Black Lotus Ninja Prestige Class:
Hit Die: d6
Requirements:
Alignment: Any Lawful
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike (or monkish class ability), Deflect Arrows, Dodge
Skills: Hide 10 ranks, Move Silently 10 ranks, Tumble 10 ranks
Special: Evasion class ability, Common birth, Recruited by another black lotus ninja
Lvl BAB Fo Re Wi Special
--- --- --- --- --- ----------------------------------
1 +0 +2 +2 +2 Monk Abilities, Sneak Attack +1d6
2 +1 +3 +3 +3 Improved Evasion OR Opportunist
3 +1 +3 +3 +3 Bonus Feat (MA), Exotic Weapon
4 +2 +4 +4 +4 Poison Use, Sneak Attack +2d6
5 +2 +4 +4 +4 Blindsight OR Crippling Strike
6 +3 +5 +5 +5 Bonus Feat (MA), Exotic Weapon
7 +3 +5 +5 +5 Fast Sneak, Sneak Attack +3d6
8 +4 +6 +6 +6 Defensive Roll OR Slippery Mind
9 +4 +6 +6 +6 Bonus Feat (MA), Exotic Weapon
10 +5 +7 +7 +7 Always Sneaky, Poison Immunity,
and Sneak Attack +4d6
Class Skills: As per ninja spy prestige class, O.A. p.43
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + INT modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: No new proficiency gained...
Monk Abilities: A black lotus ninja's BAB stacks with other monkish BAB for determining rate of unarmed attacks gained, and her levels stack with other monkish levels for determining unarmed damage, AC bonus, and speed. She does not gain other monk abilities from advancing as a black lotus ninja.
Sneak Attack: The standard ability, stacks with other sneak attack dice.
Improved Evasion OR Opportunist: At 2nd level, the black lotus ninja must choose one of these two abilities, as described for rogues, P.H. p.48.
Bonus Feat (MA): The black lotus ninja must select a martial arts style to be studying, from those listed on table 6-2, O.A. p.80, and at 3rd, 6th and 9th levels may select a bonus feat from those listed for that style. She must meet any prerequisites listed for the feats selected.
Exotic Weapon: At 3rd, 6th and 9th levels the black lotus ninja also gains a free exotic weapon proficiency, which must be selected from the list provided in the ability of the same name for the ninja spy, O.A. p.43.
Poison Use: At 4th level, the black lotus ninja is trained in using poison and never risks poisoning herself when applying poison to an object.
Blindsight OR Crippling Strike: At 5th level, the black lotus ninja must choose one of these two abilities. Blindsight is as described for the henshin mystic, O.A. p.41. Crippling strike is as described for rogues, P.H. p.48, except that the strike deals 2 points of temporary STR damage rather than one, and the target may make a Fortitude save (DC = damage done by the sneak attack) to lose only one point.
Fast Sneak: At 7th level, when using Hide and Move Silently, the black lotus ninja is able to move at her normal speed without suffering a penalty.
Defensive Roll OR Slippery Mind: At 8th level, the black lotus ninja must choose one of these two abilities, as described for rogues, P.H. p.48.
Always Sneaky: At 10th level, the black lotus ninja is continuously taking 10 with Hide and Move Silently regardless of other activities. Unless she wishes to be seen or heard, make opposed Spot and Listen checks to detect the ninja's presence.
Poison Immunity: At 10th level, the black lotus ninja is immune to all poisons.
The Order of the Black Lotus is a secretive, mysterious, 'not-for-hire' order of assassins, whose 'mark' is a tattoo of a black lotus flower somewhere hidden on the body. Most of its members were multi-classed monk/rogues before being approached and recruited, though a few may have been single-classed monks or rogues whose selection of feats and skills made them of interest to the order. Potential candidates for the order are generally observed (unbeknownst to them) for some time to determine their suitability for recruitment, before finally being approached -- those who are approached and who are not interested tend to have little memory of the meeting, but are otherwise unharmed.
The order does not generally contract out for assassinations, though a few rare instances may occur -- normally however it only acts according to its own hidden agenda. Members are expected to act in accordance with the tenets of the order while remaining available for the occasional assignment from their superiors, the Masters of the Black Lotus (any 10th level Black Lotus Ninja) -- and to carry out such assignments to completion or die in the attempt if necessary.
However, unlike many such organizations, the order of the black lotus has a reputation for avoiding unnecessary mayhem, especially to 'innocents' such as servants, children, spouses of their targets, even lowly sentries and guards. Aborting a mission -- temporarily -- to avoid harming innocents is a fully justified decision except when specifically informed otherwise, and in the latter case a black lotus ninja actually has the option to refuse the mission. In fact, the order strives to maintain a reputation for being the champions of the common folk and the outcast and downtrodden -- and to ensure that its members strive to avoid collateral damage to bystanders, when a ninja causes the death or permanent injury of an 'innocent' through carelessness, ineptitude, disinterest, or other lapse of discipline, that ninja is 'invited' to take the Test of Fate. Failure to take the Test results in expulsion from the order and the ninja, after one day of grace, is marked as a target henceforth or until amends are made.
The Test of Fate is simple. With no magics or other preparation, the black lotus ninja must pick up two carved objects, one of ivory and one of ebony, one representing yang and the other representing yin, fit them together, and hold them together for one minute. The catch is, one, both, or neither of the objects may be coated with the poison which gives the order its name -- black lotus extract -- normally used only for high profile eliminations...
The severity of the ninja's transgression, the order's need for the ninja to be alive or to set an example, and other factors will determine the number of doses of poison involved (0, 1 or 2). The poison is quite painful and expensive, and a single dose can kill even fairly tough characters, so the Test of Fate is never administered lightly; most black lotus ninjas are quite careful not to be 'invited' to take it. (Black lotus extract: contact, DC 20, primary and secondary damage = 3d6 CON, cost 2500gp/dose.)
A black lotus ninja is also allowed to challenge another member of equal rank to a Test of Fate in order to resolve a conflict. If the challenged ninja refuses, the conflict is resolved in the challenger's favor. If not, the Test of Fate is prepared by a neutral judge. In this version of the Test, normally one piece is coated, the other is not, both are placed on a wheel and the wheel is turned -- each then picks up her piece and they press them together... The judgment is then determined -- if one ninja collapses, the other wins completely, if one flinches (fails at least one save) then the other wins a partial victory in the matter, if neither flinches then the judge resolves the conflict as equitably as possible using her own insight. In some circumstances, the judge will coat both or neither pieces -- and in the former case, the least affected ninja wins the judgment...and if equally affected the judge rules as she wills. (Frivolous challenges are generally the only time a judge would coat both pieces, whereas if a judge has a particular balanced settlement in mind she might coat neither piece -- and the ninjas would not necessarily know, with each assuming that whoever got the coated piece managed to resist both the primary and secondary effects.)
One other use of the Test of Fate is to ensure that anyone who claims to be a Master of the Order is such...for such a one would be immune to the black lotus extract, and be able to handle both objects without flinching. It is said that meetings of the Masters involve use of a magical yin/yang item which automatically generates the poison, but which cannot be used to coat other objects with it...7 such items are said to exist, each in the hands of the Provincial High Master, responsible for all activities of the Order within a specific Great Clan's holdings. The Imperial District is not thought to have a High Master in charge...