how do i play a samurai [Archive] - Wizards Community

how do i play a samurai [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
napalmdeath
10-13-03, 09:25 PM how would I play a samurai character?:confused:
The_Yellow_Dart_Swinger
10-13-03, 10:20 PM Well, one thing you have to consider when playing a samurai is does it fit in with your current campaign. I mean, if your in a europen type game (Which is what D&D usually is based after) then there probably is no place for a samurai character.

However if the world or a some place in the world is oriental in some way or fashion then it could be conceived that samurai's exsist. Unless your the "first" samurai then things would be different..

Also when your talking about being a samurai, do you mean starting out as one? Or do you want to become one. In the swords and fist book there is a prestige class called Master Samurai, I havn't looked at it to see what it does. And in the Oriental Adventures book, there is a samurai class thats not prestige. Or you could just have a katana wielding fighter.

Now as to playing one, most samurai tradionally follow some sort of code of honor, much like a paladin but prehaps not so rightous. Another thing is usually samurai served some sort of master or clan thus if your a wandering samurai, you've either

A) Been ordered by your master to travel for a certain task.

or

B) Your master is dead and now your a Ronin

Is usually the reason however im sure there are better/more creative ways to be adventuring.
Gingerbread Guy
10-13-03, 10:31 PM Hiho,

Well, uhm, thats a fairly vague question. This is how I'd go about it..

a) Ask your DM if its appropriate to play a Samurai. If he says no, then I'd find some way of drugging him or blackmailing him, possibly by kidnapping a pet or loved one.

b) Come up with a background that explains why your Samurai is adventuring with the party.. perhaps he's been assigned by his lord to work with the party or guard one of it's members. Maybe its an old debt that needs to be repaid, or whatever. Or, maybe he's Ronin.

c) I'd chose either the Paladin class or Fighter, and I'd pay attention the the Samurai PrC from Sword and Fist.

~Ginger
Gadodel
10-14-03, 02:12 AM I suggest watching the miniseries Shogun or the epic film The Seven Samurai to give you some ideas.
Zarffyn
10-15-03, 12:19 PM First a note: A katana does not a Samurai make. Anyone *could* carry a katana (historically, it is prohibited on pain of death), but only a Samurai may carry a katana and waskizashi both. Also, if the Samurai's lord has died, the only real reason the Samurai has become ronin is because he didn't do the *honorable* thing by following his lord to the death. He could be on the run, for various reasons, or just really wanted to live. Don't we all. But beware of becoming Ronin-some DMs (like myself) are very strict about the difference between a Samurai and a Ronin.

Below is what I posted in the first thread of this nature, which a misspelling caused it to be turned into a joke. I copy it here, and I hope it shall be informative.

How to play a Samurai? Take a stick-up-the-rear typical Paladin and multiply it by about 10 and there you go [almost, anyway ;)]. A Samurai isn't easy to play. If you have access to Oriental Adventures, I recommend giving it a thorough read.

The big thing to remember is that the most important thing to a Samurai is honor. Honor, honor, honor, that's what it's all about. Life, death, war, peace, all of these pale beside the importance of a Samurai's honor.

A Samurai traditionally is tied in service to a Lord, whom he follows in every command. To dishonor your lord is to dishonor yourself. The only way to restore lost honor is by committing suicide (typically by putting yourself onto your katana). A Samurai who leaves the service of a lord is considered Ronin.

The katana is the symbol of a Samurai's honor, and to lose it, have it stolen, or disgrace it is to lose honor. Only a Samurai may carry a katana and wakizashi set; these are typically given by the Lord the Samurai is pledged to.

If the Lord dies, is murdered, etc., his Samurai are expected to follow him in the afterlife as well-meaning, they are to kill themselves.

I believe the ritual suicide of a Samurai is called bushido but I'm not entirely positive on that-it's been a while since my study on this area.

If you'd like a facinating glimpse into the actal code of the Samurai, pick up Hagakure, which gives excerpts of the Way, as written by a monk and one of the last Samurai. And as I mentioned, Oriental Adventures can be a definate asset.

I've played a Samurai, and a friend currently plays one in a different game. They're not easy to play, but definately an awesome challenge to undertake. Good luck! :)
Freya
10-15-03, 05:16 PM Originally posted by Zarffyn
I believe the ritual suicide of a Samurai is called bushido but I'm not entirely positive on that-it's been a while since my study on this area.
The suicide is called Seppuku. (I believe it consists of slicing open your gut with a Tanto.) Bushido is the code of ethics and honor that Samurai follow. :)
eudas
10-15-03, 06:36 PM as others have touched on, and i will reinforce here, the first step on how to play a samurai is DO SOME RESEARCH. try your local library, or, barring that, try some google searches on 'samurai', 'bushido', and/or 'seppuku'.

eudas
Winternova
10-17-03, 11:12 AM As I recall, it was the Wakazashi that was used to commit Seppuku, with Bushido meaning 'way of the sword' or some such.
Freya
10-17-03, 03:37 PM Originally posted by Winternova
As I recall, it was the Wakazashi that was used to commit Seppuku, with Bushido meaning 'way of the sword' or some such.
From a website (http://www.destroy-all-monsters.com/seppuku.shtml): "The soon-to-be-dead samurai would usually be kitted out in a nice, white kimono (to symbolize purity, and perhaps enhance the drama of the act). Before him would be a wooden tray...upon which is a sheaf of washi paper, ink, a cup of sake, and a short knife called a tanto."

