Shogun

The Samurai is a fighter who draws on an implacable fighting spirit and inner resolve to overcome enemies. A Samurai seeks artistry in all aspects of their life, from poetry to the battlefield.

Bunbu Ryodo

For a samurai, the martial and literary arts are one path. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you take your first step on the way of pen and sword.

• You gain proficiency in one skill from this list: History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion.
• You also gain proficiency with one musical instrument of your choice, one gaming set of your choice, and one of the following artisan's tools: Calligrapher’s Supplies, Painter’s Supplies, Herbalism Kit

Ability Proficiency

You gain proficiency in one skill from this list: History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion.

Artisan's Tools

You gain proficiency with one of the following: Calligrapher's Tools, Painter's Supplies, or Herbalism Kit

Gaming Set

You gain proficiency with one gaming set of your choice.

Musical Instrument

You gain proficiency with one musical instrument of your choice.

Kamae

Starting at 3rd level, your martial techniques hone into an arsenal as deadly as any blade. You learn the five basic kendo stances.

Assuming a Stance. When you roll Initiative, you assume the Chudan stance (no action required). You can take a Bonus Action to assume a different stance. You can be in only one stance at a time.

Benefit and Drawback. While in a stance, you gain its Benefit and suffer its Drawback. A stance lasts until you assume a different one or you have the Incapacitated condition. While Incapacitated, you lose both the Benefit and the Drawback of your stance.

Release. You can build up and expel your ki to devastating effect. On your turn, you can declare a Release (no action required) if you took the Dodge action on your previous turn or you expend one Fighting Spirit use, unless the stance specifies otherwise. When you do, you gain the Release effect of your current stance. A Release lasts until the start of your next turn unless its description says otherwise, and you can use only one Release per turn. You cannot change stances while a Release is active.

Save DC. If a stance requires a saving throw, your Samurai Save DC equals 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Hachijin

Starting at 7th level, your study of the way of war has made your mind as sharp as your blade. You can instruct others on military tactics to maximize combat effectiveness.

You learn three formations from the Hachijin Formations list below. Whenever you gain a Fighter level, you can replace one formation you know with another from the list.

Declaring a Formation. When you roll Initiative, you can declare one formation you know (no action required). You and up to a number of other creatures of your choice equal to your Proficiency Bonus plus 1 become members of the formation; each must be an ally who can see or hear you. With the exception of Guarded formations, a member who meets the formation’s condition at the start of its turn gains the formation’s benefit until the start of its next turn.

You can use a Bonus Action to declare a new formation, which replaces the previous one. You can change who the members are when you do. A declared formation remains in effect until you declare another or have the Incapacitated condition.

Formation Conditions. Each formation uses one of four conditions:
    Closed: The member is within 5 feet of at least two other members.
    Open: The member is within 15 feet of at least two other members, and no member is within 5 feet of any other member.
    Guarded: You are within 5 feet of at least two other members. You can’t be Guarded. Guarded effects apply as soon as the condition is satisfied, and they end as soon as the condition is not satisfied. 
    Engaged: The member is within 5 feet of an enemy, and at least two other members are also within 5 feet of that same enemy.

Choda

Formation: Closed

Formation members can't be knocked Prone. A member may use their Reaction to make an Opportunity Attack when an enemy either leaves or enters their melee range.

Engetsu

Formation: Open

During its turn, a formation member may swap places with a willing formation member within 30 feet of it. Both move at the same time, neither provoking Opportunity Attacks. Each must be able to reach the other’s starting space by a path they could cross with their own walking or flying movement, and each ends its movement in the space the other began in. The member using this feature spends up to 25 feet of its movement; the other member spends none.

 

Ganko

Formation: Open

When a member is hit by an attack, another member can use its Reaction to split the damage evenly between the itself and the targeted member. Only one member can use this feature per attack, and targeted members of the attack cannot use this feature.

Gyorin

Formation: Closed

The member gains a +1 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. This bonus increases to +2 if the member is within 5 feet of three or more other members.

Hoshi

Formation: Guarded

You have +2 AC while at least two members are Guarded. When a single-target attack targets a Guarded member, you can use your Reaction to become the target of the attack instead.

Houen

Formation: Guarded

When a Guarded member is hit by an attack, you can use your Reaction to reduce the damage by your Spirit Die.

Kakuyoku

Formation: Engaged

When a member hits an enemy it is Engaged with, it can roll your Spirit Die and add the result as bonus damage of the same type. They may also add their modifier to the damage roll if it was not already added.
If the attack deals multiple damage types, the member chooses which type the Spirit Die uses.

Only one member may use this feature per round.

 

Koyaku

Formation: Engaged

Once per round, when a member hits an enemy it is Engaged with using a melee weapon attack, the member can force that enemy to make a Strength saving throw against your Samurai Save DC. On a failure, an enemy that is Large or smaller is knocked Prone. If the attack was an Opportunity Attack, the member must forgo the attack’s damage roll to use this.

 

Fukutsu no Seishin

Starting at 10th level, your battle-hardened spirit becomes like steel, pushing you and your allies ever onward toward victory.

Kihaku. When you roll Initiative, if you have no Fighting Spirit uses remaining, you regain one use.

Daisenryaku. When a member gains a Hachijin formation's benefit, they may also roll your Spirit Die and gain Temporary HP equal to the roll. A creature can only receive this benefit once per combat.

Renzoku

Starting at 15th level, the pen and blade have become extensions of your body.

The Pen. You gain expertise in your selected Bunbu Ryodo skill. If you already have expertise in it, you may select another skill you have proficiency in and gain expertise in that instead. You may also add your Spirit Die to any checks involving a tool you have proficiency with.

The Sword. While in the Released Chudan stance, if you take the Attack action on your turn and have advantage on an attack roll against one of the targets, you can forgo the advantage for that roll to make an additional weapon attack against that target as part of the same action. You can only use this ability once per turn.

Jisei

Starting at 18th level, when you drop to 0 HP and don’t die outright, you can remain on your feet to face death with bravery. You do not fall Prone and you are not Unconscious. You may take turns as normal, though your movement speed is reduced to 5 feet, and you cannot use Fighting Spirit nor declare formations. You must still make Death Saving throws. While you are at 0 HP, taking damage causes Death Save failures as normal, and three failures kill you. If you roll three Death Save successes, you immediately regain 1 HP.

The effects of this feature last until you regain HP or die. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.