AC 17 (padded cloth, two-weapon fighter)
HP 169 (26d8+52; bloodied 84)
Speed 40 ft.
Proficiency +5; Maneuver DC 18
Saving Throws Str +8, Con +7, Wis +4
Skills Acrobatics +10, Athletics +8, Insight +4, Intimidation +5
Senses passive Perception 9
Languages Japanese
Action Surge (2/ short rest ). Once on his turn, Musashi can take an additional action on top of his regular action and a possible bonus action.
Indomitable (3/ long rest ). Musashi can reroll a saving throw that he fails but must use the new roll.
Rapid Strike (1/turn). When Musashi has advantage on a weapon attack during his turn, he may choose to roll normally and instead make an additional attack against that target.
SPECIAL TRAITS
Maneuver Master (4d6 maneuver dice/
short rest
). Musashi can expend a maneuver dice to perform a single maneuver with an attack.
◆ Counter. Musashi can use his reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that misses him with a melee attack, dealing 1d6 additional damage on a hit.
◆ Disarm. A creature Musashi has hit with an attack takes 1d6 additional damage and makes a DC 18 Strength
saving throw
or drops one held item of his choice.
◆ Feint. Musashi can use his bonus action to feint against one creature within 5 feet. He has
advantage
on his next attack roll against that creature as long as it before the end of his turn. On a hit he deals 1d6 additional damage.
◆ Trip. Musashi deals 1d6 additional damage and if the target is a creatures of Large size or smaller, it makes a DC 18 Strength
saving throw
or is knocked
prone
.
Mobility. Musashi can Dash through difficult terrain without requiring additional movement. Whenever he makes an attack against a creature, he doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature until the end of his turn.
Two-Weapon Fighter. On his turn, Musashi can sheathe or draw two one-handed weapons, and he’s able to use two-weapon fighting with one-handed melee weapons that are not light.
ACTIONS
Extra Attack. Musashi attacks four times.
Katana. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage if wielded in one hand or 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage if wielded in two hands.
Wakizashi. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) slashing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) piercing damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Second Wind (1/ short rest ). On his turn, Musashi can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+18 hit points.
Warrior Spirit (3/ long rest ). Musashi can use a bonus action to gain 15 temporary hit points and advantage on weapon attack rolls until the end of his turn. When Musashi rolls for initiative and has no uses of this feature remaining, he regains one use.
REACTIONS
Master of the Sword. Musashi can use his reaction when wielding a sword to gain a +1 bonus to his AC until the start of his next turn or until he is disarmed. In addition, Musashi has advantage on opportunity attacks .
Warrior Undying. Musashi can use his reaction to immediately take one action, bonus action, and move when he is reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright. This interrupts the initiative order and Musashi is treated as though he were unconscious and dying (taking death saving throw failures when he takes damage during this extra turn). Musashi falls unconscious after taking his extra turn if he has not regained any hit points.
Mythological Figures focuses on persons too big for true history like Achilles and Sir Lancelot, but some real individuals absolutely distinguished themselves to an equal status. Perhaps my favorite of these is arguably one of the most skilled people to have ever picked up a sword: the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi!
The accomplishments of Musashi are legendary and for good reason. His first duel took place at the age of 13 against a samurai, and he spent several subsequent years travelling and fighting duels. Later, Musashi found himself embroiled in war, fighting in multiple battles and sieges. At the age of 20, Musashi challenged the master of the eminent Yoshioka School in Kyoto to a duel and won, followed by a revenge duel instigated by his opponent’s brother. His continued victory enraged the school, and they attempted to ambush him under the pretext of a third duel. Musashi beat them, too, fighting with a sword in each hand. In total, Musashi is said to have fought—and won—over 60 duels.
Musashi wrote the Book of Five Rings and invented the katana-and-wakizashi style of fighting (“Niten Ichiryū sword style”), a discipline that not only joined dual weapons, but also dual concepts in a beautiful synthesis of philosophy as expressed through martial arts. What he created is as applicable to the practice of spirituality, poetry, and ethics as it is to the actual movements of two swords working together towards the same goal. This kensei (a sword saint) routinely fought duels using a bokken (wooden sword) against opponents wielding blades (often showing up late to throw other samurai off of their game), including a famous swordsman with a two-handed nodachi known as “The Demon of the Western Provinces”, and finally died of cancer—but he even did that like a badass:
At the moment of his death, he had himself raised up. He had his belt tightened and his wakizashi put in it. He seated himself with one knee vertically raised, holding the sword with his left hand and a cane in his right hand. He died in this posture, at the age of sixty-two.
There is no brief recap able to do Musashi justice and his extremely well-documented life is worth reading up on if you haven’t heard of him before. Consider including a wandering ronin in your next game and see how the adventurers fare against Japan’s most famous swordsman!
Humanoids include a number of different intelligent, language-using bipeds of Small or Medium size. Humans and elves are humanoids, and so are orcs and goblins. Humanoids may employ magic but are not fundamentally magical—a characteristic that distinguishes them from bipedal, language-using fey, fiends, and other monsters. Humanoids have no inherent alignment, meaning that no humanoid ancestry is naturally good or evil, lawful or chaotic.