It then explains that the samurai drinks the saki in two gulps (no more, no less). Writes a poem in waka style (31 syllables). Then grabs the tanto and performs the left-to-right belly cut.

And, Bushido means 'way of the warrior'. ;)
Mefhiston
10-20-03, 05:40 AM Arg Freya. I wnated to say that!

Anyways, if you want to play a Samurai, use EITHER the historical samurai or the oriental adventures one, dont mix them, theyr too diferent.
Mefhiston
10-20-03, 06:35 AM O, and you might want to have a look at the Lone Wolf and Cub series, simply wonderfull!

Anyways, a the diference between a Ronin and a Samurai might be a world or it might be nothing.

There are severall ways a Samurai can become a Ronin. First, if his lor is killed and his han (realm) disposed of, he might deside that he is not worthy of Harakiri (the word for suicide that i prefer), or simply not dare.

He can alsow be dishonord by his lord and therby released from his duries. Such a Samurai (now a Ronin) does not have the right to preform Harakiri befor he has redeemd himself. If he redeems himself the lord might take him back in or allow him to comit Harakiri.

Another way is that the Samurai himself can realeas himself from his status as Samurai (with his lords premission, of course) and therby becom a Ronin. Later on, he might return to his lord. An old Samurai saying: "One cannot become a true Samurai befor treating the path of the Ronin for at least three years".

The difference between a Ronin and a Samurai is not a fixed one, rather its a case by case basis. The problem in anciant Japan was that a Ronin was still considerd part of the nobility, and therfor coude noot do the work of a pesant, on pain of death. He had to live by the sword. This resulted in a great many Ronins becomming nothing more than simple thieves, robbers or cold blooded mercenaries with no honor at all. In other cases the Ronin wood live by the sword, still following his bushido (way of the warrior), hierd by lords in time of war an to do missions away from the Han.

Another thing that is seriusly overrated in the Oriental book, the ancestral Daisho (katana and wakasashi). In oriental, too loose or have your sword damaged is the worst thing that can happen to a Samurai. This is only partial true. But in battle, when sword strikes sword, is turned away on armour and cuts through bone and tisue it gets chipped, craked and evantualy usless. The katana was a greate weapon, its match has yet to be seen, but it coud not cut through armour or withstand scores of battles. The ancestral weapon was more a badge of office, used only in duels between Samurai, one on one, no armour.

Two good examples of Ronin:

Mitsurugi (Soul Blade & Soul Calibur), short version.
Mitsurugi was a well know and loyal servant of his lord, untill the day were his lord acsepted rifles to the soldiers of his han. Mitsurugi felt offended by this, since any commoner coud wield th might of a trained warrior. He challenged the master of the newly formed rifle company to a duel, but lost as he got shot in the shoulder. Outraged and dishonored, Mitsurugi left his lord in order to obtain a sword stong enough to defeat the rifle. (He finaly found the sword, Soul Edge, though he then realised that it was no better than the rifle, anyone with it bacame a force. He discarded the sword and decided that the might of a warrior shood be decided by his skill and not his weapon. He trained for months, finaly mastering the skill of deflecting arrows and bullets with his sword.

Ogamitto (from the Lone wolf and cub series)
Ogamitto was the master executioner of the Shogun (ruler of japan) untill the day he was set up by another clan, hungry for his position. Outraged, the Shogun orderd him to comit Harakiri, but Ogamitto refused, slew severall of the shoguns Samurai and left with his three year old son. Ogamitto took the path of the assasin, taking no less nor more than 200 ryo for each job, and he demanded his emplyers explain the entire situation befor he acsepted. He saves every single ryo for his revenge. When he does an assasination, he never strikes from the shadows, but cuts a bloody path trough anything between himself and his prey, intodusing himself as Lone Wolf and Cub, then kills the person in question.

Hope this helps. Ignore the numerus spelling errors.
Toptomcat
10-31-03, 09:22 PM This was written by the quintessential historical Ronin samurai and it's all about swordmanship and philosophy (more accurately, swordsmanship AS philosophy) and should be tremendous help in anyone who wants to play a samurai.

