Something about Master Samurai

[Esper_Manny]

I had a Friend tell me this is a poor Prc and he was about to tell me some kinda horror story about it but he logged off. Whats so bad about it? It has some good feats and can even overcome DR. I just dont know whats wrong

[Zincorium]

I had a Friend tell me this is a poor Prc and he was about to tell me some kinda horror story about it but he logged off. Whats so bad about it? It has some good feats and can even overcome DR. I just dont know whats wrong

Only thing 'wrong' with it I can think of is that it's 3.0 in sword and fist, and I really don't know whether it's been updated. In all fairness, it doesn't even need an update, it's perfectly compatible with the 3.5 ruleset as is.


It's also a perfectly playable class if you aren't chaotic stupid by default and the DM doesn't screw over his players by allowing them to take PrCs and then forcing them to lose all class features. It's melee, which means it won't get to the level of 'win' that casters get, but that's rarely a problem in actual play.

[Dhavaer]

In all fairness, it doesn't even need an update, it's perfectly compatible with the 3.5 ruleset as is.

The Ki Attack ability needs updating; it's based on the 3.0 damage reduction system.

[Zincorium]

The Ki Attack ability needs updating; it's based on the 3.0 damage reduction system.

Ok, true, kind of glanced over that and didn't read into it too deeply. Mostly I was looking at the feats, skills, and so on that went into it, and there was nothing 3.0 specific.

On the other hand, it wouldn't be hard to alter it to 'ignores all damage reduction', or something similiar but more restrictive. Since the intention was to allow the master samurai to ignore pretty much all DR types up to and including the Tarrasque with sufficient wisdom, and it only lasts for a single hit, all DR types would seem to be fitting.

In any case, that's hardly a major downside of the PrC that would make it unplayable, which is what Esper_Manny was apparently told.

[MeklorIlavator]

Maybe his friend was confusing it with the Samurai base class, which would fit that description.

[ZeroNumerous]

Maybe his friend was confusing it with the Samurai base class* from Complete Warrior, which would fit that description.

Fixed that for you. OA Samurai isn't an abomination like CW Samurai is.

[JaronK]

Yeah, the OA Samurai is at least workable. Admittedly, it's really just a fighter with fewer feats but a good will save, which is a pathetic trade off, but that's still better than the walking joke that's the CW Samurai... probably the only base class so bad no one would ever defend it. How they made a class that's both mechanically pathetic and fluffwise horrific is beyond me. I think the whole class is designed so they could say "see, fighters and monks aren't that bad!"

JaronK

[Closet_Skeleton]

The main thing about Master Samurai is the x2 Str with Katanas and the annoying requirements. Since the new Exotic Weapon Master came out Master Samurai isn't that good.

I would change the damage reduction ignoring power to counting as one material per +1 bonus.

[Tengu]

Yeah, the OA Samurai is at least workable. Admittedly, it's really just a fighter with fewer feats but a good will save, which is a pathetic trade off, but that's still better than the walking joke that's the CW Samurai...

Don't forget a Kensai-like ability to improve your ancestral weapon.

[JungeonJeff]

I remember an old character of mine, that that included Master Samurai, and leading into Cavalier from the same book (Sword & Fist). Worked quite decent. ("Decent" meaningen "good" in relations to what power-level my group normally plays in, but "lacking" in relations to 3.5's supercharger/supermount/powerattack builds ).

I can try and find it when i get home if interested...

I was basicly build one some input i got from this very forum, verifying that samurai was endeed skilled riders, as well as on foot.
Fluff-wise, you need a good reason to why he's not with his fudal lord in a non Oriental setting. I got around this as simple as i could (mostly because i do not have a want knowledge of Samurai in general), and made him Rohin (Basicly a Samurai that has lost / leleased from, his fudal lord.).

[JaronK]

Don't forget a Kensai-like ability to improve your ancestral weapon.

"Ancestral Weapon" is a feat in BoED that does the exact same thing, so really that's just a bonus feat. Which means the OA Samurai really is just a fighter who trades out a few feats for a better will save.

JaronK

[de-trick]

and a wizard is a fighter who traded in martial wep,all armor and base attack, and fort save

[Dhavaer]

and a wizard is a fighter who traded in martial wep,all armor and base attack, and fort save

For a good will save and 9th level spells.

[Closet_Skeleton]

"Ancestral Weapon" is a feat in BoED that does the exact same thing, so really that's just a bonus feat. Which means the OA Samurai really is just a fighter who trades out a few feats for a better will save.

JaronK

He gets better skill points as well.

[I_Got_This_Name]

He gets better skill points as well.

And Iaijutsu Focus as a class skill, which is quite the decent skill; few other skills help out as much in combat. Granted, you need a helping of cheese to make it useful outside of the first round, or when you lose initiative, and it's only a few extra dice. . .

[doorknobdeity]

I always just thought of it as a more restricted sneak attack.