The Ninja
The Ninja arts originated in ancient China, then travelled to Japan during the Tang Dynasty. The Japanese developed the Ninja arts to the utmost, creating deadly assassins, who can enter any place undetected and strike when least expected.
The word itself derives from the Japanese Shinobi-no-mono, which is written with two kanji characters that can also be pronounced as nin-sha, if the Chinese pronunciation is used instead. The first character, nin, suggests concealment, while the second, sha, means person. Ninja: a person who hides his presence. In Japanese, the word is applied to a person who does covert, military operations. When speaking of the Ninja, then, we also imply that they are a secret organization, fraternity, or clan, whose skills and knowledge have been passed down in secrecy from generation to generation.
Ninjas were employed as infiltrators, scouts and assassins. While they were extremely successful at the first 2, when it came to assassination they weren't. In fact, nowhere has there been a single documented successful assassination carried out by a ninja. They were feared throughout Japan for the possibility, but it seems that possibility never became reality. One tactic was to lie down on a battlefield, and when your mark rode through, looking at all the dead bodies, the ninja would suddenly spring up and attack. Most ninja assassins were hired by rival daimyos to kill their opponents, without much success.
It is rumoured that at least one Ninja clan has survived to modern times and has once again begun to operate as assassins for hire..
| Step 1: Attributes | ||
| Roll attributes as normal. Then +3 WIS, +2 STR, +3 DEX, +4 CON, and +20 MR. Hit points = CON +12, +12 per level. | ||
| Step 2: Skills | ||
| Skills are chosen
in the normal manner
but also gain the following free ones; Acrobatics Climb Knowledge First Aid Reflex Mastery Stealth Unarmed Combat Martial Arts |
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| Step 3: Abilities | ||
| The character gains 40
points to spend on any of the abilities below. He does gain the following
free; Chi Mastery - Characters can tap into the world’s natural Chi at a rate of INT + WIS x2. Chi is recovered at a rate of 5 per hour if remain active (but not using magic) and 10 per hour if asleep. +5 Chi per level. |
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| Cleansing Spirit | 5 | The ability to heal oneself by drawing on the surrounding Chi via meditative trance. He is also able to expunge any foreign parasites from the body including drugs, normal diseases, toxins and poisons. In the case of lethal viruses it gives a +1 save (eg. ebola) per Chi used. Heal 1 HP per Chi focused on it. |
| Disabling Touch | 5 | The ability to touch and paralyse different parts of the body for D6 minutes per level. Requires 2 successful paralysing touches on the same opponent to paralyse the entire body. The character can also dislocate the joints of any opponent, and even break bones. |
| Feather Fall | 5 | Can fall great distances and land properly into a cross legged stance. Can fall 1 metre per Chi expended and take no damage. |
| Feign Death | 5 | The character can enter a death like state for one minute per WIS. |
| Focused Attack | 5 | Every Chi spent while concentrating on the target gives either an additional +1 to thaco or +1 to damage (must decide before using it). |
| Grab Blade | 5 | Can catch a blade of any size without being cut and then pull it from the attacker, requiring 2 separate DEX rolls. |
| Grab Missile | 5 | Can catch any thrown objects at a rate of 1 per 3 DEX, and arrows or bolts at 1 per 4 DEX within 1 combat melee. |
| Inner Strength | 5 | Focus Chi into either STR, DEX, CON or MR at a rate of 2 Chi for every attribute point raised. This lasts for 1 round per WIS. |
| Leap | 5 | +1 metre per Chi expended. |
| One With The Universe | 5 | Instantly sense anybody who enters his circle of 2 metres +30cms per level, including the invisible (even though he cant see them). +3 initiative, +2 AC. |
| Parry Missile | 5 | Can use a melee weapon which are skilled in to deflect any thrown at rate of 1 per 3 DEX within 1 combat melee, or deflect arrows/bolts at 1 per 4 DEX within 1 combat melee. |
| Rapid Blows | 5 | For every 5 Chi spent each successful hit counts as one extra blow. eg. 15 Chi = 4 blows instead of normal 1, so roll damage 4 times. |
| Run on wall | 5 | The character can climb and run along any wall at 1 MR per Chi. |
| Shadow Stealth | 5 | The character learns to become one with his surroundings, remaining motionless, and moving silently when necessary. This even applies to moving silently into, through and out of water. |
| Strafe | 5 | For every 1 Chi used can hit one additional foe in range if using a ranged weapon. |
| Whirlwind | 5 | For every 1 Chi used can hit one additional foe in range in hand to hand combat or if using a melee weapon. |
| Step 4: Career | ||
| Possible careers include; Dojo Master, Bodyguard, Stunt man, Police Officer, FBI, CIA, Thief and Mercenary. | ||