THE NINJA CLASS Ninja are a highly specialized breed of individual who are taught the arts of fighting nearly from the day they are born. Each Ninja has undergone EXTREME rigorous training. This training requires equal if not greater discipline than that required to learn the skills of the monk. Ninja are taught to do one thing, to kill, and to do it stealthfully with such quickness that legends describe their abilities as magic. To become a Ninja a character must have at least a 15 in strength, dexterity, and constitution. The character must also possess at least a 14 in intelligence and wisdom. ALL Ninja are absolutely neutral in alignment. Variation from this neutrality would be a breech of discipline and a threat to clan honor. Many Ninja skills are similar to that of monks, and like monks Ninja are skilled in open-hand combat. Any open- handed strike struck by the Ninja 5 better than what was required 'to hit' has a percentage equal to the Ninja's assassination chance to stun that creature for 1-6 rounds. Though skilled in unarmed combat, Ninja mastery of this technique is not equal to that of monks. Ninja mastery is centered on defensive and offensive weapon combat. Ninja have developed the skill of dodging and parrying attacks to a level far beyond other classes. In combat a Ninja may completely avoid damage from a blow that would have struck damage. Ninja can avoid one such blow for every three levels of experience he/she possesses. To prevent damage from a blow, the Ninja must make a successful save to parry at his/her level (See Ninja ability chart). A successful save indicates no damage was taken from the blow. (Note: Magical save, dexterity, or any other adjustments except those listed below effect the parry roll.) This attempt to avoid damage can be made in addition to the ninja's regular attacks. If the ninja chooses to make NO attacks for the round and do nothing but parry then then the ninja will get both strength, dexterity, and weapon plus bonuses to the parry roll. (The bonus for specialized weapons is also included), if a shield is employed then the +2 bonus plus any its bonuses are also included. This means generally that an inoffensive ninja is almost impossible to hit. Of course no actions or extra movement are allowed during such a parrying phase. Like monks, Ninja can dodge missiles cast at them. A successful save versus paralyzation is required to dodge a missile, and if the save is made, no damage is taken. If the Ninja is in possession of a shield, +2 is added to the Ninja's saving throw to dodge the missile. If the shield is magic, and additional +1 is added to the Ninja's save for each of the shield's pluses. Unlike monks, Ninja can only dodge one missile per round for each of his/her levels of experience. If the Ninja possesses a shield, 2 extra missiles may be blocked per round. Ninja can dodge certain spell effects like monks on a successful save versus paralyzation. These effects are: Flame strike, blade barrier, trip, ray of enfeeblement, lightning bolt, cone of cold (at closer than 30Ft range to caster), otilukes freezing sphere. Ninja can also dodge the spell like effects of certain items as follows: The ball lightning and shooting stars effects of a ring of shooting stars, the ray of a wand of negation, paralyzation, or polymorphing, and any effects not listed which apply to a narrow area of effect no more than 5 feet to either side of the Ninja. Ninja combat effectiveness is nearly without peer, Ninja fight off the fighters chart and save as clerics. For every level of the Ninja, he/she inflicts and extra one-half point of damage with the weapons he/she uses. When fighting with a weapon, any blow struck by the Ninja 5 better than required 'to hit', has percentage equal to the Ninja's assassination chance of inflicting double normal damage. On a hit of natural 20, the Ninja has a chance off the assassination chart to instantly kill. Ninja completely shun the use of armor unless it is used in a disguise they are wearing. Ninja will NEVER wear any armor heavier than chainmail. The shield is the only armor a Ninja will utilize outside of a disguise. Ninja depend on their speed, parrying ability, and natural agility to serve as their armor. Ninja unlike monks get their dexterity bonus to their armor class. All undisguised Ninja are armor class 10 not including their dexterity bonus. This may be lowered to 9 or below by a shield or any magical analogue, such as a ring or bracers. Ninja will not wear cloaks because it impairs their movements. Ninja are proficient in two weapons at first level and thereafter