Editing Samurai (section)

=== Third Edition ===
Third Edition has two "samurai" classes, and an unrelated "Master Samurai" [[Prestige Class]].

The Master Samurai prestige class debuted in ''Sword & Fist''. It's a horribly designed (as most things in that book are) class that requires '''six''' feats for entry. Of these six, two (Improved Initiative, Power Attack) are good, two could be good in a build dedicated to them that this class isn't (Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery) and two are meh at best (Cleave and Weapon Focus). It also requires three skills trained to enter, but only gives two at each level. There was no way to enter the class in anything approaching a normal build since no class had Knowledge (Nobility), Ride ''and'' Intimidate when ''Sword & Fist'' came out, and six feats on a fifth level character is every feat they have including the Human bonus feat. Only a [[Human]] [[Fighter]] of above average intelligence could enter at minimum level, and that took all their skill points. What did you gain for this horrible entry? A lot of terrible abilities that have no synergy with each other or the entry requirements (like a small bonus to a skill you couldn't possibly be trained in and meet the entry requirements), and the ability to add double strength mod to damage when using a katana. Double strength mod to damage is actually a good ability, but even with the cheesy interpretation that this is on-top of (instead of a replacement for) the 1.5x strength mod to damage of using a two handed weapon, it's still not worth the entry cost.

[[File:Samurai OA 3e.jpg|right|400px|thumb|We need megazord power!]]
The first base class, presented in the book titled ''Oriental Adventures'', is essentially a variant fighter. They trade their first bonus feat and delay their feats at level 6+ for an "Ancestral Daisho" feature which is actually pretty decent. Ancestral Daisho gives a character a pair of free masterwork weapons and allows them to sacrifice treasure to make enchant them for the normal magic item price. What makes this good is that they can sacrifice treasure directly for its full value, instead of selling it for half value first. Samurai also trades heavy armor proficiency for more skills and skill points. In exchange for a will save that doesn't suck, their bonus feat options are limited based on clan, and they have to follow an honor code that's pure fluff and has no mechanical effect. They also have the rare (and potent if used right) Iaijutsu Focus skill as a class skill. Since Ancestral Daisho is based on ''character'' level instead of ''class'' level, it's a blatant [[Dip Class]], with only the skills and RP being a reason to stay in class. Like Fighter, it's [[Tier System|Tier 5]]: Focused on one thing (weapon combat) and not even that good at it (Easily outclassed by [[Barbarian]]).

[[File:Samurai 3e CF.jpg|left|200px|thumb|While you were out drinking ale and fucking wenches, I was studying the blade]]
The second Third Edition Samurai came shortly after the transition to 3.5 in ''[[Complete Book Series|Complete Warrior]]''. It's considered the worst class in the game that wasn't intended for NPCs (and is actually [[Adept|worse than]] [[Expert|half]] [[Magewright|of those]]). See, ''Complete Warrior'' was one of the first supplement books published for 3.5 and Wizards of the Coast didn't understand how weak martial characters were compared to casting classes, even though they ''literally'' just flushed half an edition away due to including a spell that made casters even more stupidly OP, and designed most things in that book with the idea that [[Fighter]] was a perfectly fine base class. CW Samurai has only one good save, and the minimum possible skill points per level. Their first level feature is proficiency with the katana and wakizashi, something that literally could have just been included in their proficiency list. At level 2 they gain the Two Weapon Fighting feat (a sub-optimal choice in 3E without a source of bonus damage that applies to every attack) for free. At level three they gain a weak smite that just adds their charisma to attack and damage a few times a day. At fifth level he gets the Quick Draw feat anyone can take, except worse. At sixth level he gets a +4 to intimidate and the ability to do something anyone can do anyways, outright giving the page number for intimidate that says anyone can do it. Everything after this is improvements on these poor excuses for class features. To top it off, you need to follow a code of conduct or lose some of these features. CW Samurai are [[Tier System|Tier 6]]: The weakest PC class (<s>except maybe Truenamer</s> even the [[Truenamer]] can do things when min maxed to all hell) with abilities that make it only barely better than the [[Warrior]] NPC class. It's actually better to fall as a CW Samurai and take their [[Blackguard]] equivalent [[Prestige Class]] than to stay in the class, since Ronin is actually acceptable. Ronin isn't a particularly ''great'' class, but a full base attack bonus class with sneak attack progression, the ability to trade armor class for extra damage on a charge and some bonus feats is at least ''playable''.