Non-ToB Samurai build

[Midnight_v]

Unearthed Arcana?
This is going to sound like an odd suggestion but since its open to you?
Why not play the generic warrior from the UA, for the sake of argument.

Warrior20 *Samurai*
Human (bonus skills!) Skills, Hide,Move Silently, Concentration, Diplomacy, Umd, Spot, Spell craft
Human Feat Improved initiative
1st. Combat reflexes. Bonus Feat: Sneak Attack 2d6 (Aka Iujustu focus)
2nd. dodge
3rd. Combat expertise
4th. Karmic strike
5th
6th Power Attack, Leap attack
7th
8th Improved bullrush
9th Shock trooper
10h Evasion
11
12 Improved sneak attack, MageSlayer
13
14 Pierce Magical something.
15 Greater sneak attack
16 Favored enemy
17
18 Favored enemy
19
20 Favored enemy!
Generic classes SRD

Nah I"m just kidding.
I suggest a duskblade. You don't ever even have to use a spell burn all your spells if youlike into "Chi" strikes using arcane strike
 If you absolutely must have diplomacy then dip one level of Something for it. Hexblade maybe.
That or play a full hexblade, its not bad its the master debuffer actually. Which can be pretty good.Dictuum made a handbook for both...

[RobbyPants]

This is more just for a thought excersize for me, but I wanted to pick your brains.  Everyone knows that the only thing weaker than the CW Samurai is a commoner.

False.  There are two classes I know of that are objectively worse than the CW Samurai, and they're both from Dragonlance.

The first is the Noble:  Start with a Bard. 

• Change HD to d8.
• Reduce to 4+Int mod skill points per level.
• Shorten skill list
• Add proficiency with martial weapons.
• Remove all bardic music except for inspire courage and inspire competence
• Reduce uses of bardic music to 5/day at 20th
• Change bardic music to a Supernatural ability
• Add one floating class skill
• Add the ability to ask the DM for a favor which may or not be granted depending solely upon DM whim
• Remove all spellcasting

The second is the Mariner from the Dragonlance Age of Mortals book.
This class is so bad I'm not even going to bother.  You'd have to read it yourself to understand.

I don't have either of those books.  The comment was mostly rhetoric anyway.  Mostly :P

[RobbyPants]

I suggest a duskblade. You don't ever even have to use a spell burn all your spells if youlike into "Chi" strikes using arcane strike
 If you absolutely must have diplomacy then dip one level of Something for it. Hexblade maybe.
That or play a full hexblade, its not bad its the master debuffer actually. Which can be pretty good.Dictuum made a handbook for both...

Duskblade is something I never really thought about.  I suppose in the interest of reflavoring, I could make something work.

If all goes well, I might be able to talk the DM into using ToB before I'd make this character anyway.  He started a two person game, and the other guy rolled up a hex blade.  I made a conjurer to help balance things out.  I still like the idea of optimizing this guy, but I might be able to get ToB in the mix and use a warblade or crusader.