I see dead levels at 1st level (lolwut?), 4th, 9th, 14th, and 18th. 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, and 19 aren't too hot either.
Kiai strike: At 3rd level a samurai gains a kiai strike ability usable up to once per class level per day. A samurai makes a battlecry as a swift action, focusing his spirit into his next attack. One attack performed in that turn (chosen by the samurai before rolling to hit) benefits from bonus damage equal to the samurai’s charisma bonus, exactly as if he had taken that much to hit penalty on a power attack. A Kia strike may be combined with a regular power attack to gain a bigger power attack bonus than normally allowed. A Kiai strike can be performed with any close combat weapon except for flails, chains, whips, and cavalry lance ( those rely on either inertia or the steed, so the samurai cannot control the power precisely enough) A samurai cannot perform a kiai strike when silenced or unable to breathe, unless he is a creature type that does not normally speak/breathe.
Which is it? Is it bonus damage equal to Cha, or bonus damage as if taking a penalty on attack rolls equal to Cha?
By "close combat weapons", do you mean all melee weapons? Are you trying to exclude reach weapons or just ranged weapons?
Staredown: At 5th level a samurai’s iron discipline hardens his spirit as much as his body. He gains a +4 class bonus on intimidate checks and can demoralize the opponent as per the rules in PHB.
How is the ability to demoralize as per the rules in the PHB different from the ability to demoralize as per the rules in the PHB that the Samurai can already use?
Why is the bonus typed? Class bonuses do not exist in any other context, so why create that new type now?
Cutting the spirit: At level 7, a samurai’s kiai strikes can hurt incorporeal creatures, ignoring the normal miss chance
Honor of the samurai At level 8, a samurai gains honor-bound as a bonus feat ( +2 circumstance bonus on saves if failing the save would result in violation of honor, a vow or a sworn duty )
Kinda flavorful, I guess. Still lacking a bit in the meat department, unless honor-bound is interpreted to give the bonus on just about any save. Cutting the Spirit can still be replaced by a Truedeath Crystal or the Ghost Touch property, and on more than just one attack per round.
Mass staredown: At level 10 a samurai can use his staredown ability on all enemies within 30 feet with a single standard action.
Ah, everyone's favorite mass intimidation ability (well, except for Never Outnumbered, which came online 5 levels earlier, can use better actions if your normal demoralize can, and is a skill trick, although that only has a 10 foot range and is usable only 1/encounter).
Cutting with the soul: At level 12 a samurai kiai strikes can score normal critical hits against corporeal undead, constructs, plants and non-swarm vermin
Cool, but you don't have anything that works with critical hits. Well, there's one thing in the Iajutsu style, but that one is barely anything. There's another small threat range increase in Single Blade style, but again, it's not much.
Duty stronger than pain At level 13 a samurai gains diehard as a bonus feat
Too little too late. At level 13, Diehard is flavorful, but the odds of getting to benefit from it are dreadfully low.
Improved staredown: At level 15 a samurai can use his mass staredown as a move action.
Your normal demoralization attempts are still standard actions, just FYI. Well, unless you bought some Fearsome armor, which you could have afforded since about level 6.
Moment of perfection: At level 17 a samurai’s kiai strikes become vorpal, as long as they are dealt with a slashing weapon.
Duty stronger than death at level 19 the samurai's honor-bound bonus increases to +4
Frightful presence: At level the samurai can send lesser enemies fleeing with just his reputation. He gains a frightful presence which he can trigger at will (DC =20+charisma modifier, enemies of 1-4 HD panicked for 4D6 rounds, enemies over 4 HD but below the samurai level shaken for 4D6 rounds). A successful save makes a creature immune for 24 hours.
I assume this is supposed to come at 20th level, and not level "the"?
Does this still occur as a result of the normal Frightful Presence triggers (dramatic actions such as charging, attacking, or snarling), or what? The line about triggering it at will is confusing me.
SAMURAI WEAPON STYLES
Daisho style: a samurai masters the style of using a daisho – a katana and wakizashi set. He gains two weapon fighting for those two weapons only, but regardless of meeting requirements.
On level 6 he can put his rigorous training of kata to use, performing a flurry with his dual-wielded weapons as part of a full attack (He takes a -2 penalty on all attacks but gets an extra attack at the highest bonus with each hand)
On level 11 he gets improved two weapon fighting, for katana and wakizashi only but regardless of normal requirements
On level 16 it is upgraded to greater two weapon fighting.
You could still normally have taken those Imp. and Greater TWF feats at levels 6 and 11, respectively. I mean, I know you're sort of getting the extra attack anyways through flurry, but you'll still want to have Imp. and Greater TWF for yet more attacks when you can.
The TWF style still isn't supported by the mechanics of this class. Other than the free feats and the flurry attacks, you don't have anything for TWF to build on. Even with them, you're not doing much better than just using a two-handed weapon normally.
Single blade style: With this style, the most straightforward one, a samurai wields a single weapon, usually two-handed. He gets a weapon specialisation feat in a katana, regardless of normal requirements. If he has a weapon focus in another close combat weapon, he can choose to apply the ability to it instead.
On level 6 a samurai does power attack damage with his chosen weapon as if he took a to hit a penalty of 2 more points
On level 11 a samurai gains improved specialisation with his chosen weapon
On level 16 the critical multiplier of the samurai’s chosen weapon increases by one. the ability works as normal with magic effects that influence the critical chance
For the level 6 ability, what if the Samurai doesn't have Power Attack? What if he does, but has already taken the normal maximum penalty?
Do you mean the Greater Weapon Specialization feat for the level 11 ability?
Iaijutsu style: With a iaijutsu style, a samurai masters an art of felling his opponents with a single strike, pulling out the blade and striking down the foe in one fluent move. He gets quick draw and improved initiative feats for free, as well as finesse with both daisho weapons (even though the katana is too large to normally qualify for finesse)
On level 6 a samurai has improved his art of killing with a single stroke. His critical threat with a katana or wakizashi is automatically confirmed.
On level 11 a samurai can expend one daily kiai use to use a iaijutsu attack on an opponent that is not flat-footed. He can do it once per close combat (a combat is considered over when he spends one round not threatened by any enemy.) The attack does not get a kiai bonus damage nor does it require shouting but does count as a kiai strike for the purpose of other abilities. Also, this use of kiai does not take a swift action and so can be used for an attack of opportunity.
On level 16, whenever a samurai connects with a iaijutsu strike, he can make an improved staredown attempt as a free action, gaining an extra +4 circumstance bonus if he managed to take down his target.
The feat is called Weapon Finesse, not Finesse.
Technically, there's no such thing as an "Improved Staredown attempt". Improved Staredown only modifies an existing ability (Mass Staredown), it doesn't do anything on its own.
