New ideas for Samurai, Samurai Honor for Kaidan

[Gamer Printshop]

So we've picked up a new writer (actually a couple) for Kaidan so we can get supplements out faster.

In the past, our initial idea on samurai honor was based on having a static samurai score at 1/2 the characters level minimum 1, and allowable to be 1 at first level. However, now we are looking at doing samurai honor points like Pathfinder RPG Hero points - that is a minimum based on each level attained (based on behavior), but now you can spend honor points to grant temporary bonuses to attack, improved involvements of diplomacy, etc - with available feats and spells that can enhance/spend honor points of a given individual. This would be more dynamic and useful in game, while also touching upon the value of hero points (which work like action points from 3.$)

We are creating up to 5 (4 so far) archetypes for Samurai including:

Heratsuna Samurai (stealth samurai) dependant on missions of stealth for his noble lord, as in scouting for the military. He gains some rogue like features and rogue tricks, along with a precision damage strike similar to and stacks with Sneak Attack.

Taijiya Samurai (slayer samurai), though he does not get access to divine powers, is somewhat similar to a paladin, gaining a Smite Attack vs. Unnaturals including: aberrations, oni, tamashinaki and undead. He will also get a few other slayer type class features.

Yabusame Samurai (mounted archer samurai) - following the direction of original historical samurai, mounted archers were their specialty. Yabusame samurai gains a progression of abilities similar to the Vital Strike feat chain (doubling, tripling, quadrupling arrow damage used as a standard attack)

Also the book is not just samurai archetypes, as to me, the Samurai or (Buke) caste is a social caste and not a class per se, thus there are other player classes included in the book which fall under the samurai caste: onmyoji wizard (origami/shikigami wizard), a buke bard (courtier) and Ranger (yojimbo) body guard/wilderness samurai, as well as a courtier samurai prestige class with skills in iaijutsu dueling.

All this is being put into a Way of the Samurai supplement for Kaidan (that will be useful in any campaign setting). It will be formatted identically to a book on Yakuza that is currently in editting. The setup for Way of the Yakuza is setup as follows. The first 1/4 of the book is an 'in character' description/definition of the yakuza as told by a gang leader to a potential new member. This part includes relationship with other classes, religious beliefs, law vs. criminality levels, etc. The next 1/4 is mechanics - class archetypes, new feats, new spells, etc. The next 1/4 is a stat block for a yakuza gang and how to create/use yakuza gang stat block for your game. Finally last 1/4 includes a fully fleshed out village location for yakuza with map and statted NPCs so GMs can use the location as is for an instant setting/encounter/mini-adventure.

So the Way of the Samurai (and our next book Way of the Shinobi) will follow this format. We will probably create one for divine classes as well.

I think aside from our adventures this will be the most interesting supplements for Kaidan yet. Note all of these Kaidan supplements is eventually intended to be placed in a single hard-bound setting handbook to be published by next summer. After which we will begin a ransom project and begin development of a 16 or 20 level full adventure path set in Kaidan, for Kaidan local PCs.