Blood Samurai (Samurai/Sorcerer)

While samurai focus on combat and weaponry, the blood samurai draws upon their very life blood to create magical effects. The blood samurai learns to focus the deep well of arcane energies from within his blood to cast spells or siphon the blood of his enemies to create special effects. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary Class: Samurai.

Secondary Class: Sorcerer.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The blood samurai may select three sorcerer skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal samurai class skills. The blood samurai gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The blood samurai is proficient with all simple and weapons, plus the katana, naginata, and wakizashi. The blood samurai is also proficient with all light and medium, and with shields (except tower shields). She can cast any blood magic spells while wearing light or medium armor, or using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. A multiclass blood bandit still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Blood Surge (Ex): Starting at 1st level, the blood samurai can overload his system with a surge of excess blood to push his body beyond its normal limits. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every two blood samurai levels beyond 1st. Whenever the blood samurai defeats the target of his challenge, he regains one daily use of his blood surge, up to his maximum number of uses per day. Defeating the target of his challenge usually involves reducing the target to 0 hit points or fewer, but the GM might rule that an enemy who surrenders or flees the battle is also defeated. He can use this blood surge in a number of ways.

Fortify: When a blood samurai is reduced by half his total hit points of more, he can spend one use of blood surge to gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + 1/2 his blood samurai level. Any damage is subtracted from these hit points first. These temporary hit points remain for 1 minute per blood samurai level, after which they disappear. Additional uses of this ability do not stack.

Resilience: As a standard action, a blood samurai can spend one use of blood surge to increase his body density and grant him DR 2/bludgeoning for 1 minute. At 7th level, this increases to DR 5/bludgeoning.

Toughen: As a standard action, a blood samurai can spend one use of blood surge to harden his blood-laden flesh and grant him a +1 natural armor bonus for 1 minute. At 5th level, this bonus increases to +2 but reduces his speed by 10 feet. This reduction in speed can never reduce the blood samurai’s speed below 5 feet, nor does it affect magical flying effects.

This ability replaces resolve.

Order (Ex): The blood samurai may choose the new Order of the Red Blade as his order.

Power of Blood: At 3rd level, a blood samurai must choose one sorcerer bloodline from any of the bloodlines listed in the Core Rulebook, Advance Players Guide, Ultimate Magic, or any other Pathfinder source. The blood samurai can spend one use of his blood surge to gain his bloodline’s 1st–level bloodline power for 1 minute. As the blood samurai gains levels, he gains additional bloodline powers when using his blood of power ability. At 9th level, he gains his 3rd–level bloodline power. At 15th level, he gains his 9th–level bloodline power. If an individual power grants multiple daily uses, he gains only one use of that power for each use of his blood of power ability. This ability replaces weapon expertise and demanding challenge.

Mounted Combat: At 4th level, a blood samurai gains Mounted Combat as a bonus feat. This ability replaces mounted archer.

Blood Magic (Sp): Beginning at 4th level, a blood samurai gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells related to blood, injury, and pain as a spell-like ability. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To cast a blood magic spell, a blood samurai must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a blood samurai's spell is 10 + the spell level + the blood samurai's Charismamodifier.

At 4th level, a blood samurai can cast his 1st–level blood magic spells and each subsequent level of spell every three levels thereafter, up to his 4th–level blood magic spells at 13th level. Casting a blood magic spell spends one use of blood surge per level of the spell. A blood samurai can cast any of the following spells as a blood magic spell of the indicated level: 1st level–bleed, blood money, interrogation, ray of enfeeblement, ray of sickening; 2nd level–blood blaze, blood scent, bloodhound, boiling blood, brow gasher; 3rd level–blood biography, blood rage, bloody claws, pain strike; 4th level–agonize, bloodsworn retribution, caustic blood, ray of exhaustion.

Through 3rd level, a blood samurai has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his blood samurai level –3. This ability and efficacious blood replace challenge 2/day, challenge 4/day, and challenge 6/day.

Blood Blade (Su): At 5th level, a blood samurai gains an unparalleled expertise with his chosen weapons. At 5th level, the blood samurai selects either the katana, naginata, or wakizashi. Whenever he confirms a critical hit on the target of his challenge and deals at least 5 points of damage to the target with his chosen weapon, he can absorb 1 pint of the target’s blood and store it in his weapon as a swift action. He can spend one use of his blood surge to gain the powers of the target’s associated bloodline for 1 minute. A blood samurai only gains the same level of powers granted by his power of blood ability. For example, if a 12th level blood samurai absorbs the blood of a dragon type creature, he gains the 1st– and 3rd–level powers of the draconic bloodline. Only one target’s blood can be stored in this manner in a 24 hour period. The blood becomes spoiled after 24 hours, after which time it dissipates. This ability replaces banner.

Improved Critical: At 6th level, a blood samurai gains Improved Critical as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 6th level.

Greater Blood Surge (Su): At 9th level, whenever a blood samurai spends a use of blood surge to activate his power of blood ability, he gains his bloodline powers for 10 minutes. This ability replaces greater resolve.

Bleeding Critical: At 12th level, a blood samurai gains Bleeding Critical as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 12th level.

Greater Blood Blade (Su): At 14th level, a blood samurai can store the blood of up two targets of his challenge within a 24-hour period. This time period begins at his first absorption of the day. Each use of the target’s blood requires a use of his blood surge ability, as normal. This ability replaces greater banner.

Efficacious Blood (Ex): At 16th level, a blood samurai becomes more efficient in the use of his blood magic. The blood samurai spends one fewer uses of blood surge to cast his blood magic spells.

True Blood Surge (Su): At 17th level, whenever a blood samurai spends a use of blood surge to activate his power of blood ability, he gains his bloodline powers for 1 hour. In addition, whenever he casts a blood magic spell, he only spends one use of his blood surge ability to cast a 1st- or 2nd-level blood magic spell, and two uses to cast a 3rd- or 4th-level blood magic spell. This ability replaces true resolve.

Impaling Critical: At 18th level, a blood samurai gains Impaling Critical as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 18th level.

Last Blood (Su): At 20th level, a blood samurai gains his 15th–level bloodline power when activating power of blood, but not when using his blood blade ability. In addition, whenever he uses his blood blade ability, he can store the blood of up to three targets of his challenge within a 24-hour period. This ability replaces last stand.

Table: Blood Samurai