Here's something I was asked to type up for an old SAM suggestion thread.

DRK was given some of the thingsI sort of wanted to see on SAM. With the DPS thing in mind, aesthetically you could base it on fast and effective use of skills (a reason I'd want Rurouni Kenshin to be the inspiration for SAM like Naruto was the inspiration for NIN and Berserk was the inspiration for DRK). Combos could be abilities split into categories, with the caveat that one skill has a unique effect on the next. Alternatively, you could focus SAM on the sword spirit thing that Final Fantasy Tactics toyed with for a bit, though I fear it may end up being mechanically similar to SMN's Bahamut trance.