The Book of Five Rings (http://www.samurai.com/5rings/)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
napalmdeath 10-13-03, 09:25 PM	how would I play a samurai character?:confused:
The_Yellow_Dart_Swinger 10-13-03, 10:20 PM	Well, one thing you have to consider when playing a samurai is does it fit in with your current campaign. I mean, if your in a europen type game (Which is what D&D usually is based after) then there probably is no place for a samurai character. However if the world or a some place in the world is oriental in some way or fashion then it could be conceived that samurai's exsist. Unless your the "first" samurai then things would be different.. Also when your talking about being a samurai, do you mean starting out as one? Or do you want to become one. In the swords and fist book there is a prestige class called Master Samurai, I havn't looked at it to see what it does. And in the Oriental Adventures book, there is a samurai class thats not prestige. Or you could just have a katana wielding fighter. Now as to playing one, most samurai tradionally follow some sort of code of honor, much like a paladin but prehaps not so rightous. Another thing is usually samurai served some sort of master or clan thus if your a wandering samurai, you've either A) Been ordered by your master to travel for a certain task. or B) Your master is dead and now your a Ronin Is usually the reason however im sure there are better/more creative ways to be adventuring.
Gingerbread Guy 10-13-03, 10:31 PM	Hiho, Well, uhm, thats a fairly vague question. This is how I'd go about it.. a) Ask your DM if its appropriate to play a Samurai. If he says no, then I'd find some way of drugging him or blackmailing him, possibly by kidnapping a pet or loved one. b) Come up with a background that explains why your Samurai is adventuring with the party.. perhaps he's been assigned by his lord to work with the party or guard one of it's members. Maybe its an old debt that needs to be repaid, or whatever. Or, maybe he's Ronin. c) I'd chose either the Paladin class or Fighter, and I'd pay attention the the Samurai PrC from Sword and Fist. ~Ginger
Gadodel 10-14-03, 02:12 AM	I suggest watching the miniseries Shogun or the epic film The Seven Samurai to give you some ideas.
Zarffyn 10-15-03, 12:19 PM	First a note: A katana does not a Samurai make. Anyone could carry a katana (historically, it is prohibited on pain of death), but only a Samurai may carry a katana and waskizashi both. Also, if the Samurai's lord has died, the only real reason the Samurai has become ronin is because he didn't do the honorable thing by following his lord to the death. He could be on the run, for various reasons, or just really wanted to live. Don't we all. But beware of becoming Ronin-some DMs (like myself) are very strict about the difference between a Samurai and a Ronin. Below is what I posted in the first thread of this nature, which a misspelling caused it to be turned into a joke. I copy it here, and I hope it shall be informative. How to play a Samurai? Take a stick-up-the-rear typical Paladin and multiply it by about 10 and there you go [almost, anyway ;)]. A Samurai isn't easy to play. If you have access to Oriental Adventures, I recommend giving it a thorough read. The big thing to remember is that the most important thing to a Samurai is honor. Honor, honor, honor, that's what it's all about. Life, death, war, peace, all of these pale beside the importance of a Samurai's honor. A Samurai traditionally is tied in service to a Lord, whom he follows in every command. To dishonor your lord is to dishonor yourself. The only way to restore lost honor is by committing suicide (typically by putting yourself onto your katana). A Samurai who leaves the service of a lord is considered Ronin. The katana is the symbol of a Samurai's honor, and to lose it, have it stolen, or disgrace it is to lose honor. Only a Samurai may carry a katana and wakizashi set; these are typically given by the Lord the Samurai is pledged to. If the Lord dies, is murdered, etc., his Samurai are expected to follow him in the afterlife as well-meaning, they are to kill themselves. I believe the ritual suicide of a Samurai is called bushido but I'm not entirely positive on that-it's been a while since my study on this area. If you'd like a facinating glimpse into the actal code of the Samurai, pick up Hagakure, which gives excerpts of the Way, as written by a monk and one of the last Samurai. And as I mentioned, Oriental Adventures can be a definate asset. I've played a Samurai, and a friend currently plays one in a different game. They're not easy to play, but definately an awesome challenge to undertake. Good luck! :)
Freya 10-15-03, 05:16 PM	Originally posted by Zarffyn I believe the ritual suicide of a Samurai is called bushido but I'm not entirely positive on that-it's been a while since my study on this area. The suicide is called Seppuku. (I believe it consists of slicing open your gut with a Tanto.) Bushido is the code of ethics and honor that Samurai follow. :)
eudas 10-15-03, 06:36 PM	as others have touched on, and i will reinforce here, the first step on how to play a samurai is DO SOME RESEARCH. try your local library, or, barring that, try some google searches on 'samurai', 'bushido', and/or 'seppuku'. eudas
