Ninja

            The ninja is a decidedly Japanese spy, probably influenced in its earliest incarnations by the sections on espionage in Sun Tzu’s Art of War.  However, the ninja as we know him can be traced to the 7th century.  Michinoue no Mikoto is usually honored as the founder of this school of espionage and unconventional warfare.  The title ninja was first granted as a badge of honor to Otomo no Saijin, who was given the name Shinobi.  To this Japanese character, which means “steal in,” another character was added to create the word Ninjutsu.

            Adventures: The ninja’s adventures cover the range of espionage and unconventional warfare.  He is the special operative of medieval Japan, sent to spy behind enemy lines, infiltrate enemy strongholds, and perform assassinations for which he is justly infamous.  Most of the time it is not obvious that the character is a ninja, since he is almost always in disguise – the classic black jumpsuit and mask (the shinobi-shozoku) being reserved only for the rare frontal assault.

            Characteristics: The ninja is skilled in numerous forms of armed and unarmed combat, as well as psychological warfare and stealth (in which he reigns supreme).  While ninja are justly feared, their abilities are often exaggerated to superhuman levels – largely due to the air of mystery and terror cultivated by ninja and their clansmen over the centuries.  Although ninja are willing to work with all sides of a conflict, they never formally join any side and the clans keep to themselves. 

            Honor: The ninja have their own code of honor.  While this code shares some qualities in common with the samurai’s code of Bushido (such as absolute obedience to one’s superiors), it differs in many important ways.  Ninja are not above employing any means at their disposal to accomplish their missions; they have no qualms about using subterfuge, attacking with poison, or even assassinating a helpless target in their sleep.

            Religion: Most ninja practice no religion of any kind.  A very few understand that the Kuji-kiri (“nine signs”) from which the ninja derive their mystic powers have their origin in Zen Buddhism [note from Frederick: doubtful, since the special hand signs are indicative of Tendai mudra, as opposed to the more “formless” Zen], and some ninja further explore these mysteries.

            Background: Most ninja are born into their lives, growing up in small mountain villages isolated from the rest of Japan.  Those who seek to become active agents (as opposed to farmers, craftsman, or other common members of their clan) begin training eve younger than do the samurai, who begin formal training at age five.  Balance, flexibility, and stealth are the first skills taught to the prospective ninja – one story tells of young clan members being put into small pots for hours a day so they would have no fear of cramped or dark spaces. 

            Bloodline: Socially, ninja clans are the lowest of the low; all ninja are members of the outcast bloodline (even a character adopted into a ninja clan from a higher bloodline is considered an outcast by the time his training is complete).  Only members of the outcast bloodline may take this class at 1st level.  Characters of other bloodlines may swear allegiance to a jonin and take levels in this class later in the careers only with a GM’s permission.  This should be very rare, and in a strongly historical campaign, likely impossible – historically, “becoming” a ninja is tantamount to “becoming” a gypsy in Medieval Europe. 

            Other Classes: Ninja have an unusual relationship with the samurai.  Although the ninja’s lack of honor (as the samurai sees it) makes him despised and distrusted, the samurai still needs the ninja to perform tasks that either lack of training (such as infiltration) or code of honor (poisoning a rival) prevents the samurai from undertaking.  Thus, while powerful samurai families employ ninja, the two groups still share a mutual distrust bordering on loathing. 

            The attitudes of other classes towards ninja vary greatly – the ninja might considered a pariah, a powerful ally, even a hero, depending on the circumstances.  The lower classes are more likely to regard a ninja favorably – there are legends of ninja taking up the cause of oppressed commoners against samurai oppression.

            Role: The ninja is a scout, spy, and warrior.  Although he never fights in the front lines, he is a highly skilled combatant who uses stealth, subtlety, and surprise to great advantage in combat. 

 

Game Rule Information

Abilities: Dexterity is the most important ability to the ninja, since his ability to remain unseen depends on it.  Almost every other ability score is important, depending on the ninja’s modus operandi.

Honor: Many facets of honor are unimportant to the ninja, and so there is no minimum Honor score required for membership in this profession.  Indeed, since the code of Bushido requires the samurai to be honest about his intentions, ninja are often employed by the samurai to do things the samurai could not do (spying, surprise attacks, etc.)

            Despite this disregard for conventional honor, loyalty to the ninja’s clan and superiors is extremely important, and a ninja who loses allegiance of Loyalty to his clan (renouncing it or having it revoked) may no longer take levels in this class.

            Note that to first take levels in this class, a character must be of Outcast bloodline. 

