Besides a Samurai having a daimyo and a monk having the monastery, I will be curious what will be the specific differences between the two. November 10th can’t come soon enough.
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Roll the dice and play the game, I’m not here to listen to your politics.
“But this isn’t right. You’re meant to charge in, sword drawn, banner flying-that’s what all the other knights did!” “Yeah, right before they burst into flame.”
Mechanically speaking, we can only speculate how they will be based on the differences between the two UA classes as of today.
Thematically speaking, they could be considered similar, but the best way I have to explain the difference is:
The Kensai is a philosophy, a search for the perfect single blow, for the perfect integration of sword, body and mind, becoming one with the blade (see the book of the five rings from Musashi Miyamoto). It is more a path to illumination, if you will, giving oneself completely to the way of the sword (hence foregoing the use of armour, to abandon completely to the blade both offensively and defensively). Each encounter, each combat, be it a win or a loss, grants insight on how to proceed, and get a step closed to perfection and, in a way, symbiosis. The blade is as much the end as it is the mean.
The Samurai, on the other hand, is the war version of the katana user, whose focus is to overwhelm their foes with your swordsmanship and power, but from a purely tactical and war-oriented point of view. The form is important, but the results are much more important, victory is all, and they (supposedly) find within themselves the strength to overcome any foe with their sheer prowess and force of will. They are the one brandishing the blade, and they are the ones in charge, the katana, as important as it can be as a status symbol and heritage, is a tool, a mean to an end.
Samurai get access to two-handed katanas, armor, and Fighting Styles. Kensai get Unarmored Defense and good unarmed strikes.
Assuming those katanas are referring to "mechanically the same thing longswords with a different name", a kensei monk ought to be able to do the same thing with longsword held two handed as versatile weapon as it's not heavy or special properties (assuming the kensei's extra monk weapon choice in Xanathar is the same as in revised UA version).
Samurai get access to two-handed katanas, armor, and Fighting Styles. Kensai get Unarmored Defense and good unarmed strikes.
Assuming those katanas are referring to "mechanically the same thing longswords with a different name", a kensei monk ought to be able to do the same thing with longsword held two handed as versatile weapon as it's not heavy or special properties (assuming the kensei's extra monk weapon choice in Xanathar is the same as in revised UA version).
A true katana can be used one- or two-handed and is therefore considered equivalent to a longsword. The weapon I was referring to as a "two-handed katana," I picture as a larger version of a katana, equivalent to a greatsword.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Besides a Samurai having a daimyo and a monk having the monastery, I will be curious what will be the specific differences between the two. November 10th can’t come soon enough.
Roll the dice and play the game, I’m not here to listen to your politics.
“But this isn’t right. You’re meant to charge in, sword drawn, banner flying-that’s what all the other knights did!”
“Yeah, right before they burst into flame.”
Samurai get access to two-handed katanas, armor, and Fighting Styles. Kensai get Unarmored Defense and good unarmed strikes.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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One is a Sherman Tank and the other is an F-16
Mechanically speaking, we can only speculate how they will be based on the differences between the two UA classes as of today.
Thematically speaking, they could be considered similar, but the best way I have to explain the difference is:
The Kensai is a philosophy, a search for the perfect single blow, for the perfect integration of sword, body and mind, becoming one with the blade (see the book of the five rings from Musashi Miyamoto). It is more a path to illumination, if you will, giving oneself completely to the way of the sword (hence foregoing the use of armour, to abandon completely to the blade both offensively and defensively). Each encounter, each combat, be it a win or a loss, grants insight on how to proceed, and get a step closed to perfection and, in a way, symbiosis. The blade is as much the end as it is the mean.
The Samurai, on the other hand, is the war version of the katana user, whose focus is to overwhelm their foes with your swordsmanship and power, but from a purely tactical and war-oriented point of view. The form is important, but the results are much more important, victory is all, and they (supposedly) find within themselves the strength to overcome any foe with their sheer prowess and force of will. They are the one brandishing the blade, and they are the ones in charge, the katana, as important as it can be as a status symbol and heritage, is a tool, a mean to an end.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Oh nodachi?