Winternova 10-17-03, 11:12 AM	As I recall, it was the Wakazashi that was used to commit Seppuku, with Bushido meaning 'way of the sword' or some such.
Freya 10-17-03, 03:37 PM	Originally posted by Winternova As I recall, it was the Wakazashi that was used to commit Seppuku, with Bushido meaning 'way of the sword' or some such. From a website (http://www.destroy-all-monsters.com/seppuku.shtml): "The soon-to-be-dead samurai would usually be kitted out in a nice, white kimono (to symbolize purity, and perhaps enhance the drama of the act). Before him would be a wooden tray...upon which is a sheaf of washi paper, ink, a cup of sake, and a short knife called a tanto." It then explains that the samurai drinks the saki in two gulps (no more, no less). Writes a poem in waka style (31 syllables). Then grabs the tanto and performs the left-to-right belly cut. And, Bushido means 'way of the warrior'. ;)
Mefhiston 10-20-03, 05:40 AM	Arg Freya. I wnated to say that! Anyways, if you want to play a Samurai, use EITHER the historical samurai or the oriental adventures one, dont mix them, theyr too diferent.
Mefhiston 10-20-03, 06:35 AM	O, and you might want to have a look at the Lone Wolf and Cub series, simply wonderfull! Anyways, a the diference between a Ronin and a Samurai might be a world or it might be nothing. There are severall ways a Samurai can become a Ronin. First, if his lor is killed and his han (realm) disposed of, he might deside that he is not worthy of Harakiri (the word for suicide that i prefer), or simply not dare. He can alsow be dishonord by his lord and therby released from his duries. Such a Samurai (now a Ronin) does not have the right to preform Harakiri befor he has redeemd himself. If he redeems himself the lord might take him back in or allow him to comit Harakiri. Another way is that the Samurai himself can realeas himself from his status as Samurai (with his lords premission, of course) and therby becom a Ronin. Later on, he might return to his lord. An old Samurai saying: "One cannot become a true Samurai befor treating the path of the Ronin for at least three years". The difference between a Ronin and a Samurai is not a fixed one, rather its a case by case basis. The problem in anciant Japan was that a Ronin was still considerd part of the nobility, and therfor coude noot do the work of a pesant, on pain of death. He had to live by the sword. This resulted in a great many Ronins becomming nothing more than simple thieves, robbers or cold blooded mercenaries with no honor at all. In other cases the Ronin wood live by the sword, still following his bushido (way of the warrior), hierd by lords in time of war an to do missions away from the Han. Another thing that is seriusly overrated in the Oriental book, the ancestral Daisho (katana and wakasashi). In oriental, too loose or have your sword damaged is the worst thing that can happen to a Samurai. This is only partial true. But in battle, when sword strikes sword, is turned away on armour and cuts through bone and tisue it gets chipped, craked and evantualy usless. The katana was a greate weapon, its match has yet to be seen, but it coud not cut through armour or withstand scores of battles. The ancestral weapon was more a badge of office, used only in duels between Samurai, one on one, no armour. Two good examples of Ronin: Mitsurugi (Soul Blade & Soul Calibur), short version. Mitsurugi was a well know and loyal servant of his lord, untill the day were his lord acsepted rifles to the soldiers of his han. Mitsurugi felt offended by this, since any commoner coud wield th might of a trained warrior. He challenged the master of the newly formed rifle company to a duel, but lost as he got shot in the shoulder. Outraged and dishonored, Mitsurugi left his lord in order to obtain a sword stong enough to defeat the rifle. (He finaly found the sword, Soul Edge, though he then realised that it was no better than the rifle, anyone with it bacame a force. He discarded the sword and decided that the might of a warrior shood be decided by his skill and not his weapon. He trained for months, finaly mastering the skill of deflecting arrows and bullets with his sword. Ogamitto (from the Lone wolf and cub series) Ogamitto was the master executioner of the Shogun (ruler of japan) untill the day he was set up by another clan, hungry for his position. Outraged, the Shogun orderd him to comit Harakiri, but Ogamitto refused, slew severall of the shoguns Samurai and left with his three year old son. Ogamitto took the path of the assasin, taking no less nor more than 200 ryo for each job, and he demanded his emplyers explain the entire situation befor he acsepted. He saves every single ryo for his revenge. When he does an assasination, he never strikes from the shadows, but cuts a bloody path trough anything between himself and his prey, intodusing himself as Lone Wolf and Cub, then kills the person in question. Hope this helps. Ignore the numerus spelling errors.
Toptomcat 10-31-03, 09:22 PM	This was written by the quintessential historical Ronin samurai and it's all about swordmanship and philosophy (more accurately, swordsmanship AS philosophy) and should be tremendous help in anyone who wants to play a samurai. The Book of Five Rings (http://www.samurai.com/5rings/)