Hit Die: 1d6

 

Lvl       BAB                F/R      Will     Special

1          +0                    +2        +0        Ninjutsu, Silent Kill +1d6, Trap Finding

2          +1                    +3        +0        Shinobi-jutsu, Evasion

3          +2                    +3        +1        Silent Kill +2d6

4          +3                    +4        +1        Shinobi-jutsu (yoko aruki), Endurance

5          +3                    +4        +1        Ki 1/day (Rin, Kyo), Silent Kill +3d6

6          +4                    +5        +2        Shichi-ho-de, +10 ft. movement

7          +5                    +5        +2        Silent Kill +4d6

8          +6/+1               +6        +2        Goton no jutsu

9          +6/+1               +6        +3        Silent Kill +5d6, Chunin

10        +7/+2               +7        +3        Ki 2/day (Toh, Sha), +20 ft. movement

11        +8/+3               +7        +3        Silent Kill +6d6

12        +9/+4               +8        +4        Tobi-ashi

13        +9/+4               +8        +4        Silent Kill +7d6

14        +10/+5             +9        +4        Jonin, +30 ft. movement

15        +11/+6/+1       +9        +5        Ki 3/day (Kai, Jin), Silent Kill +8d6

16        +12/+7/+2       +10      +5        Master Jonin

17        +12/+7/+2       +10      +5        Silent Kill +9d6

18        +13/+8/+3       +11      +6        Jonin Lord, +40 ft. movement

19        +14/+9/+4       +11      +6        Silent Kill +10d6

20        +15/+10/+5     +12      +6        Ki 4/day (Retsu, Zai, Zen)

 

Class Skills: Balance (dex), Bluff (cha), Climb (str), Craft (ninja alchemy) (int), Disable Device (int), Disguise (Zcha), Escape Artist (dex), Forgery (int), Gather Information (cha), Handle Animal (cha), Hide (dex), Intimidate (cha), Jump (str), Knowledge (history, local, nature, nobility & royalty, tactics) (int), Listen (wis), Move Silently (dex), Open Lock (dex), Perform (dance) (cha), Search (int), Sense Motive (wis), Sleight of Hand (dex), Spot (wis), Survival (wis), Swim (str), Tumble (dex), Use Rope (dex).

Skill Points: 8 + Int mod.

 

Weapon & Armour: Weapons (agricultural, knives, ninja, spear & staves); Armour (light).

 

Ninjutsu: All ninja receive training in unarmed combat to increase their lethality, as an assassin might be searched and disarmed at any time during his mission.  All ninja receive this feat as a bonus feat at 1st level.

 

Silent Kill: Ninja are taught to quietly eliminate guards during the performance of their duties.  Striking from complete surprise, they try to kill the target in such a way that he cannot cry for help or raise an alarm, then pose the body so that the victim appears to be asleep (especially if a sleeping target would not be checked on for some time, as would be the case for the lord of a castle).  Alternately, a well positioned knife can pin a target to a wall so that a fellow guard would seem to be dutifully standing watch over his master. 

            The ninja gains the listed damage bonus against surprised, flat-footed, or flanked targets.  The ninja does not gain this damage bonus against creatures without a discernable anatomy or which are not subject to critical hits. 

            If the ninja kills a target with this attack, only a Listen check (DC 30) will alert nearby people of the attack.  At ranges greater tan 20 feet, the target will only be noticed as dead on a Spot check (DC 20), although direct examination always reveals that the victim is dead. 

 

Trap Finding: A ninja can use Search to find traps with a find DC higher than 20.

 

Shinobi-jutsu: The art of stealth or “stealing in,” this technique is a precursor to Ninjutsu itself and is closely studied by all ninja.  This ability grants the ninja a bonus equal to his class level to all Climb, Hide, and Move Silently skill checks.

            At 4th level, the ninja learns the yoko aruki, or sideways step.  When a ninja uses this ability (which can be used at full speed, even running), anyone tracking him cannot tell which direction he is traveling.  Ninja also learn techniques such as the “rub step” to smear their tracks and make them harder to follow (and can learn to use these specialized steps even while moving quickly).  A ninja with this ability adds his class level to the DC of any attempts made to track him. 

 

Evasion: At 2nd level, a ninja can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility.  If she makes a successful Reflex save against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage.  Evasion can only be used in light or no armour.  A helpless ninja does not gain the benefit of evasion. 

 

Endurance: At 4th level, a ninja gains this as a bonus feat. 

 

Ki: At 5th level, the ninja gains the ability to use his Ki to perform the Kuji-kiri, the “nine signs.”  These mystical gestures add a veritable arsenal of magical abilities to the ninja’s potent stealth, tactics, and psychological warfare tactics.  The ninja may use his Ki a number of times each day listed on the class table (although a 20th level ninja knows all the nine signs, he may use his Ki no more than four times each day).  Using one of these signs requires the ninja to be able to gesture with both hands, but he does not need to speak.  Activating each of these signs is an attack action that provokes an attack of opportunity.  Each ability is explained below. 

            Rin: This sign increases the ninja’s physical strength, granting him a +4 bonus to his Strength for one minute per class level.

            Kyo: This sign makes the ninja invisible for one minute per class level.

            Toh: This sign lets the ninja to walk on water for up to 10 minutes per class level.

            Sha: This sign lets the ninja heal 3d8 +1 hit points per class level.  This sign can be applied to the ninja himself, or to another person by touch.

