Samurai V.1

Warriors of old and soldiers of war, wielding techniques perfected and passed down through countless generations strike fear into those that witness them on the battlefield. While not in combat, they prefer to keep to themselves. There is very little, if anything, they hold more value in than their honor.

A human in oddly dressed attire spots a foot soldier up ahead surrounded by goblins. He rushes over with extraordinary speed and charges in between the barrage of incoming blades, shielding every last one with his scabbard. The goblins step back, however it was too late. The crackle of lightning fills the air as each goblin falls simultaneously. He flicked his blade, sheathed his sword, and kept on his way.

As an Eladrin silently drinks his ale two men interrupt him, threatening him to give over all his money. The Eladrin snickers, then continues drinking his ale. The two men attack. With unnatural speed the Eladrin throws his ale up in the air and lazily dodges the first jab. He tosses his chair toward the second man before he could react and in a single blink of an eye, his curved blade presses at the others neck. The Eladrin instinctively catches his ale and takes a sip.

An Orc charges toward an Elf, who stands calm and composed. As the Orc closes in, the Elf focuses until her mind is completely blank. She opens her eyes and notices an opening in the Orc's defense. The Orc lifts his greatclub and gets ready to strike. As they meet halfway, the Elf ever so slightly dodges his attack then gracefully cleaves through from the left waist past its right shoulder. The beast lets out an ugly scream, then falls at her feet.

Regardless of the origin or path of these swordsmen, one thing is certain, they are all known as Samurai.

This is a work in progress

This is a personal edited version of the Homebrew Samurai Class Found on dandwiki.com

Fighting Stances

Time in brutal training has allowed you to perfect your ability to adapt your stance to your opponents in combat. You can learn a total of 8 different Stances (Void Stance is only unlocked at level 11 and Kami's Stance is only unlocked at level 20). You learn 2 stances at level 3 and learn 2 new stances at the 7th and 15th level. Upon reaching 15th level you gain the ability to activate and maintain two Stances at once. Upon Reaching 20th level you can activate all stances simultaneously (except Kami's and Void Stance) and retain them until the end of your 2nd turn after using this ability. After the 2 turns you are unable to enter stances for 2 turns and are only able to move 5ft per turn). All activate can only be used once every 24 hours, in addition, you also lose access to Kami's Stance for the duration.

A Stance is activated and changed as a bonus action, and lasts for 1 minute, or until you activate a different Stance, if you are knocked prone, become grappled or restrained. The number of times a Samurai can activate a Stance a day is equal to half your total Samurai Level (rounded down) +1, however changing stances does not count as activating a stance and does not reset the time. A long rest restores all expended uses.

Earth Stance

While you are in this stance, you have advantage on Strength checks made to grapple and can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand whilst grappling a creature. Additionally, on one attack per turn, you may use your bonus action to gain a bonus to your AC equal to your proficiency modifier if the attack hit. This bonus AC lasts until the start of your next turn. Also while in this stance your feet are planted firmly on the ground, doing this grants advantage on Strength saving throws and disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Fire Stance

While in this stance, you focus all you have on offence by sacrificing your defences. The first attack you make each turn is made with advantage. Additionally, you suffer a -4 to AC as long as you are in this stance. When you hit a creature with an attack, you may add your Proficiency Modifier to the damage roll as fire damage, which also doubles on a critical hit.

Kami's Stance

Once per turn, when you take the Attack Action, you may turn one of your attacks into a special attack. This attack requires a single attack roll and targets every enemy within 20ft of you. Using Parry while in this stance does not consume one of its uses. Additionally, when you make a ranged weapon attack, you add an extra weapon die to damage rolls. This stance can not be used with other stances.

Lightening Stance

As long as you are in this stance; if you use the Dash action, you can attack all the enemies that you come within weapon range of. These attacks require your bonus action. Treat them as critical if they hit enemies who are unaware of you and are unprepared for the attack. Also, you can use your action to attack a single target furiously 3 times. These attacks are incredibly fast but difficult to land accurately, and as such attack rolls are made without proficiency or ability score bonuses (damage is dealt normally with each hit). At the 10th level, you can use this stance to attack a single target 5 additional times without proficiency bonus.

Stone Stance

When you enter this stance and at the start of each of your turns while you have at least 1 hit point or more remaining, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Constitution Modifier (Minimum of 1) + your proficiency bonus. These temporary hit points last until you are no longer in this stance. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you deal an additional 5 weapon damage to the creature. Opportunity attacks made against you are rolled with advantage and if you use more than half of your movement speed in a turn, this stance immediately ends.

Void Stance

While in this stance, your mind is at its calmest and your senses are heightened to their maximum. All Perception checks are made with advantage. You are immune to the Blinded condition and gain 50ft of Blindsight. The first creature you hit with a weapon attack in this stance takes an additional 2d6 Necrotic or Cold damage (your choice before rolling) to the damage roll. Additionally you can use a full round to extend your Blindsight out to 100ft for the duration of the stance. This stance can not be used with other stances. Switching out of this stance leaves you unable to use any stance for 2 turns.

Water Stance

When you successfully hit a creature with a melee weapon attack while in this stance, you may immediately spend your bonus action to attempt to knock the creature prone. If you do this, you force them to make a Dexterity saving throw equal to (8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus). Failing this attempt grants the creature advantage on their next attack roll made against you. Additionally, while in this stance, landing an attack of opportunity on an enemy reduces that creatures movement to 0ft until the beginning of its next turn.

Wind Stance

While in this stance, you become both quick and maneuverable. You may take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action, and you ignore difficult terrain when you Dash. Melee attack rolls made against you are at disadvantage and upon an attack missing you are able to make an attack of opportunity against them if they are within weapon range. If you have access to Strike from the Void, you can use one of the charges to make this attack regardless of range.

Parry

Beginning at the 1st level, when another creature hits you or another creature within 5ft of you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage dealt by the attack by 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier + your Samurai level. You can use this feature twice, you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. You gain an additional use of this feature at 7th and again at 15th level.

Fighting Spirit

Starting at 7th level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on all weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level. Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Possessed Blade

At the 10th level, your ancestors take notice of your Samurai prowess and offer what they can to aid you. As an action, you can turn one sword you are carrying into a Flying Sword (Monster Manual P.20) for 1 Hour. It takes on all properties of the Flying Sword except Actions; it has the same to hit and damage (not granted by Stances) as if you were using it and requires your bonus action to move and attack. If you don't use your bonus action to control the sword, it remains motionless in its position. The sword remains this way for the duration or until it drops to zero hit points, where it returns to a normal weapon. You can use this once per long rest.

Precise Strike

Beginning at the 15th level, your attacks count as critical hits when you roll a 19 or 20 on the d20.

Iron Will

Starting at 18th 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 you can immediately take an extra turn, interrupting the current turn. While you have 0 hit points during that extra turn, taking damage causes death saving throw failures as normal, and three death saving throw failures can still kill you. When the extra turn ends, you fall unconscious if you still have 0 hit points.

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

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