become proficient in one new weapon each succeeding level. Ninja who specialize (use two proficiencies on one weapon) get increased attacks and combat damage (see Ninja ability table), specialized weapons give the Ninja +2 'to hit' and damage with that weapon in addition to any other bonuses the Ninja may have. Ninja may specialize in only up to three weapons. Ninja may NOT double speacialize. Ninja may disguise themselves as well as assassins, and Ninja's of the sixth level and better can change simple disguises in a matter of only 3 segments. Ninja perform as a thief one level below their own, except for moving silently and hiding in shadows which they perform at two levels ABOVE their own. Ninja back-stabbing ability is equal to that of thieves. Ninja, though they only recieve a d4 for hitpoints, are entitled to the hit-point bonus restricted to fighters. Ninja do not use oil in combat, as it is a dangerous item to carry, and to bulky when carried properly. Ninja possess a silent language spoken by Genin level Ninja and above, different sects of Ninja had differing versions of this 'tongue'. Ninja are also conversant in thieves Cant, though it is one rare occasion they utilize it. Ninja can use any magic item that is UNRESTRICTED to other classes, and those items usable by fighters and thieves. Ninja though they do not shun magic, feel it is a weakness to depend on magicks. They therefore utilize items of this nature only rarely. Ninja however, highly prize magic weaponry, and such is highly sought after, these and magic shields are the only FAVORED magicks. Ninja are limited in magicks as followed. No Ninja may possess more than three magic weapons, excess will be given to the Ninja's Jonin for distribution to worthies. One magic shield, and no more than 4 miscellaneous magic items. Protection items worn by ninja only give half their bonus to armor class (round up) this only applies to A.C. but not saving throws which remain uneffected. SPECIAL COMBAT SITUATIONS ------------------------- It is inevitable that Ninja and Monks will meet sooner or later. The clash of their aspects will almost always come to a combat situation. The combat style of the Ninja is known to monks as it is to other Ninja and this system is provided to relieve the tension and apparent superiority of Ninja to monks. In a direct confrontation in open-hand combat, or armed combat a Ninja's ability to parry blows is changed to an armor class. Subtract the Ninja's save to parry from 20. Take the result and subtract it from 10, this is the Ninja's armor class (to the Monk only!) in a mixed combat situation the Ninja will retain the ability to parry the blows of OTHER characters besides the monk. For the determination of armor class versus the monk, DO NOT add in the Ninja's dexterity bonus. (Example: A 10th level Chunin is about to do combat with a monk. His save to parry is 11. Subtract this from 20 and the result is 9. Subtract 9 from 10 and you get 1. Armor class 1 is about the same armor class as an uprated monk of the same level.) In weapon combat the Ninja WILL NOT add one-half point of damage per level against the monk. The monks knowledge of this style of fighting will negate this ability. Consequently, the monks weapon damage bonuses are also negated by the Ninja's familiarity with the combat style. If the Ninja utilizes a shield in combat, his/her armor class will be bettered only by 2 regardless of the plus of the shield. His/her saves to dodge missiles will be uneffected however. The resulting combat will now be more even. The Ninja having a hit point and possibly hit point superiority. The monk having damage inflicting superiority. NINJA EXPERIENCE TABLE 4- SIDED DICE FOR ACCUMULATED EXPERIENCE POINTS LEVEL HIT POINTS LEVEL TITLE ---------------------- ----- ----------- ----------- 0 - 5,000 1 2 CHIGO 5,001 - 10,000 2 3 BUSHI 10,001 - 20,000 3 4 GENIN ---------------------- ----- ----------- ----------- 20,001 - 40,000 4 5 GENIN 40,001 - 80,000 5 6 GENIN 80,001 - 120,000 6 7 GENIN ---------------------- ----- ----------- ----------- 120,001 - 200,000 7 8 GENIN 200,001 - 400,000 8 9 GENIN 400,001 - 800,000 9 10 CHUNIN ---------------------- ----- ----------- ----------- 800,001 - 1,200,000 10 11 CHUNIN 1,200,001 - 1,600,000 11 12 CHUNIN 1,600,001 - 2,000,000 12 13 CHUNIN ---------------------- ----- ----------- ----------- 2,000,001 - 2,400,000 13 14 JONIN 2,400,001 - 2,800,000 14 15 JONIN 2,800,001 - 3,800,000 15 16 JONIN ---------------------- ----- ----------- ----------- 3,800,001 - 6,000,000 16 17 JONIN 6,000,001 + 17 18 MASTER JONIN ---------------------- ----- ----------- ----------- NINJA ABILITY EXPLANATIONS A) At first level Ninja are able to do a standing vertical leap of 50% of their height, +5% for every level above second. (A six foot Ninja could jump 3 feet [50%] vertically at first level with NO running start.) A Ninja can do a running vertical leap EQUAL to their own height, +5% per level above second. Ninja can do a standing long jump equal to 125% of their height, +5% at second, and +10% for every level above 5th. Ninja can do a running long jump equal to 300% of their height, +20% for every level above second. B) At second level, Ninja gain the ability of VIBRATION DETECTION, this ability is similar to thieves hear noise ability. Base chance of success at second level is 25% to detect moving bodies or object within a 60 foot range indoors or up to 100 yards outdoors. This ability increases 3% for each level above second. Also at second level the Ninja is only surprised 16% of the time. For every other level above second the chance to surprise the Ninja goes down by 1%. C) At third level the Ninja gains the ability to concoct poisons. The Ninja learns to make one poison of his/her choice at third level and thereafter learns to make one new poison at odd numbered succeeding level. Typical poisons will take from 2-8 hours to concoct, provided the materials are on hand. Deadly poisons will usually require rare and hard to find ingredients. D) At fourth level the Ninja gains the ability to blend into the landscape. For this ability to work the Ninja must be in a natural surrounding or near cover of some kind. The Ninja needs one turn to prepare and then he/she may hide with an 85% chance to be undetected, even in broad daylight. This ability increases 5% for every level above 9th. This ability generally uses dirt, shrubbs, rocks, ect. to cover the Ninja's presence. This ability was primarily used for ambushes. The fourth level Ninja can fall up to 20 feet without taking damage if he/she is within 1 foot of a substantial substance from which they can slow their decent. E) The ability to draw a weapon and strike in one motion is gained at fifth level. Ninja who are NOT surprised may initially draw AND strike with a weapon in the first segment of combat. Ninja may change weapons during the attack phase of combat within 1 segment. F) Charm and Fear spells have on a 40% chance of effecting a sixth level Ninja. At each level above 6th the chance is reduced by 3%. A sixth level the Ninja can fall upto 30' if he/she is within 4 feet of a surface. G) At seventh level the Ninja gains the ability to detect life within a creatures body, even the slightest traces will be noted by the Ninja's keen senses. This ability can only be practiced at ranges of 1 foot or less. H) At eighth level a Ninja gains a mind masking ability similar to that of monks. E.S.P., empathy, and related mental effects have only a 50% chance of affecting an 8th level Ninja. The chance of effecting the Ninja goes down 5% for every level beyond 8th. I) Missile assassination ability is gained at 9th level. The Ninja gains the ability to make a back-stabbing or assassination attempt with any missile weapon he/she is specialized with. To assassinate, the Ninja must surprise the victim, all missile assassination attempts are made at a -25% penalty to the Ninja's assassination roll. To make a backstabbing attempt, the ninja must make a normal assassination roll to inflict the damage multiplier elsewise the damage is normal. J) At tenth level, Ninja become immune to haste and slow spells as do monks. K) At eleventh level Ninja cannot be Geased or Quested. Ninja of this level can pass without trace and move at normal speed through overgrown areas as if he/she were a druid of seventh level ability. L) The ability to recognize toxins is gained at 12th level. A 12th level Ninja has a base 75% chance to correctly identify a toxin, this ability increases 5% for every level beyond 12th. Ninja of 12th level can create poison anti-dotes for any poison they RECOGNIZE. The anti- dotes effectiveness is equal to the Ninja's chance to identify the toxin. Anti-dotes will take 3-12 rounds to make with all the proper materials at hand. M) At 13th level Ninja can attack more effectively with his/her specialized weapon. A strike with this weapon doing more than 50% of an opponents emaining itpoints has a base 50% chance to STUN, or incapacitate that opponent. For every level of the victim above the Ninja the chance is decreased by 5%, the chance is increased by 5% for every level the Ninja has above the victim's. At 13th level a Ninja can