Samurai Revised

The Samurai is a fighter who turns discipline into a weapon. Where many warriors rely on brute strength, battlefield instinct, or overwhelming aggression, a Samurai fights from a place of deliberate control. Every breath is measured. Every step is chosen. Every strike is made with purpose.

To a Samurai, battle is not chaos. It is a moment of clarity.

These warriors cultivate a state of focused resolve known as their fighting spirit, allowing them to endure punishment, sharpen their senses, and press forward with unwavering intent. When this focus takes hold, the Samurai becomes difficult to shake and even harder to escape. Their blade moves with precision, their body follows without hesitation, and their will refuses to break.

But the Samurai is more than a disciplined swordsman. They are also a figure of presence, etiquette, and inner strength. Many are trained to carry themselves with dignity in courts, war councils, and formal gatherings as easily as they do on the battlefield. Whether serving a lord, wandering without a master, defending a homeland, or pursuing a personal code, a Samurai’s power comes from the conviction behind their blade.

As they grow in mastery, a Samurai learns to turn stillness into motion. Their strikes become flashes of sudden violence, their movement as swift and clean as a cutting wind. In time, they may even learn to release their spirit in devastating finishing techniques, ending a battle in a single perfect moment.

 

(My revisions to the subclass were to better capture the conceptual fantasy of being not only the clam and resolved persona but also to capture the essence of a legendary swordsman akin to popular culture. I've done my best to ensure that the subclass isn't too overpowered and outside of a resource dump cannot out perform battlemaster.)

Bonus Proficiency

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion. Alternatively, you learn one language of your choice.

Fighting Spirit

Starting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and sharpen your strikes. As a bonus action, you enter a state of focused resolve. When you do, you gain temporary hit points equal to your fighter level + your proficiency bonus. Your Fighting Spirit lasts for 1 minute, until you are incapacitated, or until you lose all temporary hit points granted by this feature. While your Fighting Spirit is active, you have advantage on weapon attack rolls. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Elegant Courtier

Starting at 7th level, your discipline and attention to detail allow you to excel in social situations. Whenever you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Your self-control also causes you to gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (your choice).

Level 7: Flashing Blade

at 7th level, you can turn perfect focus into sudden motion. While your Fighting Spirit is active and you would have advantage on weapon attack rolls from that feature, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo that advantage for all weapon attacks you make as part of that action. If you do, you make one additional weapon attack as part of the same action. If you hit at least one creature with a weapon attack during this Attack action, you can use your reaction immediately after the action ends to move up to your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. You can make the additional attack granted by this feature only once on each of your turns.

Tireless Spirit

Starting at 10th level, your will to fight returns even when your strength should be spent. When you roll initiative and have no uses of Fighting Spirit remaining, you regain one use of it. In addition, when you use your Second Wind feature, you regain one expended use of Fighting Spirit.

Strength before Death

Starting at 15th level, your fighting spirit can delay the grasp of death. If you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points and doesn’t kill you outright, you can use your reaction to delay falling unconscious, and gain the following benefits.
• You can immediately take an extra turn, interrupting the current turn.

• You gain temporary hit points equal to twice your fighter level + your Constitution modifier

As long as you have the temporary hit points you do not fall unconscious until you are reduced to 0 HP.  If these temporary hit points are reduced to 0 before you have been healed for at least 1 HP you take a level of exhaustion. 

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Passing Gale Strike

At 15th level, you can release your Fighting Spirit in a single sweeping cut through the battlefield. When you use the reaction movement granted by Flashing Blade, you can choose to make that movement as a Passing Gale Strike. You must move at least 10 feet during this movement. During this movement, you may make one melee weapon attack against each creature of your choice within 5 feet of your path, up to a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus. A creature can be targeted by this feature only once during the movement, and attacks made with this feature do not gain advantage from Fighting Spirit. After this movement ends, your Fighting Spirit ends. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you activate Fighting Spirit again.

Heavenly Strike

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack while your Fighting Spirit is active and you had advantage on the attack roll, you can turn the attack into a Heavenly Strike. The attack deals an additional 8d10 damage of the weapon's damage type. After the damage is dealt, you may push the technique beyond its safe limit. If you do, you gain one level of exhaustion, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw against your Samurai Save DC. On a failed save, the target takes an additional 8d10 damage of the weapon's damage type. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. After the attack is resolved, your Fighting Spirit ends. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.