            Kai: This sign completely refreshes the ninja, removing damage and effects suffered from lack of food or drink as well as instantly healing any damage from the environment (heat, cold, etc.)  It also removed the fatigued or exhausted condition as if the ninja had rested. 

            Jin: This sign allows the ninja to detect any falsehood deliberately spoken to him for one minute per class level.  The ninja may also use this ability to determine the Honor of another character as an instantaneous ability (although detecting someone’s Honor immediately ends the ability’s duration).

            If this sign is used in combat, the ninja gains a bonus to all Sense Motive skill checks for one round per class level (useful for resisting Feint attempts and using Sense Motive to predict attacks).

            Retsu: This sign lets a ninja unleash his spirit on another.  The target must make a Reflex save (DC 30) or be knocked prone and stunned for 1d4 rounds.  Characters who succeed this save are still knocked prone for one round.

            Zai: This sign heals the ninja (and only a ninja) for 150 points of damage and removes any and all of the following conditions: ability damage, blind, dazzle, deafness, disease, exhaust, fatigue, nauseate, sickened, and poison. 

            Zen: This sign lets the ninja see through normal and magical darkness, notice secret doors (including those hidden by magic), see through blur and displacement effects, see invisible creatures and objects, see through illusions, and see the truie forms of polymorphed, changed, or transmuted things.  This ability has a range of 120 feet and lasts for one minute per class level. 

 

Shichi ho de: At 6th level, the ninja masters the “seven ways of going.”  This is one of the ninja’s most powerful weapons, as it allows him to travel Japan freely, walking into castles right under the noses of guards determined to stop him.  The seven ways of going are seven core disguises, each pulled from a common profession in Japanese society that is often encountered on the road.  These disguises, carefully chosen to attract as little suspicion as possible, are: traveling actor, wandering priest, mountain priest, Buddhist monk, traveling entertainer, farmer, and merchant.  With these disguises, the ninja can travel freely throughout the country without drawing undue attention.  By posing as a merchant bringing food to a castle or entertainer arriving for a party, the ninja can gain admittance to secure fortresses where his target feels secure. 

            When adopting a disguise from the above list, the ninja gains a bonus to his Disguise skill check equal to his class level.  He may also adopt these disguises in one minute (10 rounds – a disguise normally takes 10-30 minutes to construct).

 

Goton no Jutsu: At 8th level, the ninja learns the “five escaping techniques” to aid his retreat as a successful assassination.  A ninja skilled in this art practices the technique of freezing instantly in place to trick passing guards into thinking he is a scarecrow, or curling up into a ball to be passed by as a boulder on the side of the road.  Water can also be used as hiding places or escape routes for the ninja, with air filled bladders, a hollow scabbard, or even a hastily cut bamboo shaft providing air while the ninja waits underwater for pursuers to pass by. 

            This ability allows the ninja to make Hide checks even when under direct observation (he does not need to create a distraction). 

 

Chunin: At 9th level, the ninja is offered the position of chunin, or “middle man.”  These sub-leaders of the ninja clan give assignments to their lower ranking counterparts.  Sometimes they embark on extremely dangerous assignments themselves, flanked by lower ranking ninja who serve as a distraction, setting fires or diring arrows while the chunin slips close to the target for the kill. 

            This class ability is identical to Leadership except that a character with this ability does not gain a Cohort.  All the chunin followers are ninja of the appropriate levels.

            Some ninja choose not to become chunin; such a character may take a bonus feat instead of this class ability. 

 

Tobi-ashi: This is the ninja’s legendary “flying step.”  Ninja seem to be able to arrive at a destination far faster than would be expected; depending on the source, this is attributed to either black magic or simply peak physical condition coupled with an intimate knowledge of the land.  This ability allows the ninja to hustle (traveling 6 miles per hour) for a full twelve hours without rest.  The ninja also suffers no movement penalty for rough terrain, meaning he can cover 72 miles per day.  The ninja can maintain this speed for up to 1 day per class level before he tires and must slow to his normal movement rate. 

 

Jonin: If the ninja selected the Chunin ability at 9th level, he is invited at 14th level into the upper echelons of his clan’s leadership to become a jonin, or “upper man.”  This adds +5 to the ninja’s Leadership score and grants him a Cohort in the form of a chunin assistant.  If the ninja did not select the Chunin ability, he gains a bonus feat instead.

 

Master Jonin: As Jonin, except the ninja’s Leadership score is increased by +5 again and he suffers no Leadership penalty for the death of his followers.  If the ninja did not select the Chunin ability, he instead gains a bonus feat.

 

Jonin Lord: As Master Jonin, except the ninja has now risen to become the master of his own clan.  His Leadership score is increased by another +5 (Leadership scores above 25 grant double the number of followers for each 5 full points above 25) and he gains a second Cohort. 

            If the ninja did not select the Chunin ability, he instead gains a bonus feat in place of this ability.