Miyamoto Musashi

Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral fighter (samurai) 18

Armor Class 16 (padded, two-weapon fighter)
Hit Points 135 (18d10+36)
Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	19 (+4)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)	9 (–1)	11 (+0)

Saving Throws Str +9, Con +8, Wis +5
Skills Acrobatics +10, Athletics +9, Insight +5, Intimidation +7
Senses passive Perception 9
Languages Japanese
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Special Traits

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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

• Multiattack. Musashi attacks three times when he takes the Attack action, and can use his bonus action to attack with his wakizashi and two-weapon fighting.
• Katana. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 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: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.
• Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.

Reactions

• 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.

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 traveling 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 Ichi- ryū 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

Musashi is always able to rely on the hospitality of commoners to help him hide or rest provided he poses no danger in doing so, going so far as to shield him from being discovered (though not at the cost of their lives). 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!