fall any distance if he/she is within 8 feet of a surface. N) At 14th level the Ninja gains the ability to open locks and free bars in absolute silence. This ability also allows the 14th level Ninja to open locks in 50% of the time it takes a normal thief. At 15th level the time required is 40%, at 16th level it is 30%, and at 17th level the Ninja need take only 20% of the normally required time to open a lock or free a bar. It is rumored that 17th level Ninja need no tools to open locks. The ability to quickly open locks is an extension of the Ninja's sensitivity to vibrations. O) At 15th level the Ninja becomes semi-immune to all poisons including gases, ingested, or otherwise insinuated into the body, acting as a slow poison at half the ninja's level (round up). This gives the ninja time to complete a task and then seek out medical aid before dying. This is an extension of the Ninja's ability to control his/her body. P) At 16th level of ability the Ninja leaves no trace. Ninja of the 16th and 17th level of ability move so swiftly and lightly that they leave no discernable trail on ANY surface. It is said the Ninja of the 16th and 17th level can walk on water and cross bogs without being hindered. Treat this as body equilibrium (the psionic ability). The Ninja can practice this for up to 1 hour per day ( For purposes of walking on water an such). Q) Master Jonin can recieve a mortal blow and by force of will continue to remain conscious and function as if he/she still retained 1 hitpoint. If the blow does not take them more points negative than they possessed at first level then he/she may continue to function for up to 1 turn for every 4 constitution points he/she has. (Example: A master Jonin who had 15 points at first level could survive being knocked down to -15 hitpoints and still remain conscious.) The Ninja must immediately seek medical attention because if at the end of his/her conscious time the Ninja has not been healed to positive hitpoints he/she will lapse into unconsciousness and thereafter be treated as any other character brought to negative hitpoints. Even if a Ninja survives an ordeal, he/she must spend a weeks time in uninterrupted meditation to restore the lost vital energies. NINJA ABILITY TABLE OPEN SPECIALIZED OPEN SAVE NINJA HAND WEAPON WEAPON HAND TO SPECIAL LEVEL MOVE ATKS ATTACKS ATTACKS DAMAGE PARRY ABILITIES ----- ---- ---- ------- ----------- ------ ----- --------- 1 15" 1 1 3/2 1-4 15 A 2 15" 1 1 3/2 1-4 15 B 3 15" 1 1 3/2 2-5 14 C ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 16" 1 1 3/2 2-5 14 D 5 16" 3/2 3/2 3/2 3-6 13 E 6 16" 3/2 3/2 3/2 3-8 13 F ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 16" 3/2 3/2 2 3-9 12 G 8 17" 3/2 3/2 2 4-10 12 H 9 17" 2 3/2 2 3-12 11 I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 17" 2 2 2 3-12 11 J 11 17" 2 2 5/2 4-13 10 K 12 18" 2 2 5/2 4-13 10 L ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13 18" 5/2 5/2 5/2 4-16 9 M 14 18" 5/2 5/2 3 4-16 9 N 15 18" 5/2 5/2 3 5-17 8 O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 19" 5/2 3 7/2 6-18 8 P 17 20" 3 3 7/2 8-20 7 Q ----- ---- ---- ------- ----------- ------ ----- --------- NINJA ASSASSINATION TABLE NINJA * * LEVEL OF INTENDED VICTIM * * LEVEL - 1- - 2- - 3- - 4- - 5- - 6- - 7- - 8- - 9- -10- -11- -12- -13- -14- -15- -16- -17+ ----- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 1 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == == == == == == == == 2 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == == == == == == == 3 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == == == == == == 4 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == == == == == 5 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == == == == 6 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == == == 7 K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == == 8 K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == == 9 K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% == 10 K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 1% 11 K K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 5% 12 K K K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 10% 13 K K K K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 25% 14 K K K K K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 40% 15 K K K K K K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 50% 16 K K K K K K K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 60% 17 K K K K K K K K K K K 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% ----- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----