhn]

Chuhn, didn't we already talk about this? I realize that it's now been edited, but it's still really overpowered... Just... Just stahp.

Not that I recall, there was another thread, but that does not matter. Furthermore it is not mine, I still think its broken, but I need specific examples to take to him.

[burninatortrog]

I still think its broken, but I need specific examples to take to him.

Are you the DM? If so, you don't need any such thing.

[Flashy]

Not that I recall, there was another thread, but that does not matter. Furthermore it is not mine, I still think its broken, but I need specific examples to take to him.

Since you want specific criticisms I've highlighted some key problems below.



It calls out terms that have no meaning in 5e. What does it mean by granting proficiency in "Ancestral" weapons and armor at the start?

Iaijutsu strike doesn't affect half the available weapon options. This character is sharply limited by its own class features.

The ability to spend a single resolve point to dodge or disengage gives the samurai the important parts of the similar rogue feature.

Ancestral weapon is a joke. In a system with no expectation of magic items a +2 weapon and +1 armor are strong at 15th level, at 9th they're preposterous.

The stances are for the most part crazy. They're pretty much always on monk abilities that require only a few points to activate and stay active forever without penalty. Requiring concentration to maintain the stances and scaling the cost up if you want the 13th level features renders them somewhat more reasonable.

Legendary Ancestral Gear is again absurdly overpowered. No class should be guaranteed +3 armor under any circumstances, and combined with a legendary weapon of the player's choosing it's absolutely insane.

The archetype (and there really shouldn't only be the one) gets even more nuts.

Weakness in All Things grants proficiency in three skills, which is enough for an entire class feature. Undeterred by this, it goes on to include a confusingly worded feature that seems to be a magic I win button for any charisma check ever. Ridiculous. The second half of the feature should be cut outright.

What on earth does Legs of the Wind have to do with being a policeman? This has way too many features. It's not that any of them are particularly good, but the samurai is getting too jack of all trades-y. Cut the advantage on acrobatics checks options and just let the samurai cast Jump on himself for 2 resolve. The traps thing is fine since it's basically a ribbon, though a bad one since it doesn't actually define what the character is supposed to be.

Manticore Parry should probably be replaced with the Monk's Deflect Missiles, though again I have no idea what this has to do with being a secret policeman.

Mind over Body is probably fine?

Lightning throw is also probably fine, but again I totally don't get what this has to do with being a secret policeman.



I'd really encourage you to suggest the fighter archetype linked in the homebrew forum's version of this thread, which I am reposting here (https://merovia.obsidianportal.com/wikis/samurai).

[djreynolds]

Since you want specific criticisms I've highlighted some key problems below.




I'd really encourage you to suggest the fighter archetype linked in the homebrew forum's version of this thread, which I am reposting here (https://merovia.obsidianportal.com/wikis/samurai).

Very cool build.

I like it, but I would have them keep the long sword strength based so if need be he could go two handed strike along with greater weapon master feat. But I would allow him draw and store his weapons as free action so he could go from one weapon to two weapon.

But otherwise, I'm going to introduce this archetype as is. Now you can grab mounted combatant or sharpshooter to flesh him out I tried a build with base classes, paladin fighter rouge, but it was very MAD. I like my samurai strong and dexterous.

[PoeticDwarf]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13jBcDjBcpVnylIetJn2aaATvGPBIblJJzxEtgJjzBEM/edit#

A friend saw this a posting where people discussed balance on a samurai class, so he made it a Doc and wants to use it. Wondering if its balanced?

Thanks

So, in fact, you do every time a pretty good extra amount of damage if you hit. That has to be one attack every round, like other features, you can do so much with it if you play smart.

[PotatoGolem]

If you don't want Homebrew to be broken, I suggest using the existing classes and just make a new archetype. That way you're not making something that might invalidate someone else (Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic).

Agree 100%. Full classes just have a TON of moving parts in them which make balancing a huge hassle. Plus, it's hard to use other classes as reference/comparison points without being bland. It's really rare that a homebrew class is both flavorful and perfectly balanced. Archetypes are way easier, because you have less abilities to balance and more direct comparison points (the other archetypes from the same class).